Biographical Sketch of John Hunter, Doniphan County, KSGenWeb Digital Library

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Biographical Sketch
of
John Hunter
Doniphan County, Kansas

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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!

John Hunter.

For twenty-nine years Mr. Hunter has been a resident of Doniphan county and his life is a busy and useful one. He belongs to the worthy class of citizens that Scotland has furnished to the new world and in his life has displayed the characteristics of that brave and enterprising race. His birth occurred in Aberdeenshire, August 23, 1833, and he is the second son in a family of six boys, his parents being George and Elspit (Mill) Hunter. The subject of this review is now the only living son.

Before he was nine years of age he was forced to earn his own livelihood, for his parents were poor and had a large number of children. His school privileges were very limited, yet he made the most of his opportunities in this direction and by reading and experience in practical affairs of life he has become a well informed man. The compensation he received for his first six months of labor was only five dollars and board. For some time thereafter he worked in his native land, his wages being increased as he was fitted for more responsible labor, yet the possibility of bettering his financial condition led to his emigration to America.

Friends who had located in Michigan wrote him of the advantages afforded young men and he was thus induced to become a resident of the American republic. On the 6th of March, 1857, Mr. Hunter took passage on the Robert Kelly, which sailed from Liverpool, and after forty-three days spent upon the ocean dropped anchor in the harbor of New York. Before leaving England he had bought his ticket direct to Detroit and was soon with his friends in the Wolverine state. There he secured employment as a farm hand and devoted his energies to agricultural pursuits in the employ of others until his removal to Kansas.

On his arrival in this state he purchased a quarter section of land, upon which he now resides, the price agreed upon being twenty-one hundred dollars. He made a payment of fifteen hundred dollars upon it, borrowed four hundred dollars with which to obtain tools necessary for the operation of the farm, and thus with an indebtedness of one thousand dollars he started in life in Doniphan county. Obstacles and difficulties, however, impeded his progress toward the goal of success, yet by persistent purpose he has continued on his way and is today regarded as one of the prosperous as well as one of the most enterprising and industrious agriculturists in the Sunflower state.

Ten years ago he doubled the extent of his land by adding to the original purchase another quarter-section and now has 320 acres of valuable land. Mr. Hunter votes with the Republican party and is a stanch advocate of its principles, but has never been an aspirant for public office. He enjoys the high regard of his neighbors and friends by reason of his well spent life and deserves mention among those whose efforts have made this one of the rich farming districts of Kansas.

Last update: Friday, August 02, 2024 18:39:36

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