ALFRED MARTIN GUNTER

Sacramento County

Biographies

ALFRED MARTIN GUNTER

ALFRED MARTIN GUNTER was born September 3, 1842, in La Porte County, Indiana, his parents being Jacob and Jane (Sanford) Gunter. His mother is a native of Pennsylvania, and was born September 11, 1818. His father, Jacob Gunter, was also a native of Pennsylvania, and was born June 13, 1814. They were married February 23, 1836, in New York State. They went to Ohio and located near Cleveland, remaining for five or six years, thence to Illinois, then to Indiana, in both of which places they remained two or three years. Then they went to Jefferson County, Iowa, where they lived about five years. In 1853, with others, they started for California. They took three wagons, drawn by ox teams, and about twenty head of cattle. They had no trouble on the way, excepting one night when they had to keep watch in order to keep the droves of buffalo from causing the cattle to stampede. They had the cattle tied to the wagons, there being no timber in that section. The parties just ahead of them and behind were much annoyed by the Indians. After a journey of six months they landed in Pleasant Valley, El Dorado County, September 3. Mr. Gunter kept hotel for a time at Pleasant Valley, but afterward bought a ranch, which he sold after working it a year. Coming to Sacramento County, he bought a ranch in Brighton Township. Twelve years later he sold out and moved to Inyo County, California. His home in now in New Monterey. He and his wife are both living; he is seventy-five years old, and his wife seventy. They raised a family of twelve children, six sons and six daughters, one of whom has since died. Their names are as follows: Effama, born August 7, 1837, wife of J. M. Bell, resident in Pleasant Valley; Minerva, born March 2, 1839, wife of Joseph Power, resident in Inyo County, California; A. M.; Adaline, born February 13, 1844, wife of Nelson Shaver, of Sacramento; F. S. Gunter, born October 23, 1846, resident in Sacramento; A. T. Gunter, born October 18, 1848, resident in New Mexico; H. N., born August 29, 1850; Elizabeth N., born September 26, 1853, wife of Alley McGee, resident in Inyo County, wife of John McGee; P. D., born October 28, 1857, resident in Sacramento; N. J., born December 29, 1859; and Mary J., born June 11, 1862, and died an infant. A. M. Gunter, the subject of this sketch, has spent all his life, excepting the first eleven years in California. He took up a ranch, which other parties were striving to get, when yet too young to hold it in his name. He went there and stayed in a little house which was built on the land, and which he had to guard night and day. After he had been there a sufficient length of time, his father obtained a title to the land in his name (his father’s). In 1862 he went to Silver City with a load of freight, where he was exposed to the small-pox. He returned after an absence of twenty days, and was taken down with the disease, giving it to the other members of the family. During his absence his father had sold his ranch and spent the proceeds. But he gave him two cows, which he exchanged for oxen. With this team he went to baling hay, which occupation he followed for three or four years. In this way he obtained his start in life. In 1870 he bought the place where he now resides; it contains 480 acres, and is devoted to general farming. It is situated on the road four miles east of Florin, in Brighton and San Joaquin townships. Mr. Gunter is a member of the order of Odd Fellows, Industry Lodge, No. 157, of Sacramento, and the P. of H. He was married April 10, 1872, to Mary Margaret Kent, born November 25, 1849, daughter of James and Martha M. Kent, who came to California in 1853 across the plains, settling in Sutter County, where they lived fifteen years; then moved to Elk Grove, where her father died September 13, 1884. Mr. and Mrs. Gunter have eight children, six sons and two daughters: Alfred Franklin, born August 17, 1873; Wilfred Edmond, December 25, 1875; Mary Etta Leona, November 19, 1877; James Garfield, December 17, 1879; Rufus Irving, March 27, 1882; Cora Alena Pearl, April 1, 1884; Orren Alonzo, July 25, 1886; and Larren Elbridge, August 31, 1888.

Transcribed by: Jeanne Sturgis Taylor.

Davis, Hon. Win. J., An Illustrated History of Sacramento County, California. Pages 643-644. Lewis Publishing Company. 1890.