McDonough County IL Archives Biographies.....Hungate, John H June 2, 1838 - 
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Source: McDonough and Henderson Counties, Illinois
Author: Unknown

J0HN H. HUNGATE is a banker of La 
Harpe, and is recognized as one of the most 
prominent and progressive business men of 
this place. He has also taken a leading part in 
politics, and has been an important factor in the 
upbuilding of this place. A native of Hancock 
County, he was born June 2, 1838, and is a son of 
Adonijah Hungate, who was born in Washington 
County, Ky., September 15, 1807, and died in La 
Harpe, August 14, 1891, at the age of eighty- 
three years and eleven mouths. When he was 
but eight years old he lost his father, Col. John 
Hungate, who was an officer in the War of 1812, 
and died shortly before the declaration of peace. 
Adonijah Hungate, deprived of the means of 
modern education, and in a sparsely settled region, 
grew to manhood among the pioneers of his native 
State, receiving but limited privileges. He was 
married August 27, 1829, to Elizabeth Ward, 
daughter of Capt. Nathan Ward. 

In 1833, with his wife and two children, Mr. 
Hungate removed to the new and sparsely settled 
State of Illinois, locating near what is now Foun- 
tain Green. He is therefore numbered among the 
pioneers of this county. In 1838, however, he re- 
moved to McDonough County, where he spent 
the greater part of his life on a farm. Uniting 
with the Baptist Church at New Hope, he re- 
mained ever after a faithful worker in the cause 
of Christ. At a time antedating the church and 
schoolhouse, his humble home was frequently 
opened for public worship, and thus it became a 
rendezvous for the itinerate evangelist, and the 
people who there gathered for service became the 
nucleus for the organization of a new church. It 
was at his house, February 20, 1849, that the 
Hillsboro Baptist Church was organized, he and 
his devoted wife becoming charter members. A 
short time after, largely through his liberality and 
efforts, a house of worship was erected near his 
home and a Sunday-school formed. In 1873, he 
retired from active life and removed to La Harpe, 
where he resided until his death. He was ever 
found faithful in the discharge of his duties, 
whether public or private. He endeavored to fol- 
low closely in the footsteps of the Master, and his 
philanthropic and patriotic virtues well deserve 
emulation. 

Unto Mr. and Mrs. Hungate were born sixteen 
children: Charles G., of Blandinsville; William 
J., who died at the age of two years; Nathan 
Ward, who, with his wife and two children, was 
murdered by the Indians in 1864, eighteen miles 
from Denver, Colo., at the beginning of the Indian 
War which resulted in the extermination of that 
band of red men at Sandy Creek by Gen. Schiving- 
ton; Harrison H., a very extensive farmer of Walla 
Walla, Wash., ex-member of the Legislature from 
his district, and the present Treasurer of Walla 
Walla County; John H., of this sketch; Mary S., 
widow of Samuel Ruberts, of McDonough County; 
Martha A., deceased, wife of Peter Calder, of Cal- 
ifornia; Cynthia J., wife of Isaac N. Reed, of Den- 
ver, Colo.; James A., a miller and farmer of Pull- 
man, Wash., and a member of the Constitutional 
Convention of that State; Laura J., who died in 
1871, while visiting in California: Samuel C, who 
was graduated from Abingdon College, and died 
in Macomb in 1873: Nancy E., wife of Campbell 
Robinson, of Washington; Calvin A., who died 
leaving a wife and four children in Washington; 
Levi L., who died in Hancock County, in 1882; 
Lucy W., who died in infancy; and Lillie B., wife 
of C. H. Ingram, of La Harpe. 

We now take up the personal history of John 
H. Hungate, who in the public schools of Mc- 
Donough County acquired his early education, 
which was supplemented by study in the Burling- 
ton University, of Burlington, Iowa. After teach- 
ing for a year and a-half, he entered the law de- 
partment of the University of Chicago, and was 
graduated therefrom in 1861. He immediately 
embarked in the practice of his profession, form- 
ing a partnership with Judge Bailey, of Macomb, 
which was continued until 1864, when Mr. Hun- 
gate was elected Clerk of the Circuit Court for 
four years. During his term of office he framed 
the law providing for the indexing of all the Cir- 
cuit Court Records throughout the State of Illi- 
nois. The bill was drawn originally to apply only 
to McDonough County, but was taken up by the 
Judiciary Committee of the Legislature and ap- 
plied to the State at large. 

At the expiration of his term of office, Mr. Hun- 
gate removed to St. Louis, Mo., where he was en- 
gaged in legal practice for five years. He then 
look a trip through the West, and on his return 
bought out the bank in La Harpe formerly owned 
by the firm of C. F. Gill & Co. This was in 1874, 
and since that time he has been successfully en- 
gaged in the banking business in this place. Un- 
til quite recently he was also connected with the 
bank of Macomb. In 1876, he was nominated for 
Congress by the Democratic party, but as the dis- 
trict had a Republican majority of two thousand, 
he was defeated by Benjamin F. Marsh, who, 
however, won the election by only seven hundred, 
a fact which indicated the popularity of Mr. Hun- 
gate. In 1868, he was a candidate for the Senate 
from the district comprising McDonough, Mercer, 
Warren and Henderson Counties, but could not 
overcome the strong opposition of the other party. 
He was a member of the convention that nomina- 
ted Grover Cleveland for the Presidency in Chi- 
cago in 1884, and during that year made some 
speeches in support of his party. 

In 1877, Mr. Hungate made a trip to Europe, 
visiting various points of interest in England, Ire- 
land and France. After his return he was mar- 
ried, on the 8th of May, 1878, to Miss Florence E. 
Matthews, of Monmouth, Ill., daughter of James 
H. and Nancy (Steward) Matthews. Her grand- 
father was a Presbyterian minister, and organized 
the first church in Macomb. Her father was a 
graduate of Hanover College, and for a time was 
President of McDonough College. A brilliant and 
scholarly man, his many excellencies of character 
made him greatly beloved. Five children have 
graced the marriage of Mr. and Mrs. Hungate: 
Quintin Ward, Edith Clare, John M., Jeane (who 
died in infancy), and Harold G. The family is one 
of prominence in the community, and Mr. and Mrs. 
Hungate are held in high esteem by all who know 
them. He is a member of La Harpe Lodge No. 
195, A. F. & A. M. His life has been well and 
worthily spent, and his business career has been 
one of success.

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