Herman Hunt was the second son of Ormond Hunt and Delia Noyes. He was born in Tunbridge, VT in 1824, and emigrated with his family to Michigan around the age
of 12 in 1836. Though not a "forty-niner," he went to California for the "Gold Rush" with Dr. Cyrenus Kelsey of Saranac, leaving home on 30 Mar 1850. They made it to Hangtown or Placerville by 10 Aug 1850, but the hardships of their journey took it's toll on Dr. Kelsey who died soon after. For the sake of his own health, by December Herman decided to head back home to Michigan. Having made the trip west across land, he returned by boat via Nicaragua, New Orleans, Havana and New York. Returning poorer then he left, he wrote in his journal he had "seen the Elephant." That was a consolatory phrase for those who endured hardship on the California trail to find disappointment in the end. He had taken his chance to see the world, but the hardships endured lead to disappointment instead.
After his return, he married Elizabeth English on 29 Sep 1852. Having sold his share of the original family homestead in Boston township, Ionia county, Herman
and Elizabeth set up housekeeping in a log house, on the farm which he had bought, just east of Saranac. Their three children were born in the log house, and the family lived there until 1864, when a frame house was built across the road. A kitchen was added to the frame house in 1880. A row of maples along the road was set out by Herman Hunt in 1860.
When Company I, of the 21st Michigan Infantry Regiment was organized August 19, 1862, and Herman Hunt was commissioned as 1st Lieutenant. His wife insisted he
had been given a field promotion to Captain, but was never able to prove this to the government and only received the widow's pension for a Lieutenant.
Word was sent back home to Michigan that Herman was in a hospital in Nashville. His brother Simeon and brother-in-law John English started on a trip to help bring Herman back to Michigan. Along the way they were sent a telegraph by a surgeon who told them Lt Hunt's condition was improving. Sadly the man had not taken the time to get the given names correct and confused Herman with a Lt Hunt from Ohio.
In a letter dated December 1862, Simeon Hunt wrote to Herman's widow Elizabeth:
"Oh how much I would have given could we have reached Nashville before Herman died - but it was impossible - he died at 1/2 past 3 P M and we did not arrive there until 8 in the evening.
Oh I cannot realize yet that Herman is dead! It was so unexpected to us from the Dispatch we received from the surgeon we had hoped to find him better - and thought in a few days we should be able to bring him home with us - but it appears that there was another Lieut. Hunt (from Ohio) at the same Hospital and the surgeon did not take the trouble to find out their given names."
As a firm believer in education, after Herman's death, Elizabeth sent her oldest son Edson Hale Hunt to Michigan Agricultural College (now MSU), to help him better manage the family farm. After Edson's graduation in 1877, he returned home to run the farm, while Elizabeth moved to Ann Arbor, where she put her son Ormond Fremont and Mary Elizabeth through the State University (now U of M).
of 12 in 1836. Though not a "forty-niner," he went to California for the "Gold Rush" with Dr. Cyrenus Kelsey of Saranac, leaving home on 30 Mar 1850. They made it to Hangtown or Placerville by 10 Aug 1850, but the hardships of their journey took it's toll on Dr. Kelsey who died soon after. For the sake of his own health, by December Herman decided to head back home to Michigan. Having made the trip west across land, he returned by boat via Nicaragua, New Orleans, Havana and New York. Returning poorer then he left, he wrote in his journal he had "seen the Elephant." That was a consolatory phrase for those who endured hardship on the California trail to find disappointment in the end. He had taken his chance to see the world, but the hardships endured lead to disappointment instead.
After his return, he married Elizabeth English on 29 Sep 1852. Having sold his share of the original family homestead in Boston township, Ionia county, Herman
and Elizabeth set up housekeeping in a log house, on the farm which he had bought, just east of Saranac. Their three children were born in the log house, and the family lived there until 1864, when a frame house was built across the road. A kitchen was added to the frame house in 1880. A row of maples along the road was set out by Herman Hunt in 1860.
When Company I, of the 21st Michigan Infantry Regiment was organized August 19, 1862, and Herman Hunt was commissioned as 1st Lieutenant. His wife insisted he
had been given a field promotion to Captain, but was never able to prove this to the government and only received the widow's pension for a Lieutenant.
Word was sent back home to Michigan that Herman was in a hospital in Nashville. His brother Simeon and brother-in-law John English started on a trip to help bring Herman back to Michigan. Along the way they were sent a telegraph by a surgeon who told them Lt Hunt's condition was improving. Sadly the man had not taken the time to get the given names correct and confused Herman with a Lt Hunt from Ohio.
In a letter dated December 1862, Simeon Hunt wrote to Herman's widow Elizabeth:
"Oh how much I would have given could we have reached Nashville before Herman died - but it was impossible - he died at 1/2 past 3 P M and we did not arrive there until 8 in the evening.
Oh I cannot realize yet that Herman is dead! It was so unexpected to us from the Dispatch we received from the surgeon we had hoped to find him better - and thought in a few days we should be able to bring him home with us - but it appears that there was another Lieut. Hunt (from Ohio) at the same Hospital and the surgeon did not take the trouble to find out their given names."
As a firm believer in education, after Herman's death, Elizabeth sent her oldest son Edson Hale Hunt to Michigan Agricultural College (now MSU), to help him better manage the family farm. After Edson's graduation in 1877, he returned home to run the farm, while Elizabeth moved to Ann Arbor, where she put her son Ormond Fremont and Mary Elizabeth through the State University (now U of M).
Herman Hunt was the second son of Ormond Hunt and Delia Noyes. He was born in Tunbridge, VT in 1824, and emigrated with his family to Michigan around the age
of 12 in 1836. Though not a "forty-niner," he went to California for the "Gold Rush" with Dr. Cyrenus Kelsey of Saranac, leaving home on 30 Mar 1850. They made it to Hangtown or Placerville by 10 Aug 1850, but the hardships of their journey took it's toll on Dr. Kelsey who died soon after. For the sake of his own health, by December Herman decided to head back home to Michigan. Having made the trip west across land, he returned by boat via Nicaragua, New Orleans, Havana and New York. Returning poorer then he left, he wrote in his journal he had "seen the Elephant." That was a consolatory phrase for those who endured hardship on the California trail to find disappointment in the end. He had taken his chance to see the world, but the hardships endured lead to disappointment instead.
After his return, he married Elizabeth English on 29 Sep 1852. Having sold his share of the original family homestead in Boston township, Ionia county, Herman
and Elizabeth set up housekeeping in a log house, on the farm which he had bought, just east of Saranac. Their three children were born in the log house, and the family lived there until 1864, when a frame house was built across the road. A kitchen was added to the frame house in 1880. A row of maples along the road was set out by Herman Hunt in 1860.
When Company I, of the 21st Michigan Infantry Regiment was organized August 19, 1862, and Herman Hunt was commissioned as 1st Lieutenant. His wife insisted he
had been given a field promotion to Captain, but was never able to prove this to the government and only received the widow's pension for a Lieutenant.
Word was sent back home to Michigan that Herman was in a hospital in Nashville. His brother Simeon and brother-in-law John English started on a trip to help bring Herman back to Michigan. Along the way they were sent a telegraph by a surgeon who told them Lt Hunt's condition was improving. Sadly the man had not taken the time to get the given names correct and confused Herman with a Lt Hunt from Ohio.
In a letter dated December 1862, Simeon Hunt wrote to Herman's widow Elizabeth:
"Oh how much I would have given could we have reached Nashville before Herman died - but it was impossible - he died at 1/2 past 3 P M and we did not arrive there until 8 in the evening.
Oh I cannot realize yet that Herman is dead! It was so unexpected to us from the Dispatch we received from the surgeon we had hoped to find him better - and thought in a few days we should be able to bring him home with us - but it appears that there was another Lieut. Hunt (from Ohio) at the same Hospital and the surgeon did not take the trouble to find out their given names."
As a firm believer in education, after Herman's death, Elizabeth sent her oldest son Edson Hale Hunt to Michigan Agricultural College (now MSU), to help him better manage the family farm. After Edson's graduation in 1877, he returned home to run the farm, while Elizabeth moved to Ann Arbor, where she put her son Ormond Fremont and Mary Elizabeth through the State University (now U of M).
of 12 in 1836. Though not a "forty-niner," he went to California for the "Gold Rush" with Dr. Cyrenus Kelsey of Saranac, leaving home on 30 Mar 1850. They made it to Hangtown or Placerville by 10 Aug 1850, but the hardships of their journey took it's toll on Dr. Kelsey who died soon after. For the sake of his own health, by December Herman decided to head back home to Michigan. Having made the trip west across land, he returned by boat via Nicaragua, New Orleans, Havana and New York. Returning poorer then he left, he wrote in his journal he had "seen the Elephant." That was a consolatory phrase for those who endured hardship on the California trail to find disappointment in the end. He had taken his chance to see the world, but the hardships endured lead to disappointment instead.
After his return, he married Elizabeth English on 29 Sep 1852. Having sold his share of the original family homestead in Boston township, Ionia county, Herman
and Elizabeth set up housekeeping in a log house, on the farm which he had bought, just east of Saranac. Their three children were born in the log house, and the family lived there until 1864, when a frame house was built across the road. A kitchen was added to the frame house in 1880. A row of maples along the road was set out by Herman Hunt in 1860.
When Company I, of the 21st Michigan Infantry Regiment was organized August 19, 1862, and Herman Hunt was commissioned as 1st Lieutenant. His wife insisted he
had been given a field promotion to Captain, but was never able to prove this to the government and only received the widow's pension for a Lieutenant.
Word was sent back home to Michigan that Herman was in a hospital in Nashville. His brother Simeon and brother-in-law John English started on a trip to help bring Herman back to Michigan. Along the way they were sent a telegraph by a surgeon who told them Lt Hunt's condition was improving. Sadly the man had not taken the time to get the given names correct and confused Herman with a Lt Hunt from Ohio.
In a letter dated December 1862, Simeon Hunt wrote to Herman's widow Elizabeth:
"Oh how much I would have given could we have reached Nashville before Herman died - but it was impossible - he died at 1/2 past 3 P M and we did not arrive there until 8 in the evening.
Oh I cannot realize yet that Herman is dead! It was so unexpected to us from the Dispatch we received from the surgeon we had hoped to find him better - and thought in a few days we should be able to bring him home with us - but it appears that there was another Lieut. Hunt (from Ohio) at the same Hospital and the surgeon did not take the trouble to find out their given names."
As a firm believer in education, after Herman's death, Elizabeth sent her oldest son Edson Hale Hunt to Michigan Agricultural College (now MSU), to help him better manage the family farm. After Edson's graduation in 1877, he returned home to run the farm, while Elizabeth moved to Ann Arbor, where she put her son Ormond Fremont and Mary Elizabeth through the State University (now U of M).
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