Jefferson Hunt was the sixth child of Amos Hunt and Nancy Garret Welborn. His parents left their home in Muhlenburg County, Kentucky in 1852. Soon after arriving, Jefferson was born on 29 Oct 1852.
The family settled in Ogden, Weber County, Utah. The first few years were busy ones for pioneering was hard, there was a home to be built and a living to earn.
They lived in St. George for about one year and then moved to a ranch at the foot of Pine Valley Mountain to look after some of the Church cattle. They lived there about one year and in the spring of 1864 the Amos Hunt family along with a few other families were called to go to Clover Valley, Nevada. Amos took 150 heard of sheep with him.
Indians camped not far from where they lived and caused much trouble among these settlers. Every precaution had to be taken to guard their families and livestock. Jefferson age 12 and Amos Pratt, his younger brother age 10, used to herd the sheep during the day. Many times when they would bring them in at night and count them they would be short several head. Amos cautioned his boys that they must keep a closer watch on the sheep. These young boys witnessed many experiences with the Indians. One time when Jefferson, Amos P., and Elias were out watching the sheep, they looked up and saw an Indian standing on a rock above them, looking down at them. They became frightened. Each one of them had an old sheep which they had been in the habit of riding. Jefferson and Amos immediately caught their sheep, got on and set the dog on the rest of the sheep heading for home. They supposed that Elias had gotten his sheep and was coming too, but when they looked back Elias had been unable to catch his and was running on foot as fast as he could after them screaming and crying. I guess the old Indian had a good laugh at them. He didn't bother them.
In the fall of 1866 the Indians got so bad that the people had to move. The Amos Hunt family moved to Hebron, Utah where there was a Fort built for their protection.
Amos always had cattle and a farm and Jefferson and the other boys were much help in caring for them, milking and herding them.
When Jefferson was 19 years old he married a lovely young girl named Celestia Terry. She being only 17 years old. They made the long trip to Salt Lake City and were married 10 October 1871 in the Endowment House. On their return home they settled down to get something around them for the future. Jefferson worked at every thing he could find to make a livelihood.
On 6 Mar 1874, their first child, Celestia Effadene was born. Next, a boy, Jefferson George was born 7 Feb 1876. Two more daughters came to bless this union while they were living at Hebron; Tacy, born 22 April 1878 and Mary Ann 2 October 1880.
During the winter of 1879 and 1880, Jefferson and his little family lived in Cannonville, Garfield County, Utah. Jefferson had heard the grazing was good over there, so he drove his 22 head of cattle and the much larger herd of his father's cattle over to that country. The grass was disappointing and a winter of unusual severity proved disastrous to the herd. In the spring when the family moved back to Hebron, only two of their cattle had survived and a similar loss in the larger herd of Amos's had taken place. No feed for the cattle could be obtained while there and the snow was very deep. One cold Friday, Jefferson grubbed brush all day with his overcoat on, because it was so cold.
Jefferson and Celestia had to make a new start and work very hard to provide for their growing family. They lived in Hebron for about one year then moved to Rabbit Valley, or Thurber, Wayne County. prospects were good there for making a living. It was while here that their second son Thomas Elmer was born on 17 December 1882. They only lived there for a few years then moved back to Hebron. It was on 22 March 1885 than another daughter, Nancy Elva was born at Hebron.
About this time Jefferson and his brother Elias bought what is known as the Calf Springs Ranch. Jefferson moved his family there to live during the summertime, then back to Hebron for the winter. He rented cattle from Bennett Bracken of Pine Valley and looked after them on this ranch. He received a percent of the calf crop as his pay. They milked the cows and made butter and cheese, which helped with making a living. Jefferson cut grass hay on this ranch with a scythe, also grain with a cradle.
Another son, Amos was born 19 February 1887 and two more daughters, Geneva born 1 April 1889, who died in infancy 8 November 1889 and Amanda born 10 September 1890.
They lived on the Calf Springs ranch for about 5 years and then sold it.
They moved back to Hebron area and lived at the Terry's ranch for a few years where Jefferson worked with his father-in-law. He also did some freighting in between times, hauling lumber from Pine Valley to Pioche and other freighting jobs. He usually took one or more of his boys with him on these trips. His son Elmer remembers driving a team and hauling lumber with his father when he was only eight years old.
Jefferson was a very talented violin player and was in great demand for dances and other programs. As he played the violin for the dances he also did the calling. Many times he has played till midnight and receive 50 cents in cash and $1.00 in ditch pay for his services.
He served as Sunday School Superintendent at Hebron for a number of years.
He also worked in the M.I.A. He had a good voice and sang in the Ward Choir. He could speak a good interesting sermon and many a Sunday found him behind the pulpit bearing his testimony and telling of the truth's of the gospel. It is recorded in the Pulsipher Family History book, the minutes of a meeting held at Hebron March 2, 1885. Jefferson helped administer the Sacrament and then stood behind the pulpit and spoke encouragingly and testified and exhorted all to pray with faith and do right.
On May 1, 1893 his dear wife, Celestia, died leaving him with a family of eight to care for. During this time he left the girls at Hebron to care for themselves and the home while he and the boys went on freighting jobs.
They hauled freight and mining timber from Milford to Pioche and Delamar, Nevada. He would return home every month to bring supplies and check on the girls to see how they were getting along. He did a lot of freighting in his day. In between his freighting jobs he ran a farm up the canyon south of Hebron towards the Reservoir, known as the Hy Burgess springs. Milton Laub bought this place. Many times after the crops were planted in the spring he would go back to freighting, leaving the children to take care of the farm. He built a willow shed for them to camp in and they lived there during the summer months milking cows and caring for the farm. They had a dirt cellar where they kept their milk and butter. A daughter Mary Ann says that the milk and butter tasted so good when they would take it out and eat it.
The main crops they raised on this farm was grain and Blue Mechanic potatoes. They were a large blue potato. They plowed them out with a walking plow, then picked them up by hand. If they got one wagon box full they figured they had a good crop. They stored them in a small pit for winter. They also raised some corn. In the winter time as Jefferson would go to the house after doing the chores he would always take a few ears of corn in with him to parch in the fireplace. They enjoyed parched corn in the evenings.
Jefferson cared for the ranch in connection with his freighting jobs for about ten years. He never owned a very large farm but those he did own or rent were well taken care of. Everything was very orderly. Nothing was ever wasted. He was a hard working man, always up early in the morning. He had a hard rugged life, but was never known to complain. He was a man of very few words. Was always kind, patient, and very tolerable both with his wife, children, and his animals. He was never known to get mad. The only way one could tell that he was vexed or angry was when he walked away whistling and seemed sort of nervous.
Around 1900 Jefferson married a second wife, Rosetta Stucki from Santa Clara, Utah. They lived in Hebron for a few years. When the town of Hebron was abandoned and the people moved to Enterprise, Jefferson moved there also, bought a lot and built a home. It is the home that his son Amos, raised his family in.
One day he and his wife Rosetta were going to Caliente, Nevada with a load of potatoes to peddle. They were driving a team of young colts. They camped at Acoma, Nevada for the night, making their bed in the wagon and tying the colts to the back of it. During the night a train pulled into Acoma blowing its whistle. This frightened the colts and they broke away. Jefferson climbed out of the wagon to catch them. In doing so he sprained his ankle. The ankle swelled and turned black. In spite of all that was done for it, it would not heal. It broke out it sores and kept getting worse. Finally the doctor said he would have to take his leg off. This was done, amputating his leg above the knee. Jefferson spent the rest of his life with an artificial leg and a cane.
Since Rosetta was from Santa Clara and she owned a home down there, they decided to move there. They had a fruit orchard on this lot also a patch of hay with furnished feed for their team and milk cow.
In the summertime with their team and covered wagon loaded with fruit they made their trips to Enterprise to sell the fruit and get their winter supply of potatoes and grain.
They would spend a few days with each of their children. How each child loved to have their turn listening to him whistle and be diddled on his knee. He was always whistling.
Rosetta or Aunt Rose as we all called her, died, leaving him alone. He didn't remain alone very long. He soon married Mary Reber, another widow from Santa Clara. She cared for him in his old age and they were very happy. On 6 September 1928 Jefferson took very sick with Cholera Marvis, which he had been subject to during his life, and died at the age of 76. He was brought to Enterprise and was buried in the Enterprise Cemetery on 9 September 1928.
Also married Rosetta Stucki, a widow, and was sealed to her 21 Dec 1900 then Md. Mary Reber a widow. He was re-baptized in 1878.
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