Moses T. Hunt

            MOSES T. HUNT was born September 30, 1787, in New England. He was a carder and cloth-dresser 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 on 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 6, 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, 1825, 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 years, 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 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 lumber trade, Mr. Hunt’s services were often sought and engaged as administrator of descendents and assignee of bankrupt estates, all of which he settled with satisfaction. At present he is not actively engaged in any pursuit, except in the looking after his  personal interests. On his retirement from the firm of White, Hunt & Co., in January, 1882, he retired to private life, and is living as such in the lull 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: Counties of Porter and Lake, Indiana. Historical and Biographical. Weston A. Goodspeed, Historical Editor. Charles Blanchard, Biographical Editor. F.A. Battey & Co., Publishers, 1882, page 250, 251.