John E. Hunt

Biography

This biography is a rough draft. It was auto-generated by a GEDCOM import and needs to be edited.

Note

Maybe: https://www.familysearch.org/tree/person/details/GMRV-HTF d 1906

Sources

• WikiTree profile Hunt-1507 created through the import of oldweymouth families072011.GED on Jul 5, 2011 by Alyson X. See the Changes page for the details of edits by Alyson and others.

Notes

Note NI06332From Edmund S Soper's Weymouth Ways and Weymouth People - Reminiscences, pub 1907

Daniel Webster said on this occasion that for the leader of the Free Spoils party to become the leader of the Free Soil party would be a joke to shake his sides. From the time of Jackson's administration down to 1845, the town was Democratic. At this time the new party, made up of the old Anti-Slavery Whigs who had followed Henry Clay, and many disaffected Democrats, were so strong in town as to be able to defeat the candidates nominated by the Democrats, and after much balloting it was decided to send but one Representative to the General Court. James L. Bates was chosen at this time.

In the two following years the town was not represented, the new party being strong enough to prevent an election of their opponents, but not strong enough to choose one of their own. In 1848 came the Presidential election, and the Free Soil party was but just organized. There was a great political right in town between them and the Democrats. After this date the Whigs were of little note.

The fall town-meeting for the choice of Representatives to the General Court was held in the Universalist Church in this village. It was the largest town-meeting known up to that time, and it was so large that the house could not be polled but adjourned to the street, and a long procession was formed from Washington Square to the Academy Hill, and then was counted. On the question of dividing the town there was no choice.

The next year John C. Rhines, Sr., and Noah Vining, Jr., both being Democrats, were chosen Representatives. Foremost in the political campaigns in the village were Atherton, Charles, Richard, and Elbridge Hunt, Thomas and Whitcomb Porter, Adoram Clapp, and as I remember him, Nathaniel Want-hard, the most active man of all. He always seemed to be working lor someone other than himself, for I do not find his name among the town officers. I have not included my crly occupied by Luke Bicknell, but now by the heirs of the late Mr. John E. Hunt.

Thomas Davis, called "Tinker" Davis, was the tinman who mended the milk-pails and pans for the village folks. His little shop stood just by Caleb Hunt's, near Smelt Brook.