Then, Rick Martin, replied, with the following email message...
...WHEN they auctioned off RED'S PROPERTY
next to Luther's garage,
a guy walked in and LARRY SIMISON came and got me. I was working behind the garage on a race car; he said ...
'COME AND LOOK AT THIS GUY.'
He was a twin to Red.
I could not believe it. I will ask around. I think other people saw him too.
In 1900, John Bridge, a brother to Mary (Bridge) Huber and a brother - in - law to Mary's husband, Valentia Huber, lived with the Hubers (note same house number) and he was listed among the household members.
FAMILIES D-H: HUBER ~ Earl Frederick Huber
EARL F. "RED" HUBER (1898-1982)
Earl "Red" Huber
Mr. Huber's earliest known contact with Darrtown occurred, on April 10, 1947, when he purchased Lot 53 and the house that stood on it. The two-story residence, which has since been razed, was located directly across the street from the Hitching Post tavern. Partial images of the house appear at Property Records/Lot 53.
On August 6, 1949, Earl Huber bought, and became the operator of, the Hitching Post tavern, which is located on the southern half of Lot 52. At some point in time, the second floor of the Hitching Post became Earl's living quarters.
In 1949, Earl Huber purchased Lot 99, located in the southwest corner of the intersection of Schollenbarger Road and Walnut Street, in Darrtown.
In 1983, Earl Huber bought Lot 85 and Lot 93; both located on the East side of Main St.
Earl F. Huber was a native of Hamilton, Ohio and Huber family records (below) indicate that Earl was one of seven children in the Valentine Huber family. HOWEVER, notice that the 1900 Census (below) reports that Earl's mother had eight children; seven of whom were living. That discrepancy is addressed in the "Seeing Double" section below.
It seems that the Darrtown version of the Huber line, ended with Red's death, in June 1982, as no records have been found to document any descendants of Earl Frederick Huber.
The Huber family line that leads to Earl Frederick "Red" Huber
begins with Earl's parents - his father, Valentine Huber and his mother, Mary (Bridge) Huber.
The Huber branch of the Darrtown Family Tree
Webmaster note: There is a question regarding how Earl Huber's father spelled his name. There are numerous census reports that show his name spelled as "Valentia."
The following information has have been compiled from Ancestry.com files, newspaper clippings, and anecdotal memories of people who knew Earl F. Huber.
Genealogy records show that Valentia and Mary (Bridge) Huber had seven children - named in the bottom row of the genealogy chart above.
However, the 1900 census (at the right) reports that Mary had eight children. The question of whether Mary had eight or seven children is addressed below (in the section titled "Red, the Man, the Myths, the Mysteries").
Earl Frederick Huber, commonly known by his nickname "Red," is the pioneer of the Huber branch on the Darrtown Family Tree. In other words, he is the first (known) Huber to have lived in Darrtown.
KNOWN MILESTONES in the life of Earl F. Huber
1898
April 19 - Born in Hamilton, Ohio to Valentia Huber and Mary (Bridge) Huber
Registered for World War I military draft at age 20
Experienced the death of his father, Valentia Huber, at age 10
November 28 - Signed license to marry Helen Louise Schrimer
1908
1918
1928
1928
November 30 - Married to Helen Louise Schrimer
1929
August 22 - Sued for divorce
1930
July 27 - Injured in auto accident
January 20 - Granted divorce decree
1930
1932
April 20 - Celebrated 34th birthday with party in Middletown, Ohio
1941
Registered for World War II military draft - at age 43
1947
Purchased Lot No. 53 in Darrtown - across street from the Hitching Post Tavern
Purchased southern half of Lot No. 52 in Darrtown - which includes the Hitching Post tavern
1949
1953
1949
Purchased Lot 99 in Darrtown
1949
Hosted first "Christmas party for children," which became an annual tradition for more than a decade
1958
1971
Victimized by four men, during January 12th robbery of the Hitching Post
1982
June 10 - Died and buried in the Darrtown cemetery
Arranged for Santa Claus to arrive in a helicopter, as part of the annual Christmas party for children
The "milestone" section (above) and the tributes found in his biography provide info about Red's life and his impact on others.
The colorful and legendary side of Red Huber (including his use of firearms in the Hitching Post and installing peepholes in the ceiling to keep an eye on tavern operations and partrons) is told in several "word of mouth" stories.
For example, very few of those surveyed were aware that the tavern owner had been married and divorced.
A large degree of mystique surrounds the memory of Red Huber, as he was perceived as a private individual.
Only one person, among those surveyed, could vouch for the oft-repeated story that Red bought the house at the corner of Schollenbarger Road and Walnut Street in Darrtown for an intended bride - who turned him down at the last moment. One anecdote has revealed that Red maintained the property with a regular housekeeping service - even though, it is believed, no one lived in the house during Red's lifetime.
So, we are left with a Red Huber mystery
For whom did Red buy the house on the corner of Schollenbarger and Walnut and why was it unoccupied all those years?
But, wait...
Remember that 1900 Census (above) which reported that Mary had eight children, with seven living?
Red's preference for privacy has been confirmed by a quick and unscientific survey of persons who are alive today (June 2020) and have memories of Red.
When most people in our survey saw that statement, they assumed that Mary and Valentia Huber lost the eighth child at birth, or in infancy - which was not an uncommon experience in the early 1900s.
here's another Huber puzzler!
Then, the birth of an eighth Huber child was (presumably) substantiated, when a search at Ancestry.com revealed the following birth record for a child named Emil Huber ... born to "Valent. Huber" and "Mary Ehler" ... in Hamilton, Butler Ohio ... with an April 19, 1898 birthdate ... WHICH IS IDENTICAL TO THE BIRTH RECORD OF EARL F. HUBER.
The discovery of this birth record prompts several questions:
1. Did Earl Huber have a twin brother (Emil) who died at birth or in infancy?
2. 1. Did Earl Huber have a twin brother (Emil) who was raised by another family?
3. Is this record a duplicate of Earl's birth record, with the name misspelled or poorly written? Notice that both "Earl" and "Emil" are spelled with four letters and both names begin with an "E" and end with an "L."
In an attempt to learn more about the possibility of Earl Huber having a twin brother, on June 12, 2020, the webmaster sent the following email to persons who knew Earl F. Huber:
From: Fred Lindley
Date: Friday, June 12, 2020 at 1:48 PM
To: (Nine people whose names and email addresses have been deleted for privacy)
Subject: Earl and Emil?
I recently acquired some info regarding Earl “Red” Huber…
My question for you: Have you ever heard that Earl was a twin?
I have found a record that an “Emil” Huber was born on the same date as Earl (April 19, 1898) and his parents are listed as the same as Earl's; however, Emil is NOT listed on the 1900 census. So, perhaps he died before the census was conducted. I am searching for death notice.
Any info you can share about Red may be helpful in accurately summarizing his life.
Thanks,
Fred
Several, of those surveyed, reported no knowledge of Red having a twin brother.
"From: Rick Martin
Date: Friday, June 12, 2020 at 8:05 PM
To: Fred Lindley
Subject: Re: Earl and Emil?
Fred, when they auctioned off Red's property next to Luther's garage, a guy walked in and Larry Simison came and got me. I was working behind the garage on a race car; he said come and look at this guy. He was a twin to Red. I could not believe it. I will ask around. I think other people saw him too. Rick"
In a follow-up phone conversation, Rick clarified some points in his June 12th email...
Red owned two lots (No. 85 & No. 93) located on the south side of McVicker's garage.
Larry Simison, who was Luther's McVicker's son-in-law, was operating the garage at this time
The year was 1983...
When Rick reached the front of the garage, several people were standing around ... waiting for the auction to begin. And, that's when Rick saw him.
When questioned, Rick reiterated that the man was not simply someone who looked similar to Red; someone who resembled the former owner of the Hitching Post tavern.
This man was a duplicate of Red Huber! Seemingly, a twin!
So, we are left with a second Red Huber mystery.
Was it really Emil Huber, Earl's biological twin brother, that attended the auction of Earl's property in 1983? If so, where had Emil been for all those years? If not, was it just a coincidence that Earl's doppleganger appeared in Darrtown, on the day of the auction?
Families
Webmaster note: The likelihood of a spelling or writing error (in the Ancestry.com birth record cited above) is seemingly diminished, by the June 30, 2020 discovery of a second birth record for Emil Huber that was found at the FamilySearch website. See: Second birth record for Emil Huber.
The man
The myths
& memories
The mysteries
Earl "Red" Huber
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