Biographical Sketch of James W. Hunter, Doniphan County, KSGenWeb Digital Library

KSGenWeb - The Primary Source for Kansas Genealogy

KSGenWeb Digital Library

Biographical Sketch
of
James W. Hunter
Doniphan County, Kansas

Page Design, HTML Coding and Layout - Copyright©1998- by Kenneth Thomas, All Rights Reserved.
The KSGenWeb Project logo Copyright©1996- by Tom & Carolyn Ward, All Rights Reserved.
For the limited use of the KSGenWeb Project. Permission is granted for use only on an Official KSGenWeb Project page.
The Official USGenWeb Project logo designed by Linda Cole.

The following transcription is from a 750 page book titled "Genealogical and Biographical Record of North-Eastern Kansas, dated 1900. These have been diligently transcribed and generously contributed by Penny R. Harrell, please give her a very big Thank You for her hard work!

James W. Hunter.

There is a class of the younger farmers of Kansas who, though they did not come into the state early enough to entitle them to a place on the roll of its pioneers, came early enough to the localities where they took up government land to have pioneer experiences under conditions of somewhat more favorable than those which obtained in the early days. The progressive citizen whose name is above is a conspicuous representative of the class mentioned. James W. Hunter, a well known farmer of Union township, Doniphan county, was born in Carroll county, Ohio, July 1, 1860, and is a son of John and Catherine (West) Hunter.

John Hunter was a son of James Hunter, an Irishman, whose four sons and three daughters came to America and some of them lived in Ohio and others in Pennsylvania. He was born in Washington county, Penn., but went to Ohio in 1831 and became a successful farmer there. He died in 1890 at an advanced age. Catherine West, who married John Hunter, was a daughter of James West, a native of Scotland. The children of John and Catherine (West) Hunter were: James W.; Douglas H., of Carroll county, Ohio; Margaret; Elizabeth, the wife of Charles Reed, of Elizabeth, Colorado; Nettie, who married Richard Close, also of Elizabeth; and William, of Carroll county, Ohio. By an earlier marriage to Mary Aber, he has a son and a daughter, twins, named Mary A. and John K. The former is married and lives in Washington, D. C., while the latter lives in Carroll county, Ohio.

James W. Hunter, the immediate subject of this sketch, spent the years of his boyhood and the early years of his manhood on a farm in Ohio and had fair opportunities for acquiring an education, which he says he did not improve very well. He possessed marked mechanical ability, however, and was inclined to the trade of carpenter, of which he gained a practical knowledge. He remained in his Ohio home until he was twenty-four years old and then, in 1884, obeying Horace Greeley's oft-repeated advice to "go west, young man, go west," emigrated to Kansas and for two years made his headquarters at Atchison, where he applied for and secured work in the bridge building department of the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway Company.

He was in the service of that company until, in 1886, he visited western and southern Kansas and took up a government land claim in Kiowa county. In order to hold this land he lived on it three years, keeping "bachelor's hall" two years or longer and as the head of a family for some months succeeding his marriage. In 1889 Mr. Hunter went to Horton, Kansas, and worked a few months in the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Railway Company's shops.

Before the end of the year, however, he removed to Doniphan county and located in Union township, near Denton, where he has since been engaged in general farming and has shown himself to be a man of ability adapted to the work in hand and a citizen of much helpful public spirit.

Politically he is a Republican and though he is not an aspirant for office he devotes some attention to practical politics, because he believes that he should do so in order to do his duty as a citizen and because he firmly believes that only by the supremacy of his party and the prevalence of its policy can the best interests of the people be advanced.

While "holding down" his pre-emption in Kiowa county Mr. Hunter met Miss Mamie Blair, who was proving up another claim not far distant from his. Their interests were to some extent mutual and they had tastes in common, and their acquaintance led to their marriage, which was celebrated in December, 1888. John L. Blair, Mrs. Hunter's father, married Miss Amanda Meeker and had three children: Mamie (Mrs. Hunter), who was born in 1864, Alexander and Kate. He came to Doniphan county from Pennsylvania in 1858 and became prominent as a farmer and was a leading citizen until death, which occurred in February, 1882.

Mr. and Mrs. Hunter have children named Katie, John B. and Annie. Mrs. Hunter, who is a devoted wife and mother, is a lady of many accomplishments and very popular in good society.

Last update: Friday, August 02, 2024 18:39:38

The Digital Library of the KSGenWeb is a non-commercial entity dedicated to free access to records of genealogical value. All documents contained herein may be freely copied for personal and library use, as long as the KSGenWeb Statement of Use remains attached. These records may not be published in any format, including electronic (web pages or CD's) and print, without prior written consent of the contributor. In order to insure continued free access, violators of this policy will be vigorously pursued.

We invite all contributions of transcribed records with genealogical value. This could range from wills and letters from your personal family records to indexes of your county's marriage records. There are many, many more examples, of course. Anything you have that you are willing to contribute will be gratefully accepted. .

We also accept any non-copyrighted printed materials that you have access to and would like to see transcribed and placed on-line. If the material is copyrighted and you are the copyright holder, please include written permission for use by The KSGenWeb Digital Library.

KSGENWEB DIGITAL LIBRARY PAGE
KSGENWEB HOME PAGE