Timothy S. HUNT. Among the influential and
wealthy citizens of
Our subject remained with his father until July 1, 1861, when he joined the Eighty-sixth Illinois Volunteer Infantry, but was not sworn in, as his father objected to his enlistment. His brother, Mahlon, however, became a member of that regiment, and died in the service. Timothy began farming upon a tract of forty acres which his father had given him, to which he soon added one hundred acres, paying eighteen dollars per acre, but had to go in debt for most of the amount. He has been very successful in his operations, and besides his home farm also has a half section in Rush county, Kansas, one hundred and sixty acres near Allerton, Iowa, and forty aces in Monoma county, Iowa, all of which property has been quite profitable. He has also bought and sold cattle, sometimes having as high as twelve or thirteen hundred head upon his place. For about six years he conducted the only brick yard west of the river, making two hundred thousand brick annually. His land is underlaid with a fine grade of coal, and from that industry derived a handsome income, but the operation of the mines is now unprofitable.
On the 29th of January, 1862, Mr. HUNT led
to the marriage altar Miss Zerniah PLATTER, of Whitefield
township, a daughter of Jacob PLATTER, who died on the farm
where Mr. BOGNER now lives. To them were born six children –
Richard, warden in the insane asylum at Steilacoom, Washington;
Hannah, who died at the age of twenty-three of quick
consumption, as did also her mother; Horrom T., at home; and one
child, who died at the age of seven years, and two in infancy.
The mother of these children departed this life July 3, 1879.
For his second wife, Mr. HUNT chose Mrs. Belle CORNELL, who bore
the maiden name of Arabella JONES, and is a native of Bureau
county,
Mr. HUNT generally affiliates with the republican party, but is not strictly partisan, preferring to vote for the man whom he thinks will best fill the office, regardless of party ties. He has served as a delegate to conventions and is at present justice of the peace. He has settled many difficult cases, but often counsels the parties to settle their disputes out of court. Soon after the completion of a fine barn belonging to Mr. HUNT it was destroyed by fire, which with its contents caused him a loss of five thousand dollars, as there was but a slight insurance upon the property. He is a highly respected citizen and at the time when there was a Christian church in Whitefield township he was one of its most active members. As most of its members left he finally devoted the proceeds of the sale of the old building to the church at Henry, amounting to two hundred dollars, and has since belonged to no congregation.
Extracted May 2011 by Norma Hass from The Biographical Record of Bureau, Marshall and Putnam Counties, Illinois, 1896.
| Bureau | Putnam | |
| Stark |
 |
La Salle |
| Peoria | Woodford |
