Ohio History Journal

EDITORIALANA.

WILLIAM HENRY HUNTER. William H. Hunter, Trustee and member of the Executive Com- mittee of the Ohio State Archaeological and Historical Society, died

suddenly at his residence, Chillicothe, Ohio, in the early morning of Wednesday, June 19, 1906, after an illness of only five days' duration. Mr. Hunter closed his earthly career as he had often expressed a desire to do, in the very midst of his daily activities. Never was he more energetic or enthusiastic in his life work. On the previous Wednesday, June 13, Mr. Hunter attended the commencement at Marietta College, where he re- ceived from the college authorities the honorary degree of Master of Arts, conferred upon him be- cause of his literary attainments and numerous and valuable contributions to the History of Ohio. On the evening of the day in question, at a ban-

quet of the alumni of the college, Mr. Hunter delivered a most eloquent and scholarly address upon the racial "Birthright of Governor Arthur St. Clair." Governor St. Clair was a favorite historical character with Mr. Hunter. To the city of Chillicothe and also to Marietta College, Mr. Hunter presented oil portraits of Governor St. Clair, excellent like- nesses and admirable works of art by Charles P. Filson of Steubenville. Mr. Hunter was a man of superior talent and unusually endowed with the indomitable perseverance of the Scotch and no minimum of the fearless pugnacity of the Irish. These mixed elements of heredity made him a courageous fighter and won for him marked success in the struggle of life. Mr. Hunter was born at Cadiz, Harrison County, Ohio, May 26, 1852. He was the son of Joseph R. and Letitia McFadden Hunter His grandfathers, James Hunter and John Sloan were Scotch Presbyter- ians in Pennsylvania and soldiers in the American Revolution; a great- grandfather (Thomas Hunter) equipped and led a company in the French- English War; his father, Joseph R. Hunter, emigrated from Pennsyl- vania to Cadiz in 1830 and studied law in the office with the distinguished (383)

• 1
 

384        Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications.

 

Edwin M. Stanton. William H. Hunter was educated in the public and

private schools of Cadiz, and engaged for a time in wood carving and

the production of artistic pottery, originating the ware known as "Lon-

huda." Mr. Hunter's chosen vocation was journalism, and before the

age of eighteen he was in charge of the editorial department of the

Cadiz Sentinel. Mr. Hunter's tastes and pursuits from his earliest boy-

hood were those of an intellectual temperment. Under the tuition of

his brother-in-law and other men of educational attainments, Mr. Hunter

acquired a wide acquaintance with literature, science and philosophy;

he was an omniverous reader, easily absorbed information and there was

apparently no field of knowledge or speculation that did not elicit his

attention or become the subject of his investigation. In 1875, at the

age of twenty-three, Mr. Hunter in company with his cousin, H. H. Mc-

Fadden, purchased the Steubenville Gazette, and for twenty-five years

he conducted this paper, becoming a widely-known writer on historical

and economical topics, while at the same time taking the most active

interest in the municipal affairs of Steubenville. He had highly developed

the aesthetic sense and was an influential factor in the improvement both

of the sanitary condition and the ornamentation of his home city. With

the aid of other citizens he caused five thousand shade trees to be

planted along the sidewalks of Steubenville, transforming the appearance

of the barren thoroughfare to one of great attractiveness and beauty.

In the year 1890 with his brother George F. Hunter, then the owner of

the Chillicothe News, he purchased the Chillicothe Advertiser, and moved

to Chillicothe to conduct the paper thus resulting from the merger.

The writer first met Mr. Hunter at Steubenville, at the time of

the Jefferson Centennial. Mr. Hunter was much interested in the work

of the Ohio State Archaeological and Historical Society and at the solici-

tation of its Secretary prepared one of the most valuable contributions

ever published by the Society, that known as "The Pathfinders of Jeffer-

son County." This monograph has become the standard authority upon

the subject with which it deals and has been extensively consulted and

borrowed from by various writers throughout the country. At the Six-

teenth Annual Meeting of the Society, held at Columbus, April 26, 1901,

Mr. Hunter was elected a Trustee of the Society, which position he con-

tinued to hold until his untimely death; indeed, he was re-elected to that

position for the third time at the last Annual Meeting, held June 9,

1906, only ten days previous to his death. For the last four years Mr.

Hunter has been a member of the Executive Committee. He was one

of the leading spirits in the inception and promotion of the centennial

celebration held by the Society at Chillicothe, May 20 and 21, 1903, upon

which occasion he presented the city of Chillicothe with the bas relief

medallion of Ohio's first Governor, Edward Tiffin. Mr. Hunter was a

natural historian, he reveled in the realms of the past especially in the

origin and development of nations and the characters and careers of

• 2
 

Editorialana.                        385

 

distinguished personages. In addition to the writings mentioned above,

he wrote in 1895 for the Pioneer Society of West Florida an exhaustive

pamphlet on "Scotch Achievement," which is considered an authority

and which was embodied as a chapter in "The Scotch in North Britain,

North Ireland, and North America," a work by the Hon. C. A. Hanna

of New York. Mr. Hunter wrote many historical papers for the Ameri-

can Society of Jefferson County; read papers before the Scotch-Irish

Society of America and before the Scotch-Irish Society of Philadelphia.

He was vice-president of the American Society and was the only resident

outside of Pennsylvania which the Pennsylvania Society of Scotch-Irish

made a member, a distinguished honor. He was a most active member

of the Society of the Sons of the American Revolution, at one time being

vice-president of the state society, for the past three years he was state

historian, and for many years, and at the time of his death a member of

the board of managers. Mr. Hunter's favorite study was the pioneer

period and more particularly the early annals of the Northwest Terri-

tory and of his native state, Ohio. He wrote the biography of Consul

Wilshire Butterfield, the historian and one of Mr. Hunter's tutors, which

sketch was printed as a preface to "George Rogers Clark's Conquest of

Illinois," by Mr. Butterfield and published under the auspices of the

Ohio State Archaeological and Historical Society. During the year of

the Ohio Centennial Celebration (1903) Mr. Hunter wrote a series of

articles for his paper entitled "Historical Notes on Ohio," with comments.

They were the most informing series of articles appearing at that time

relative to the early history of Ohio. Space will not permit an enumer-

ation of even the leading historical monographs and brochures which

emanated from the facile and restless pen of Mr. Hunter. His mind

was a remarkable combination of activity and accuracy; he could do a

tremendous amount of work in a short space of time without any sacri-

fice either to the truthful or the complete presentation of his subject.

In politics Mr. Hunter was an Old School Democrat. This did not,

however deter him from accepting the doctrines of the day, but with

shams and demogogy he had no toleration whatever. He was outspoken,

frank and blunt, and wrote and spoke as he thought. When in a fight,

from which he never shrank, he could strike hard blows, but it was

always an open antagonism. He never fired from behind a masked barri-

cade. There was no mistaking his attitude or views. While he could

be an uncompromising enemy, he never harbored any personal bitterness

and his friendships were warm and firm. His home life was tender,

kind and sympathetic. Mr. Hunter may not have been without his faults

- few men are - but as men come and go, he was far above the average

in ability, achievement and sterling qualities of enduring character. On

the stage of life he was not an inconsequential actor and he left behind

him permanent and influential results of a life of great industry and un-

swerving integrity. Mr. Hunter was married to Harriet Rosemond Brown,

Vol. XV-25

• 3
 

386        Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications.

 

who with two sons now grown to manhood, Philip C. and Wm. J., sur-

vive the decease of husband and father. His demise was universally and

sincerely mourned by his fellow-citizens for he had done much for the

commercial and intellectual advancement of Chillicothe, Ohio's honored

first capital.

His funeral was attended by all classes of citizens and he was

buried on Friday morning, June 22, in the beautiful little cemetery upon

the hill where lie the remains of so many of Ohio's historic characters.

Vice President George F. Bareis and Trustees James H. Anderson,

D. J. Ryan, W. C. Mills and E. O. Randall represented the Society and

were present to participate in the last sad rites accorded to one who

had done much to promote the progress of the Ohio State Archaeological

and Historical Society.

 

 

 

DOINGS OF THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE.

On Saturday, June 30, 1906, the Executive Committee of the Society

met at the office of the Treasurer, Outlook Building. There were present

Messrs. Bareis, King, Martzolff, Mills, Prince, Randall, Ryan and Wood.

The usual routine business was transacted, the most important of which

was that concerning the exhibit which the Society will arrange to make

at the Jamestown Exposition, to be held at Jamestown, Virginia, in the

summer of 1907. Negotiations have been in progress between the Execu-

tive Committee of the Society and the Ohio Jamestown Exposition Com-

mission, consisting of Mr. C. Clive Handy, Wauseon; Mr. Ernest Root,

Medina; Mr. John P. Given, Circleville; Mr. B. W. Campbell, Cincin-

nati, and Prof. Geo. W. Knight, Columbus, acting secretary. The com-

mission, after due consideration, formally offered from the fund at is

disposal the amount of $2,500 to the Society to defray the expenses of

the latter in making an exhibit of Ohio archeology and history. This

proposition was formally accepted at this meeting of the Executive Com-

mittee and a standing committee for the Ohio Society on the James-

town Exposition was selected as hereafter named.

Formal recognition was taken at this meeting of the sudden death

of Trustee William H. Hunter, who died at his home at Chillicothe,

June 19. An extended notice of Mr. Hunter and his services to the

Society are to be found elsewhere in this Quarterly. The Executive

Committee, being the controlling power of the Society in the interim,

in behalf of the Trustees proceeded to the election of a trustee to serve

in the vacancy above noted until the next annual meeting of the Society,

according to the provisions of the constitution. There was chosen to

fill the vacancy in the trusteeship Hon. James H. Beal, a resident of

Scio, Harrison County. Mr. Beal will bring to the trusteeship not

• 4