Washington J. Hunt Biography


	This biography appears on page 1674 in "History of South 
	Dakota" by Doane Robinson, Vol. II (1904) and was scanned, 
	OCRed and edited by Maurice Krueger, mkrueger@iw.net.

	This file may be freely copied by individuals and non-profit 
	organizations for their private use. 

	Any other use, including publication, storage in a retrieval 
	system, or transmission by electronic, mechanical, or other 
	means requires the written approval of the file's author.


	WASHINGTON J. HUNT, who holds the responsible executive office of 
manager of the Farmers' Elevator Company, at Hartford, Minnehaha county, 
claims the Empire state as the place of his nativity, having been born 
in North New Berlin, New York, on the 22d of February, 1856, and the 
fact of his having thus been ushered into the world on the birthday 
anniversary of the immortal Washington led to his being given the name 
of the "father of his country." He is a son of Reuben and Elizabeth 
(Wrench) Hunt, the father born in England and the mother in New York 
state. The father was engaged as a stone-mason until 1857, when he 
removed to Fayette county, Iowa, becoming one of the pioneers of that 
section, where he followed his trade, in connection with farming, for 
many years. He maintains his name at Fayette, Iowa, while his wife died 
April 4, 1901. 

	The subject of this review was not yet one year of age when his 
parents removed to Iowa, and thus he is a typical western man in spirit 
and training. After availing himself of the advantages of the public 
schools he continued his studies for a time in the Upper Iowa 
University, at Fayette. As a youth he learned the trade of stone-mason 
under the effective direction of his father, and to the same he 
continued to devote his attention in Iowa until 1878, when, at the age 
of twenty-two years, he came to Sioux Falls, South Dakota, thus gaining 
title to consideration as one of the pioneers of this commonwealth. Here 
he was engaged in teaching in the public schools for the first two 
years, and the ensuing seven years he devoted to agricultural pursuits 
in Minnehaha county. In I89~ he was elected superintendent of schools of 
the county, retaining this incumbency for a term of two years, during 
which he resided in East Sioux Falls, while later he devoted his 
attention to teaching and to the work of his trade, residing in Valley 
Springs. He returned to Iowa in 1990 and during that and the succeeding 
year was principal of the school at Larchwood, that state. He then 
returned to South Dakota and took up his abode in the thriving town of 
Hartford, where he was engaged in the work of his trade until August, 
1902, when he was chosen to his present position of business manager of 
the Farmers' Elevator Company, in which capacity he has since continued 
to serve, manifesting that administrative ability and good business 
judgment which ever make for the success of any enterprise, and so 
materially has he advanced the interests of the company; as to gain the 
unqualified approval and endorsement of its board of directors, who 
voluntarily increased his salary at the opening of the year 1903, thus 
tangibly showing their appreciation of his efforts. In politics Mr. Hunt 
is a staunch advocate of the principles of the Prohibition party and 
signified the same by supporting its cause. He and his wife are zealous 
members of the Methodist Episcopal church, and fraternally he is 
identified with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. 

	On the 7th of May, 1880, Mr. Hunt was united in marriage to Miss 
Louise C. Vandermark, of Sioux Falls, and they are the parents of three 
children, May E., who is the wife of Grant H. Stone, of Sioux Falls; Roy 
A., who assists his father in the work of the elevator business; and 
Faith A., who is attending the public schools of Hartford.