Moses T. Hunt, BiographyPorter County biographical sketches . . . .
Transcribed biography of Moses T. Hunt
MOSES T. HUNT was born September 30, 1787, in New England. He was a carder and cloth-dress by trade, and April 29, 1815, was married to Martha B. Willard , who was also a native of New England, her birth occurring June 17, 1798. Shortly after their marriage, they settled in Coos County, N. H., and here their children were all born, three in all, viz., Franklin W., Hamilton P. (deceased), and Hubbard. Their births respectively were February 18, 1817; September 2, 1818, died January 27, 1824, and January 18, 1821. The parents lived the remainder of their days at Lancaster, Coos Co., N. H., the father dying August 29, 1925, aged thirty-seven years and eleven months, and the mother September 15, 1822, aged twenty-four years and three months. Hubbard Hunt was reared at his birthplace at Lancaster, N. H., receiving a good common school and academical education; learned machinist and steel and brass finisher's trade in Fairbank's Scale Works, at St. Johnsbury, Vt. He was in the employ of that firm seven, but in 1846 came to Indiana for the first time, to look at the country. His brother, Franklin W., being at Valparaiso, he came to this place to see him, and while here made proposals to his brother, and advanced money to him to embark in merchandising at this place. The summer of 1847, Hubbard came to Valparaiso, and became an active partner, but early in 1849, his health failing, he went to California to seek his health, and remained there until November 1850, passing through all the scenes, incidents and privations of a miner's life. He arrived home in March 1851, much improved in health. On his return, he again actively engaged in merchandising with his brother, their partnership never having been dissolved, and they continued until 1856, when their interests were divided, and shortly after the dissolution of their partnership in the same year Hubbard engaged in stock dealing till the fall, then sold his cattle in Iowa, after which he engaged in the hardware trade at Valparaiso. He continued at that for four years; then engaged in a general manufacture of native lumber, after which in about 1866, he formed the partnership of White, Hunt & Co., for the sale of pine lumber, which continued some fourteen years with harmony and success. During his career in the lumber trade, Mr. Hunt's services were often sought and engaged as administrator of decedents and assignee of bankrupt estates, all of which he settled with satisfaction. At present he is not actively engaged in any pursuit, except in looking after his personal interests. On his retirement from the firm of White, Hunt & Co., in January 1882, he retired to private live, and is living as such in the full enjoyment that one could derive after over forty years of active hard labor. Mr. Hunt was married May 9, 1851, to Miss Finett Dunning, daughter of John Dunning, an old settler of Valparaiso. They have had no children of their own, but have one adopted son, Willard James, the orphan child of Mr. Hunt's niece, Ida (Hunt) McConkey . Mrs. Hunt is a member of the Presbyterian Church, but Mr. H. is a member of no particular church or party, but is liberal and tolerant in his views on all subjects. Mrs. Hunt was born in Wayne County, N. Y., December 31, 1829, and came with her parents to Porter County in about 1844. She was a daughter of John and Lucy (Rose) Dunning.
Source: Goodspeed, Weston A., and Charles Blanchard. 1882. Counties of Porter and Lake, Indiana: Historical and Biographical, Illustrated. Chicago, Illinois: F. A. Battey & Company. 771 p.
Page(s) in Source: 250-251
This biography has been transcribed exactly as it was originally published in the source. Please note that we do not provide photocopies or digital scans of biographies appearing on this website.
Biography transcribed by Steven R. Shook