Thursday, March 28, 2024
Don Pappas got a neck rub from John Olive last week at the appreciation dinner for the Pappas family as they turned the Hubbell House over to new owners.

Pappas family bids farewell to Hubbell House

Don Pappas’ family bid farewell last week as owners of Mantorville’s iconic Hubbell House after 75 years as guardians and preservers of the restaurant.

A number of people at a gathering of about 60 members of the Mantorville Chamber of Commerce and close friends shared their memories tied to the historic stage stop in the earliest days.

Mantorville Chamber of Commerce president Terry Eckstein served as moderator.

One by one members of the audience expressed their recollections of meeting in the dining room and bar areas of the Hubbell House.

Throughout the dinner, many in attendance stood up and told stories about their memories of dining at the Hubbell House. More than one man had to hold back tears while reminiscing about family gatherings at the Hubbell House. The Hubbell House is where the families gathered in good times and bad times. They came to the HH for both celebration and comfort.

Some of the men and many of the women were former Hubbell House employees. They told stories about working at the HH during the last seven decades. It was as if working at the HH was a right of passage for those living in the Mantorville area.

There was also talk of the different celebrities that have dined at the Hubbell House during the time the Pappas family has owned and operated the restaurant. One woman talked about the night she was at the HH when the president of Iraq and his party were dining at the HH. There was an air of excitement throughout the restaurant as U.S Secret Service agents circulated through the dining rooms.

Other famous visitors were Roy Rogers and his horse Trigger. The Mantorville Chamber of Commerce commemorated Trigger’s visit by presenting Don Pappas with a bag of deluxe horse feed.

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Dodge County Independent

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