A History of Douglass Township,
Montcalm County, Michigan in 1916

Lyman Hunt was a well known and prosperous farmer of Douglass Township, Kalamazoo County, Michigan, who for years was regarded as one of the most experienced and expert lumbermen in that section of the state. He was a native son of Michigan, who was born on a pioneer farm in Kalamazoo County on May 26, 1843 to Aaron and Emmaline (Card) Hunt, both natives of Vermont who lived north of Buffalo at Clarence Hollow, New York.

The Aaron Hunts became early settlers of Michigan, coming to Montcalm County from Kalamazoo County at an early day, being among the earliest pioneers of Douglass Township. Aaron Hunt was one of the men who cut out the road from Stanton in the direction of his homestead. Aaron homesteaded a quarter of a section of land in Douglass Township besides 40 acres of state swamp land he purchased for one dollar an acre, of which he proceeded to develop. He did a large business in pine timber during his clearing operations and it was during this time on April 8, 1867, about five years after settling in this township that he met with a fatal accident when a falling log crushed his body so severely that he died five days later.

Aaron and his wife were parents of eleven children: Eli; Mary (Mrs. Jacob Miller); William; Amanda; Lyman; Henry, of St. Johns, Clinton Co.; Sarah M. (Mrs. Frank Roush), of McBrides; Emmeline; Gardner; Albert, of McBrides and Elizabeth (Mrs. Elymas Prall).

Lyman Hunt had already grown to manhood when his parents came to Montcalm County and even then had somewhat extensive experience in the lumber woods. Instead of accompanying the family to Montcalm County, he went to Rockford and was engaged there as well as Grand Rapids in lumber mills until the death of his father, after which he joined his family in their home in Douglass Township where he resided until his death in 1929.

During the summers he worked in the mills and winters in the lumber camps, early becoming widely known as an expert "timber cruiser". In company with his brothers, Henry and William, Lyman Hunt went into the lumber business where his partnership continued for five years, after which he continued in business alone and was very successful, remaining actively connected with the lumber business in Montcalm County for a period of twenty-eight years, or until the available timber in the area was practically exhausted, most of the time working a crew from seventy to one hundred men. Since retiring from the lumber business, Mr. Hunt confined his attention largely to the developement of his fine farm of eighty acres in Douglass Township, and had one of the best-appointed and most thoroughly cultivated farms in that part of the county, long having been recognized as one of the best farmers thereabout.

On December 12, 1871, Lyman Hunt was united in marriage to Rizpah Ann Auten, who was also born in Kalamazoo County, Michigan, whose parents, Nathaniel and Nancy (Lepper) Auten, natives of New York had settled in Montcalm County on August 25, 1870. To this union seven children were born; Edna, who died at the age of seven; Minnie, who taught school in Montcalm County for eight to ten years; Grace, who married Harvey Lee, died in childbirth in 1914; Jennie, who married Chester A. Henry of Chatham, Ohio and had two children, Hubert Garth and Althea Lorene. Althea married Raymund C. Schulte of Grand Rapids, Michigan and had one son, Terry. Terry K. Schulte married Jacklyn Della Carter of Muskegon, Michigan; Myrtle, who married Harry Broughton of England and who lived in Detroit, Michigan; Maurice, who married Mary Singleton and lived in Detroit; and Harold, who married Agnes Disbrow and made his home on the paternal farm, but spent winters in Detroit with the Hudson Automobile Company.

The Hunts had always been active in the general social life of their community, actively interested in all movements designed to advance the common good, and were held in the highest esteem in that entire section of the county. Lyman Hunt was a Democrat and was active in the interests of that party. He and his wife were members of the Maccabees.

tkschulte@sbcglobal.net

Terry Schulte - Grand Rapids, Kent County, MI

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