A BIOGRAPHY OF EDWARD HUNTER
[This history was written by Jolynn Brown as told to her by her grandmother,
Ada Matthews Brown.]
Edward Hunter, the subject of this sketch, was the son of William Hunter
and Sarah Davis, both being Quakers. He was born March 29, 1821, at Newton
Square, Delaware County, Pennsylvania. He was baptized a member of the Church
of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints in June 1840 by Elder L. D. Barnes and confirmed
by the same Elder. He was married by Hyrum Smith in the Nauvoo Temple
in November, 1843 to Mary Ann Whitesides, the daughter of James Whitesides and
Penninah Evans. She was born December 15, 1825 at West Vincent, Chester County,
Pennsylvania.
When the call came from the Federal Government in June of 1846 for a
battalion of infantry to serve in the war with Mexico, the Saints forgot the
persecutions and indignities to which they had been subjected and the refusal
of the government to protect them and at the call of President Brigham Young,
they responded to a man. Among the first to come forward and volunteer was
Edward Hunter. He left his wife and young daughter Sarah Ann, who was born
in Nauvoo October 29, 1844, without a home or income, to the care of his Heavenly
Father and the Saints. He was mustered in at Council Bluffs, Iowa, July 16, 1846,
a member of Company B of which the late Ruel Barrus was the Second Lieutenant.
He was stationed at San Diego, from March 15, 1847 to July 9, 1847, when
the Company took up the line of march to Los Angeles where they arrived on
July 15, being mustered out with the rest of the battalion on the following day.
After his discharge from the battalion, he started on his return east and
on arriving in the Salt Lake Valley, October 16, 1847, he found his wife and
child whom he had left the year before at Council Bluffs. His wife and daughter
had crossed the plains in the second company of Pioneers in the care of the
family of Bishop Hunter, an uncle of Edward Hunter.
He lived in Great Salt Lake City for about four years, then moved to
Kaysward, now Kaysville. At Kaysville, on March 30, 1856, he married Martha
Ann Hyde, the daughter of Rosel Hyde and Mary Ann Cowles, she being born March
20, 1841, in Payson, Adams County, Illinois. She came to Utah with her parents
in 1849, first settling in Sugarhouse Ward and later moving to Kaysville.
In 1858 when Johnson's Army was ordered to Utah to establish an army post,
the Saints of the northern settlements and Salt Lake City, as well as nearby
towns, were ordered by Brigham Young to leave their homes and property in case
the army did not pass through and leave things unmolested. They made camp at what
is now known as Fairfield, but called by the Army, Camp Floyd.
Mr. Hunter and his family moved to Payson but when it was found that the
Army had fulfilled the conditions of the Peace Treaty, the Saints were ordered
to return to their homes.
About this time grandfather's father died and he, being the oldest son,
inherited his father's home. He went back to Pennsylvania in order to sell
it. Wishing to keep the home in the family, another brother bought it, paying
grandfather three thousands dollars. With this money, grandfather bought
two yoke of oxen, a wagon, shoes, tea, sugar, coffee, and many other articles
which he brought to Utah and sold in small quantities to the townspeople. By
doing this, he doubled his money, which gave him a very good start in a financial
way. Mother says that she, though only a small child, can remember the
large box that held the shoes, and the people who came for miles around to buy
sugar and other things.
In 1907, one of his sisters, a wealthy widow, died childless, leaving her
estate to be divided among her living relatives. By this, grandfather, his
children and grandchildren received six hundred dollars.
Although grandfather was the only one of his father's family to join the
L. D. S. church, he always received his share of their property at the death
of any of the members of it. One of his sisters left him some money and a very
valuable watch which Morris Matthews now has.
Edward Hunter decided to settle in Grantsville, having met some people
from this place who had given him glowing accounts of the advantages here
of stock raising. He built the first brick house in Grantsville from brick
which was burnt here. This house is located on West Main Street and is now
occupied by William E. Matthews.
He was a member of the City Council of Grantsville from June 22, 1867
to August 14, 1869 and later was Mayor. He was sustained as Bishop of the
Grantsville Ward and set apart June 25, 1877 by President John Taylor and
he held that position until he came in conflict with the Federal Authorities
for non-compliance with the Edmunds-Tucker law and was compelled to go to
California for a while.
Bishop Hunter was a quiet unassuming man, a first class farmer and stock raiser
and took great pride in his possessions and was also strict in regards
to punctuality. It is said that during the time that he was Mayor that the
time for a meeting of the Council was set for 7:00 p.m. and at the appointed
time the Mayor was the only one present. He waited for thirty minutes and then
locked the door and started for home. On his way he met some of the members
coming to the meeting and he quietly told them that the meeting was over for
the day.
Bishop Hunter died April 11, 1892 and is buried in the Grantsville Cemetery.
His wife Mary Ann died November 20, 1914. He was the father of twenty children.
By his wife Mary Ann, two boys, William Edward and Hyrum Lewis, and
seven girls: Sarah Ann Boothe, Emily J. Anderson, Mary Ann Martin, Ada Rosetta
Nielson, Margaret W. Rydalch, Elizabeth R. Matthews and Penninah S. Wrathall.
By his wife Martha Ann, six boys: Rosel H., Herman H., George A.,
John DavisEdward, J. Austin and five girls: Louisa H. Hale, Ida H. Barrus,
Mary Ann Barrus, Edna H. Hammond and Mattie H. Jefferies.
[See also Edward Hunter - Mormon Battalion Member and Utah Pioneer
by Helen Hale Winward, granddaughter of Edward Hunter.