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| Annie Viola Hunt Millard |
HUNT STORY
By
Ollie Virginia Hunt
(Date uncertain. Before 1990)
It was a foggy autumn day back in the year 1869. A tall, dark and slender young man age 21 years embarked from Memphis, Tennessee on a steam boat and after several days landed in port at New Orleans, LA. His destination: Texas.
That young man was John Wesley Hunt, your paternal grandfather.
An old friend of the Hunt family by the name of Stribling left Tennessee previous to this time and came to Texas searching for opportunity and settled in Fayette County in a community near La Grange, Texas.
Stribling operated a lumber mill and pine logs were hauled in from the piney woods of East Texas by wagon and mules.
Your grandfather contacted Stribling after arriving from New Orleans. I do not know how my father traveled to reach his destination but anyway, Stribling gave him a job at the mill. He worked hard and saved his money. Our uncle Hayden Hunt had also left Tennessee and come to Texas a number of years before and settled in Williamson County 10 miles west of the newly founded county seat known as Georgetown.
Your grandfather was anxious to know his Uncle Hayden better and made visits from time to time to see him.
On one of these visits he ran into romance. He met a little hazel eyed, dark haired girl named Mary Elizabeth Gore, your maternal grandmother. It was a speedy courtship and a while later they were married. She was 16 years old.
They lived in Fayette County for several years and managed to save about 700 dollars. They decided to come to Williamson County and settle on North Gabriel, 10 miles west of Georgetown, near the Rock House community where Uncle Hayden and his wife, Aunt Elizabeth had settled. Your grandfather bought 500 acres of land from him for $1.00 per acre.
And so, as the years came they brought a young family to John Wesley and Mary Elizabeth, affectionately called “Mollie”. They were; George Freeman, the oldest, followed by Wesley Varney (Bud), John Henry, William Clayton (Bill), Wiley Sanford (Sank), Raymond Lewis (Cap), Charley (who died at age 3 years), Viola Bea, Mary Ellen (who died at age 4, and last, me, Ollie Virginia.
Your grandfather farmed, raising cotton, corn and feed stuff. Prices were low in those days and farmers kept their harvest for their own use. He accumulated quite a herd of cattle. I well remember days when he would go up to the side of the mountain where he had what he called the “Salt Rock”. He took along a sack of coarse salt and called to the cattle and they came streaming down the hillside to lick salt from the large, rugged rock. For some reason unknown to me cattle require a certain amount of salt for their system.
Your grandfather was a very strong willed man. He stood by his personal beliefs. He kept his thoughts a great deal to himself and I would wonder just what were his thoughts. He had strong ideas of what he thought was right. I was told later on in years about one of my brothers finding him on bended knees praying all alone at the end of a cotton row. He had stopped plowing and decided to have a talk with his god. He had a problem no doubt and bore heavily on his mind. Perhaps he needed rain for his crop.
He prayed openly in church services as a deacon serving in the Rock House Community Baptist Church.
He always worked hard but somehow he was never able to acquire very much of the better things in life. He seemed to lack foresight or better judgment about material accomplishments. He just feared to venture by taking uncertain chances. He possessed great family pride, however. He wanted his family to prosper. His love for my sister and me was his joy. He wanted us to dress nicely though on limited means. I remember so well his desire for each of us to have a pretty hat and gloves and by all means an umbrella to go with our pink and blue dresses.
I thought myself a queen when once I dressed up in my white lawn dress with a purple ribbon sash, costing in all about fifty cents!
In those early days when he had to provide for his growing family he raised good milk cows providing milk and butter, hogs for meat and these were plentiful. At the beginning of winter when it came a cold day it was spent for hog killing. Awhile before sunset he wold place a long table in the yard and with a large sack of salt started salting the cut up parts of freshly butchered pork, rubbing with cold red hands the salt into the meat before placing it on the roof to freeze over night. Next day he lifted it down and placed it into large boxes to store for future use. That was in the olden days.
Later on he became a grandfather. His first grandson was Hubert Jefferson Hunt. Almost as soon as he grew out of baby clothes your grandfather and grandmother kept him with them a great deal. As Hubert grew to boy hood he followed his grand dad many places.
He had a relished taste for Kentucky Whiskey but he used restraint. He had his “drams” but he never allowed it inside his house. He kept his bottle, a gift from a son or a friend down in the barn, buried in the cotton seed. He knew the evils and temptations of excessive drink and he had the strength and will power to avoid its gaining control.
Your grandmother was the good Samaritan in the community. If a child became seriously ill she went day or night to help all she could. In an emergency of a case of child birth she was called and went. She rode horse back with food to reach a down trodden family. She had read the holy bible through many times and was familiar with most any passage one might ask her about.
She loved young people and they loved her too. There was something winsome and sweet about her and she had an unforgettable smile. Even so she had known many sorrows, the loss of two young children, her saintly old mother, who for a good many years made her home with us. Her father died when she was only 5 years old. His name was Henry Gore. Later on grandmother Gore married William Hasty.
Your grandfather, John Wesley Hunt had written many letters to members of his family to come to Texas. (unreadable) set out by steam boat from home and landed in New Orleans and unloaded their horses and wagons and all their belongings and traveled in covered wagons and reached Georgetown and on to the Hunt Community 10 miles on westward.
My grandfather Henry Hunt had passed away but grandmother Lucy Rioha Hunt along with aunt Martha; (Aunt Jane and Aunt Susan were married and didn't care to come), but Uncle George and Uncle Drew's (Andrew) families, Uncle Alex and his family joined the immigrant caravan to reach a new promised land.
In those early days there really were some characters in the North Gabriel Hunt Community. Apparently nearly all the Hunts in Tennessee decided to come to Texas and settle in this community. They were influenced by their brother, John Wesley and Uncle Hayden Hunt. Hayden had come early and bought or pitched claim to a large area of (unreadable) land, some acreage bought for 25¢ per acre! Hayden became a sort of land baron and commanded a strong influence.
His sons were William H. Hunt, Martin Hunt, Silas Hunt, Jackson Hayden Hunt and one daughter Martha Jane. The lived recklessly, fought and drank hard liquor. Some of them died young. Will died when he was 28. Jackson Hayden died at the age of 19 years. Their father Hayden died when he was 54.
There were some rather amusing stories told about the rivalry between Hayden and a neighbor by the name of Anderson. Both had holdings of land throughout that section of country.
They were jealous of each other but still dealt with each other in trades. A story goes that one day they argued and fought and Uncle Hayden pitched Anderson down into an old dry bored well or cistern rather. After awhile Hayden's conscience hit him and he went to the Anderson house and told one of the sons “you better go down to the well and pull your pa out, I throwed him in!”
Yes, indeed there were some characters in those days.
They never fought each other, they knew each other too well, but they picked their victims from those traveling the same road. They never heard such a thing as obeying the law. At least they didn't steal or rob but they were mean. When they made it into Georgetown and loaded corn whiskey the battle ground extended from the outskirts of town all the way up the North Gabriel road to home territory and there were some “hum dinger” fights.
After so many years Hayden Hunt decided to sell off some of his holdings and moved to North Georgetown. He established a grocery store, a gin, a blacksmith shop and a livery stable with fine horses. Georgetown was the county seat. There was a bank, a jail of course, and several saloons and later on Southwestern University, which is the oldest college in Texas.
I am not sure whether all the facts were established regarding some parts of this story but it seems to fall into the pattern of life in that area. Anyway, the story was handed down through the years like this; Hayden Hunt refused to bank his money. He had a secret hiding place to keep his intake each day or two from his businesses. He had accumulated quite a sum of money.
One morning he was found dead in his horse stable. His skull was crushed as if it had been a blunt instrument used. Investigation was made. A suspect by name of Frank Milsap was arrested. It was believed he knew Hayden's money was kept in secret and Milsap tried to force Hayden to reveal where it was kept. Because of lack of evidence the man was set free. Later in years the man on his death bed confessed the crime. Now this I can not verify as truth, but it, considering the lives and times truly typical of them, I do not have much doubt about it actually being true. I do not know whether the money was ever found.
Hayden Hunt's name has lived and to this day stands out in lively interest to the 4th and 5th generations of descendants. A man keen and forceful, a character, no other came after him in that community.
The community cemetery which was named Hunts Cemetery dates back to around 1842. The first person who was buried there was an Indian. Hayden Hunt had his body placed there and gave the ground for future use. It is established truth that the Indian had left his tribe, who lived in Burnet County near Pack Saddle Mountain. He belonged to the Comanche tribe. He was working among white men building the railroad connecting Austin and Burnet. It was believed there was gambling amount the men and the Indian was involved, (maybe he had cheated or won all the winnings) and consequently was murdered. According to legend Indians in those days were buried standing on their feet. A monument was erected to his grave by Hayden Hunt and the legend became so widely known that the tombstone through the years became so chiseled away by people taking pieces for souvenirs that finally the base of it was carried away too.
In the winter of 1918 during World War I and epidemic of Spanish Influenza broke out all over the United States. Thousands and thousands died of the great scourge disease. Your grandfather, John Wesley Hunt was one of the victims. He died Feb 19th, 1918 at age 69. I shall never forget as long as I live the day he was laid away. It was a cold gray day. The bare trees seemed to reach their racked limbs toward the sky to pray and a harsh wind came down from the hills.
The years following your grandfathers death passed quietly on. My sister Viola and her husband T.C. Riffe (?) decided several years later to go to California. I found a job in Austin with one of the newspapers. Your Uncle John remained at home with my mother. “Cap and Sank” and families lived nearby on farms. Even so, she felt a great loneliness and at times sat and wept silently. On occasions she came and visited me in Austin and during my vacations we made trips to Taft (?) and visited brother Bill and family, also Bud and his family in San Antonio. She enjoyed them.
In March 1937 she became very ill, apparently had a light stroke. She was never well after that and August 17th, 1937 she passed away. I walked out into the yard and turned toward the setting sun. It was such a beautiful sunset. I felt it was symbolic of her simple, Christian life just ending. We are like children when we lose our mothers, afraid and frightened because we no longer have her to cling to.
And so, this is the end of my writing of your grandparents Wesley and “Mollie”.
In your veins flows some of the blood of your forefathers and your characters have inherited virtues of honesty, respectability and ambitions. With this heritage each of you can stand tall and justly proud.
-The End-
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| Unknown Hunt Family? |
Below are some notes taken concerning the probate for Hayden Hunt. Following that is a listing of burials in the Hunt Cemetery from I think the early 70's. There have been a few additions since then.
'
Transcribed
August 1, 1972 _
Georgetown, Williamson Co, Texas
by: Betty L. Pape
Probate Records
Case No. 273
Temporary Administration Haden Hunt
Whereas it has been made to appear to me that Haden Hunt
departed this life intestate on the 10th day of April 1883
and that the interest of his estate requires an immediate
appointment of an administrator therefore I, G. W. Glasscock,
County Judge of the aforesaid county by virtue of the
authority invested in me by law do hereby appoint William -
Cusher, temporary administrator of the estate of the said
Haden Hunt, deceased.
The application of William Cusher respectfully represents
that Haden Hunt departed this life at his home in Williamson
County, Texas on the 11th day of April 1883 leaving a considerable
estate that he left a store and a stock of family groceries
worth about $1600.00 and his place of business in North
Georgetown. That he had ordered one or two small bills of
goods which since his death have arrived and are now held in
possession of the railroad for freight charges that he left
money deposited in the bank and debts oweing to him and some
debts owed by him and about 30 acres of land in cultivation
and that it is necessary for some person to have immediate
authority to draw the said money from the bank and to sell
and dispose of said stock of goods and to pay said freight
charges and receive and sel1 the goods held for freight and to
employ labor and have the said crop cultivated.
Only survivors look like Mrs. Haden Hunt, surviving widow,
Kye Hunt, son and heir, Sam (looks like) V. M. Hunt, son and heir
They have a whole inventory of the store and it looks like
it was a grocery store or at least a general merchandise
store. (Mrs. Virginia Mathison in Georgetown, niece of
Haden Hunt rather a great niece told me that it was a dry
goods and livery stable and had some of the finest livery
and horses)
One son named Joseph Hunt and wife, Mrs. Haden Hunt appeared
and declared that they did not want to be appointed administrators
of the estate. (This confirms that there were other survivors
other than the two sons mentioned above)
Appointed appraisers by the court were:
J. M. Page _
Silas Vickers
Frank Russell
Also it appears that Mrs. Haden Hunt's name was Lenore and
that she and Haden had two children named Martha and Albert.
Mrs. Y. E. Kimbro, Rt. l Box 2, Georgetown, Texas told
that Lenore Hunt is buried in Mills County at a place called Payne Gap where there is an old schoolhouse and cemetary.
Mrs. Kimbro is the granddaughter of Haden Hunt, daughter of
Martin Hunt.
There was much more to be found in the probate records but '
time just did not permit further investigation. I really
only touched on the beginning pages and then only the high
points. So I shall have to complete this record at another
time.
Mrs. Y.E. Omid Kimbro is living at Sweet Briar Nursing Home Georgetown and about 90 years of age.
HUNT CEMETERY
Baby Singleton
Frankie L. ROSS - 1916.
Frankie B.`SINGLETON - 1911 ~ 1918. FBS..
G. W. HUNT - b. Mar. 6, 1846 - d; Feb. 28, 1926. GWH.
Francis R. - Wife of G. W. HUNT - b. Feb. 28, 1851 - d. Sept 24, 1915. FRH.
Mary Ellen - dau of E. & S. J. GORE - b. Sept 10, 1890 - d. Oct 5, 1890. MEG.
George Franklin - son of J. R. & D. A. GORE - b. Jan 13, 1881 - d. Nov 5(?),
1884. GFG. ` '
DANIEL - Anna - 1849 - 1930. Mother.
- W. M. - 1864 - 1899. Father. WMD.
Barbra - dau of W. M. & A. DANIEL - Born Aug. 26, 1878 - Died Nov 15, 1890. BD.
Infant - infant of W. M. & A. DANIEL - born & died June 14, 1887.
To the memory of Mrs. Bell INMON - b. May 25, 1877 ~ d. Apr 29, 1899. BI.
F. M. INNMON - b. Dec 21, 1832 - d. Nov 30, 1906. FMI.
Martha E. INNMON - b. Oct 25, 1843 - d. Feb 18, 1925. MEI.
Ethel HAMILTON - born Dec 18, 1890 - d. Feb 5, 1891 - aged 1 mo & 17 days. EH.
HAMILTON - Matilda C. - Dec 28, 1348 ~ Feb 13, 1932. MCH.
- John M. - may 17, 1835 - July 11, 1835. JMH. (l935?).
(There are quite a number of other burials & one stone "DC M ~ STEE" near the
-_ Mary STEED burial. No other legible tombstones were found).
MORE AUTHENTIC INFORMATION ON THESE & OTHER BURIALS HERE WEICOMED.
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