My Genealogy Hound

JOSEPH W. HUNTER, of Jenkintown, Pennsylvania, state commissioner of highways, to which responsible position he was appointed in 1903, is one of the best known citizens of the lower section of Montgomery county, with whose interests he has for many years been actively and prominently identified. He is a native of Haverford township, Delaware county, Pennsylvania, born July 23, 1853, eldest son of Thomas and Henrietta (Schwend) Hunter.

Adam Hunter (grandfather) resided in the vicinity of Londonderry, Ireland, where he followed agricultural pursuits, which proved a lucrative means of livelihood. Among the citizens of that locality he was recognized as an honorable man, conscientious and faithful in the performance of all the duties of life. He married a Miss Wray, of Glasgow, Scotland, and their children were: Thomas, mentioned hereinafter; and Martha, who became the wife of Andrew Scanlan.

Thomas Hunter (father) was born in Ireland, whence he emigrated to the United States in 1842, settling first in Philadelphia and later in Delaware county, where he devoted his time and attention to the tilling of the soil. By practical and progressive methods of cultivation his farm yielded an abundant harvest, which enabled him to provide a comfortable home for his family. His wife was Henrietta (Schwend) Hunter, daughter of Joseph Schwend, a military engineer and staff officer in the French army under Napoleon, who afterward emigrated to the United States and was employed for a time on the engineering work connected with the construction of the Raritan Canal. She bore to her husband the following named children: Joseph W., mentioned hereinafter; Sarah W., who became the wife of Robert T. Love; Martha, Mary, Rebecca, and Henrietta Hunter.

Joseph W. Hunter attended private and public schools in the vicinity of his home, and the knowledge thus obtained was supplemented by a course of study at Mantua Academy, in West Philadelphia, from which he was graduated second in a large class. He was reared in Delaware county, assisting in the work of the farm during his boyhood days, and subsequently his parents removed to Lower Merion township, Montgomery county. In 1870, immediately after his graduation from Mantua Academy, he entered the office of Samuel L. Smedley, who was in charge of the eleventh survey district of Philadelphia, and studied practical surveying under Mr. Smedley and his successor, George W. Hancock. Mr. Hunter was employed by Mr. Smedley to take charge of topographical surveys in various sections of Philadelphia, and also of map surveying. In 1875 Mr. Hunter located in Jenkintown, and in addition to his Philadelphia pursuits engaged in farm surveying in Jenkintown and vicinity. His business increased rapidly in volume and importance, owing to the thoroughness of integrity of his methods, and in a short period of time he ranked among the foremost of the real estate and general business agents of the county.

In 1878 Mr. Hunter was elected to the office of justice of the peace, and re-elected for several terms of five years each. He was, however, destined to still longer political honors. Being an active Republican he soon became a leader in the party organization, and was given a unanimous nomination for county surveyor in 1882, and his incumbency of the office proved satisfactory to all concerned. In 1887 he was nominated for the important and lucrative position of register of wills, to which he was triumphantly elected, and the duties of which he performed in a thoroughly conscientious manner for three years. When the legislature of 1903 (largely through the exertions of Senator Algernon B. Roberts and other Montgomery county men) at Harrisburg, adopted the new road law which provided for a state appropriation for road improvement, it devolved upon Governor Pennypacker to select a state highway commissioner. In the meantime the townships of Abington and Cheltenham had made much progress in the construction of permanent highways, Mr. Hunter, in his capacity of engineer having superintended much of the work done in the vicinity of Jenkintown, thereby gaining a thorough knowledge of the construction of macadamized roads, which, it was believed, would be of great value in the office of the newly created position of commissioner of highways, and the appointment was at once offered to Mr. Hunter by the governor of the state and was accepted. Mr. Hunter went to work immediately to organize the new department, succeeding admirably in the introduction of the new order of things. He visited most of the counties of Pennsylvania and explained the operations of the road law, thus familiarizing the county and township officials and the public with the methods and workings of the new legislation. In addition to his work of organization, Mr. Hunter prepared many letters and newspaper articles, intended to make clear the object and the effect of the road law, which accomplished much to render it effective and satisfactory. He has proved to be a model official in every respect, thorough and painstaking in his work, for which he is eminently well qualified both by natural and acquired ability and experience, and the state is fortunate in secur-ing the services of so capable and competent a person in this position. There has seldom been a law enacted in Pennsylvania whose workings were so literally understood, and which required so much explanation to make it understood by the authorities of county and township, on whom the responsibility of its enforcement rested. Mr. Hunter was for a number of years a director of the Cheltenham and Willow Grove Turnpike Company, and was secretary for a number of years of the Abington and Cheltenham Building and Loan Association, and is now a director in the Jenkintown, Abington and Huntingdon Valley Building Association. He is a member of Friendship Lodge, No. 400, Free and Accepted Masons, of Jenkintown; of Jenkintown Lodge, No. 476, Knights of Pythias; of Peace and Love Lodge, No. 337, Independent Order of Odd Fellows, and of Norristown Lodge, No. 714, Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks. His religious affiliations are with the Jenkintown Presbyterian church.

Mr. Hunter married, in 1878, Miss Kate Gentry, daughter of Thomas Gentry, a well known farmer of Byberry, Philadelphia county.