Mrs. Eliza J. Hunter has been an esteemed resident of San Joaquin county since 1868, and has borne her full share of the duties and responsibilities that were the lot of successful Californians from the early days to the present. She was born in county Down, Ireland, in 1839, and in 1866 came to America. Two years later she came out to California, which state has been her home ever since. On the 8th of June, 1868, she was united in marriage with Mr. Anthony Hunter, with whom she passed a happy married life of nearly twenty-five years.

Anthony Hunter was a native of county Antrim, Ireland, where he was born March 10, 1819, being a son of Anthony and Eliza (Lynn) Hunter, both of whom were natives of north Ireland. He came to America when nineteen years old, and in 1851 went by way of the isthmus route to California. After his arrival at San Francisco he passed on to Calaveras county, where for a number of years he was engaged in the mining of the precious golden metal. The year 1860 was the date of his coming to Stockton, and for a time he followed farming pursuits near Waterloo. In 1868, the year of his marriage, he located on the ranch on which his widow and daughter still reside, and he remained there, engaged in successful work, until his death, which occurred January 21, 1891, when he was past the Psalmist's limit of threescore and ten years. In politics he was a Republican, and was identified with the Presbyterian church. He had achieved his own success in life, and for that reason enjoyed the more honor and esteem among his fellow citizens. He was a kind husband and father and an obliging neighbor, and his community was sensible of a great loss when he was taken away.

His widow and the daughter, Miss Jennie M., reside on the homestead ranch near Linden, and they give general oversight to the management of the one hundred and thirty-six acres in the farm. Miss Hunter owns of her own right another ranch near Linden, consisting of three hundred and twenty-two acres. Mrs. and Miss Hunter are members of the First Presbyterian church at Stockton, and they are well known in social circles throughout this vicinity.

Mrs. Hunter is of Scotch extraction. Her parents were Joseph and jennie (Mateer) Magill, who were both born in county Down, Ireland, but whose ancestors on both sides were Scotch.

Source: History of the New California Its Resources and People, Volume II

The Lewis Publishing Company - 1905
Edited by Leigh H. Irvine