Biography
Edward Hunter was born 29 March 1821 in Newtown Square, Delaware County, Pennsylvania, United States to William Hunter (1784-1853) and Sarah Ann Davis (1793-1840) and died 11 April 1892 Grantsville, Tooele County, Utah, United States of unspecified causes. He married Mary Ann Whitesides (1825-1914) 5 November 1843 in Nauvoo, Hancock County, Illinois, United States. He married Martha Ann Hyde (1841-1924) 28 November 1856 in Salt Lake City, Salt Lake County, Utah, United States.
Edward Hunter, the subject of this sketch, was the son of William Hunter and Sarah Davis, both being Quakers. 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 (1800-1844) in the Nauvoo Temple in November, 1843 to Mary Ann Whitesides, the daughter of James Whitesides and Penninah Evans.
Mormon Battalion
Participant in the march of The Mormon Battalion. This unit of the US Army served in the Mexican-American War and was the only religiously based infantry unit ever created by Presidential order. It consisted of nearly 500 men recruited exclusively from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (commonly called the Mormons). They undertook the longest infantry march in U.S. military history (as of 1847) and in the process marked out and creating the first continuous wagon road to California which linked the future states of New Mexico, Arizona, and California to the United States. Most members served an initial 12 month term (Jul 1846- Jul 1847) with some members re-enlisting for an additional 12 months afterwards.
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 (1801-1877), 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.
Life in Utah
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.
Bishop/Mayor of Grantsville Ward
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 (1808-1887) 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.
Final Years
Bishop Hunter died April 11, 1892 and is buried in the Grantsville Cemetery. His wife Mary Ann died November 20, 1914.
Marriage and Family
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.
Children
| Name | Birth | Death | Joined with |
| Sarah Ann Hunter (1844-1907) | |||
| Margaret Whitesides Hunter (1848-1928) | |||
| Elizabeth Rebecca Hunter (1851-1950) | 12 April 1851 Kaysville, Davis County, Utah, United States | 9 December 1950 Grantsville, Tooele County, Utah, United States | George Matthews (1846-1887) |
| Emily Jennis Hunter (1854-1911) | |||
| Gobo Fango (1855-1886) | |||
| Mary Ann Hunter (1856-1893) | |||
| William Edward Hunter (1858-1930) | |||
| Penninah Susannah Hunter (1862-1937) | |||
| Hyrum Lewis Hunter (1864-1953) | |||
| Ada Rosetta Hunter (1867-1897) | |||
| Name | Birth | Death | Joined with |
| Rosel Hyde Hunter (1859-1909) | |||
| Helen Louisa Hyde Hunter (1862-1937) | |||
| Heman Hyde Hunter (1864-1907) | |||
| Ida Princetta Hunter (1866-1946) | |||
| John Whelan Davis Hunter (1869-1959) | |||
| George Albert Hunter (1871-1876) | |||
| Mary Ann Hunter (1874-1940) | |||
| Zaideee Moodenank Hunter (1876-1902) | |||
| Edward Hunter (1877-1957) | |||
| Edna Hunter (1879-1948) | |||
| Martha Maria Hunter (1882-1969) | |||
| James Austin Hunter (1885-1969) | |||
Siblings
| Name | Birth | Death | Joined with |
| Hannah Hunter (1813-1878) | |||
| EMily Pechin Hunter (1815-1891) | |||
| Margaret Davis Hunter (1817-1891) | |||
| Sarah Ann Hunter (1819-1891) | |||
| Edward Hunter (1821-1892) | 29 March 1821 Newtown Square, Delaware County, Pennsylvania, United States | 11 April 1892 Grantsville, Tooele County, Utah, United States | Mary Ann Whitesides (1825-1914) Martha Ann Hyde (1841-1924) |
| Modecai Davis Hunter (1822-1878) | |||
| William Hunter (1827-1897) | |||
| Charles Franklin Hunter (1829-1897) | |||
| Rebecca H. Hunter (1832-1906) | |||
| Jennis Davis Hunter (1833-1866) | |||
Residences
Vital Records
Grantsville Gravestones
- Location : Grantsville City Cemetery, Tooele County, Utah
- Edward Hunter at Find A Grave
See Also
- Edward Hunter
- Hunter in Hancock County, Illinois
- Hunter in Tooele County, Utah
- Hunter in Delaware County, Pennsylvania