John E. Hunt Biography


	This biography appears on pages 1644-1645 in "History of South 
	Dakota" by Doane Robinson, Vol. II (1904) and was scanned, 
	OCRed and edited by Maurice Krueger, mkrueger@iw.net.

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	JOHN E. HUNT, one of the most enterprising and progressive farmers 
of Pennington county, is a native of Lyon county, Kansas, born on 
September 10, 1859, and the son of George and Charlotte (Belcher) Hunt, 
natives of Massachusetts. In 1854 the parents removed from their native 
state to Illinois and there lived on a farm for two years. In 1856 they 
took another flight westward, settling at the place of his birth, where 
they were pioneers. They engaged in farming here until the autumn of 
1859, when they went tack to Massachusetts. They were still imbued with 
the western spirit, however, and after remaining two years in the east, 
again started in the wake of the setting sun, stopping first in Henry 
county, Illinois, and carrying on successful farming operations there 
for nine years. In 1870 they moved to Iowa county, Iowa, and soon 
afterward to Guthrie county in the same state. Here their son received 
the greater part of his scholastic training, for in 1877 the family came 
to the Black Hills, and in the strenuous contest with nature then before 
them no opportunities was left for further schooling, except as it might 
be had under the stern discipline of experience. They made the trip by 
way of Yankton, and arrived at Rapid City on June 14th. This flourishing 
metropolis was then but a hamlet of a few houses, but the golden music 
from the hills had electrified the world, and families were pouring into 
the region by every route and means of travel. The Hunts remained at 
Rapid City for a year, the father and sons engaging in freighting 
between that place and Sidney and Pierre. They continued this business 
for three years, but in 1878 located the ranch on which the mother and 
son now live and made it the family home. In 1880 the freighting 
enterprise was abandoned, and the whole time and energy of the family 
were devoted to the improvement of the home they had chosen, and the 
development of its promising resources. Their first efforts were given 
to securing sufficient water to irrigate the land as a means of 
permanent improvement, although they raised a crop of very respectable 
proportions in the summer of 1880. The irrigation was pushed forward as 
rapidly as possible with the facilities they had, and although their 
progress was slow for awhile, it was steady and the work was conducted 
on a scale looking to permanent results, and enduring value; now it is 
complete and effective in all respects, the entire farm of one hundred 
acres being fully supplied with water for every need. The father was in 
active control of the farming business until his death, February 19, 
1894, and since then the son, John E. Hunt, has had it in charge, and 
has conducted and developed it along the lines laid down at the 
beginning. Mr. Hunt's mother, a most estimable lady, who fully enters 
into the spirit of the business, and is in harmony with her 
surroundings, lives with him and manages the affairs of the household 
with the same vigor, breadth of view and success that he displays in the 
operations of the farm.