From Michigan Place Names
Ionia county: in 1836, James R. Langdon, of Montpelier, Vermont, bought 2000 acres which included most of the present town. From him in 1852, Joseph Brown, Of Kalamazoo, bought 240 acres, which included the Fish Creek water power, and built a dam and a sawmill. In 1853, he was bought out by Thomas Hubbard, Wilson Homer, Noah Hitchcock and Newton W. Taylor, and in 1865, they platted the village. Given a post office as Plains on Sept 13, 1858, with Linus Van Alstine as its first postmaster. It was renamed for Thomas Hubbard On Dec 27, 1859. Incorporated as a village in 1867 [Harvey G. Allen, PM]