David Hunt (planter)

For other people named David Hunt, see David Hunt (disambiguation).

David Hunt (1779-1861) was an American plantation owner and philanthropist. Known as "King David," he was one of the twelve millionaires residing near Natchez, Mississippi in the Antebellum South.

Biography

Early life

David Hunt was born on October 22, 1779 on a farm near Ringoes, Hunterdon County, New Jersey, a short distance from Trenton, New Jersey.^[1][2][3][4] He had a brother, Andrew Hunt, and several half siblings from his father Jonathan's second marriage.^[5] They were descendants of Ralph Hunt^[4] the line being Ralph, Edward, Jonathan, Jonathan, Jonathan.^[1] He moved to the Natchez District in approximately 1800.^[6]

Career

He inherited Woodlawn Plantation near Rodney, Mississippi from his uncle, Abijah Hunt (1762-1811).^[3] He ended up owning twenty-five plantations in the Natchez District.^[3] The names of his plantations were: Woodlawn, Fatherland, Homewood, Lansdowne, Arcola, Calviton, Huntley, Georgiana, Wilderness, Waverly, Fatlands, Southside, Brick Quarters, Hole in the Wall, Ashland, Argyle, Belle Ella, Oakwood, Black Creek, Buena Vista, Fairview, Servis Island, Oak Burn, Oakley Grove and Givin Place.^[7]

• His Jefferson County, Mississippi plantations were: Calviton, Woodlawn, Huntley, Waverly, Fatlands, Southside, Brick Quarters, Ashland, Black Creek, Oakwood, Buena Vista, and Servis Island.^[8] Zachary Taylor bought the approximately 2,000 acre Buena Vista Plantation, which bordered Ashland Plantation and was formed on the land of David Hunt and others.^[8] It was located about ten miles south of Rodney, Mississippi right on the Mississippi River.^[8] Taylor was cutting hay on Buena Vista when a steamboat landed giving him a letter containing the news that he had been elected twelfth President of the United States.^[8] President Taylor and his son Richard "Dick" Taylor - later a Confederate General - visited at David Hunt's residence on Woodlawn Plantation.^[1]

• His Adams County, Mississippi plantations were: Lansdowne, located three miles north of Natchez on highway 555;^[9] Homewood, which adjoined Lansdowne;^[7] and Oakley Grove, located ten miles north of Natchez adjacent to the Adams County Airport.^[10]

• His Issaquena County, Mississippi plantations were: Wilderness Plantation, located on the Mississippi River^[11] near Mayerville;^[12] and Georgiana Plantation, located on Deer Creek south of Rolling Fork.^[13] David's son George owned 400 acres on the Mississippi River in Issaquena County close to Tallulah.^[11]

• His Louisiana plantations were: Arcola, located just south of the town of Waterproof, Louisiana in Tensas Parish;^[14] the adjoining plantations of Argyle and Belle Ella, located to the west of Waterproof also in Tensas Parish;^[14] and Hole in the Wall, located on the Mississippi River on Maxwell Road in northern Concordia Parish, Louisiana^[15][16]

David and his adult children owned some 1,700 slaves just before the American Civil War.^[1] Cyrus Bellus and Peter Brown were two of David Hunt's slaves mentioned in the WPA Slave Narrative Collection for the state of Arkansas.^[17] As a result, David became one of the wealthiest cotton planters in the Antebellum South.^[3] Additionally, he owned business concerns in Cincinnati, Ohio and Lexington, Kentucky.^[3] At his financial peak in about 1850, Hunt was worth about $2,000,000.^[18][19]

Philanthropy

He was among the largest financial supporters of Oakland College in Lorman, Mississippi.^[1][20] Over the years he gave a total of about $175,000 to the college.^[1] He was a trustee of the College for years.^[1] His sons, Abijah, George, Andrew and Dunbar graduated from Oakland College.^[1] Oakland's financial resources were destroyed by the Civil War.^[21] Consequently, the college was sold to the state of Mississippi in 1871 to form Alcorn State University.^[21] The money from the sale was used to form Chamberlain-Hunt Academy in Port Gibson, Mississippi.^[21] As a result, Chamberlain-Hunt Acacemy was named after the Presbyterian minister Reverend Jeremiah Chamberlain (1794-1851) who founded Oakland College and David Hunt who was one of Oakland College's most generous financial supporters.^[22][23][21]

David was a large contributor to the Rodney Presbyterian Church.^[1] He donated the land upon which the church was built and contributed to the building of the church as well.^[1] All of his children were baptized there.^[1] When the church decided to rent the pews to the church members to raise money, David rented them all so that the poor could still attend.^[1] He paid a large portion of the pastor's salary, gave the pastor the use of one of his slaves, and often gave the pastor beef and mutton from his plantations.^[1] He also gave beef to the poor families of Rodney each Christmas.^[1]

As an member of the Mississippi Colonization Society and its parent organization the American Colonization Society, he donated to the African Colonization in Liberia.^[18][24] Hunt once donated $49,999.99 to this cause.^[1] One of Hunt's eccentricities was to write checks for one penny less than an even dollar amount.^[1] He also gave a small amount to the Fayette Female Academy in Fayette, Mississippi.^[1]

Personal life

He resided on Woodlawn Plantation^[18] in Jefferson County, Mississippi, which was seven miles south of Rodney, Mississippi and approximately 25 miles northeast of Natchez, Mississippi.^[1] He was one of the twelve millionaires living near Natchez in the Antebellum South when there were only thirty-five millionaires living in the entire United States.^[4] As a result, he was nicknamed "King David."^[4]

David spent many summers in and around Lexington, Kentucky.^[1] He travelled by carriage along with baggage wagon and saddle horses.^[1] The trip from Mississippi took one month.^[1] He was related to John Wesley Hunt, who lived in the Hunt-Morgan House in Lexington.^[1]

He married three times. His first wife was Margaret (Stampley) Hunt.^[2] His second wife was Mary (Calvit) Hunt.^[2] His third wife was Ann (Ferguson) Hunt.^[2] Seven of David and Ann's fourteen children lived past the age of 21.^[2][3] Five of these adult children married before the Civil War, and David gave them each at least one plantation and 100 slaves as a dowry.^[8] These gifts contributed to a decrease in David's net worth, which was listed in the 1860 U.S. Census as $1,086,825.^[25]

1. His daughter Mary Ann married James Archer and received Oakwood Plantation.^[1]
2. His son Abijah married Mary Agnes Walton and was given Calviton Plantation.^[1]
3. His son George Ferguson Hunt married Anna Watson and received Huntley Plantation.^[1]
4. His daughter Catherine married William S. Balfour^[1] and received Homewood Plantation.^[7]
5. His daughter Charlotte married George Marshall and received Lansdowne Plantation.^[26]

Two of David's seven adult children (Dunbar and Elizabeth) married after the American Civil War and David's death. They also got at least one plantation, but of course no slaves.

1. His son Dunbar married Leila Lawrence Brent^[1] and received Wilderness Plantation^[11] and Southside Plantation^[8]
2. His daughter Elizabeth married William F. Ogden^[1] and received Hole in the Wall Plantation^[15] and Black Creek Plantation.^[8]

Death

David died on May 18, 1861 on Woodlawn Plantation^[1] in Jefferson County, Mississippi^[2][3][4] at the age of 81.^[1] He was buried in the Calviton Plantation cemetery near Rodney, Mississippi.^[2] Calviton Plantation adjoined Woodlawn Plantation where David had his main residence.^[1]

Legacy

• The Chamberlain-Hunt Academy, a Christian military private school in Port Gibson, Mississippi.^[22][23]
• The David Hunt Award is awarded annually at Alcorn State University in Lorman, Mississippi.^[27]

References