Frank Williams Hunt
Purvis, Thomas L; Newport, Kentucky; A Bicentennial History; page 203
Frank W Hunt was born in Newport on Dec 16, 1861 to 1st Lt. Thomas B and Eugenia (Montmolin). His father was a career officer in the Quartermaster Corps who retired with the rank of Brevet Lt. Colonel. Frank Hunt received an ordinary education, which placed him at a disadvantage in competing with sons of wealthy families, so he moved west in 1888 to Idaho, where a lack of a college degree was likely to hold him back.
Idaho's voters recognized his uncommon abilities early on and elected him in 1893 to the state senate, where he played an active role in passing a state mining stature. He volunteered for the 1st Idaho Infantry during the Spanish American War and took rank as 1s Lt. He went overseas, participated in the capture of Manila, engaged in several early engagements during the Philippine Insurrection during 1899 and returned home a captain. At age 40, Hunt won election as a Democrat to be Idaho's fifth governor; he was swore in January 7, 1901 for atwo year term by Chief Justice Ralph Quarles, who was also a native Kentuckian. He did more to establish conditions for lasting prosperity in Idahoby developing commerce and agriculture than any of his predecessors. He promoted the development of gold fields around Thunder Mountain. His administration founded the Academy of Idaho at Pocatello, which evolved into Idaho State University.
Hunt lost a race for relection and resummed his mining
career at Emmett, Idaho, and became vice president of the Dewey Combination
Lease Co, which operated mines at Goldfield, Nevada. He died at age 44 of
pneumonia at Goldfield on November 25, 1906.