Biographies
MARK TWAIN HUNT
MARK TWAIN HUNT.--An interesting and well-informed man who is a native
son of the Golden State is Mark Twain Hunt, who was born in Sacramento,
November 20, 1864. His father, Dennis
Rockwell Hunt, was born in Vermont on April 23, 1820, his parents being Albinus and Hannah (Robins) Hunt, who were both of New
England descent through some generations, and who both died at the age of
seventy years. The family removed to New
York when Dennis R. Hunt was about two years old. He was educated in the district schools, and
when twelve years of age he hired out on a farm, being thus employed until
1848, when, in partnership with his brother, he bought 150 acres. Leaving the farm in charge of his brother, he
set out for California, arriving in San Francisco in due time,
and made his way to the El Dorado on the south fork of the American River,
above Mormon Island. In 1851 he filed
his claim for one hundred and sixty acres on Deer Creek, and in 1852 he raised
barley on his own place. But fortune was
against him, for his whole crop of hay and barley in stacks, valued at $12,000,
was destroyed by fire. It took him many
years to recover from this heavy loss; but he held on to the land, raised
twelve more crops, and sold out in the autumn of 1863, being then worth
$16,000. Mr. Hunt then was in the
grocery business in Sacramento for about eight months. In 1865 he returned to New York and bought a
farm in Madison County and stocked it, with the expectation of making it his
permanent home. He soon found that
farming in New York was no longer congenial, however; so he sold out the
following year, and returning to Sacramento purchased a livery and sale stable,
which he kept about two years. In the
autumn of 1868 he bought 500 acres at Freeport on the Sacramento River, where
he carried on a dairy. The mother of our
subject was in maidenhood Nancy A. Zumwalt, a native
of Illinois. She was first married to
Alex Cotton, and after farming several years they started across the plains in
an ox-team train; but on the way Alex Cotton was taken ill and died on the
plains, on August 21, 1864. His widow,
left with two children came bravely on to California, and it was here she met
and married Mr. Hunt. They met with
success in their farming and dairy enterprise, and resided on the ranch at
Freeport until they passed on, the mother on April 2, 1904, and the father on
April 18, 1913. There were five children
born of this second marriage: Major
Clarence of Los Angeles; Frank Linn, residing in Napa; Mark Twain, the subject
of our interesting review; Rockwell D., dean of the commercial department,
university of Southern California; and George Grant, of Los Angeles.
After completing the local schools, Mark
Twain Hunt entered Napa College, where he was duly graduated in 1886 with the
degree of B.S. He spent a year teaching
in Napa College, and then chose ranching for his life work. Leasing the old home place at Freeport, he engaged
in farming and dairying. About this time
Mr. Hunt assumed family ties, when he was united with Miss Susie Hubbell, the
ceremony occurring in Marin County in 1888.
Mrs. Hunt was a native of that county, a daughter of Orton and Elizabeth
A. (Howard) Hubbell, born in New York State and Vergennes, Vt., respectively.
They were early settlers of Marin County, where her father followed agriculture
until he returned to Petaluma in 1905.
His death occurred July 8, 1914, his wife having preceded him many years
before, passing away on August 31, 1877.
This pioneer couple had three children, Susie being the second in order
of birth. Orton B., of Van Nuys, is the
oldest; and Dr. George R., a practicing physician in Petaluma, is the youngest
of the family. Mrs. Hunt was a graduate
of Napa College, in the class of 1885, with the degree of B.S.
In 1901 Mr. Hunt, with his brother Frank
L., purchased the old home ranch of 500 acres and divided the place; and here
he has continued ranching, specializing principally in dairying. He has improved the ranch with two
pumping-plants and is raising alfalfa as well as grain. The place is equipped with suitable farm
buildings, including a large silo. His
dairy herd comprises eighty head of pure-bred and high-grade Holsteins. Mr. Hunt is a lover of fine horses, and in former days raised some fine roadsters. He is a member of the Northern California
Milk Producers’ Association.
The union of Mr. and Mrs. Hunt resulted in
the birth of four children: Ray Orton,
who is assisting his father; Lester Clarence, a carpenter in Sacramento; and
Grace Mildred, the wife of Arnold Scriber, and Myrtle, the wife of Allan Showler, both of Sacramento County. Mr. Hunt is a member and past grand of
Sacramento Lodge No. 2, I. O. O. F., and also of the Independent Order of
Foresters; and both he and Mrs. Hunt are members of the Grange. Deeply interested in the cause of education,
Mr. Hunt has served for many years as a member of the board of school trustees
of Freeport, being clerk of the board.
Mrs. Hunt is a member of the Parent-Teachers Association and the Red
Cross. During the war, Mr. Hunt was
local chairman of the various Liberty Loan and allied war drives. He is liberal and enterprising, and greatly
interested in the growth and development of the county. Having always taken a stand for a high standard
of morals, he was selected as foreman of the county grand jury in 1914.
Transcribed by Suzanne Wood.
Source: Reed, G. Walter, History of Sacramento County, California With
Biographical Sketches, Page 371-372. Historic Record Company, Los Angeles, CA.
1923.
© 2007 Suzanne Wood.