Evanston Index 1884
DEATH OF AN EARLY SETTLER--The late George W. Huntoon, who was buried from the South Evanston M.E. Church last Saturday, was one of the first settlers of this region, coming here in 1840. He was born in Maine, Dec 9, 1792, and was consequently in his 93rd year. During the war of 1812 he lived in Vermont. He was drafted and stood ready to obey, but was not called into active service. He had a large stock of stories concerning the incidents of those times, which he repeated to his friends when he was occasionally in a talkative mood. General Green was personally known to him, and he frequently told of his exploits. At the time of the famous snow storm on the 9th of June 1815, he lived in New York State. He used to tell of the suffering it caused, and how he, after his crops were destroyed, sowed a few turnips, which was all he raised that year. His first presidential vote was cast for General Jackson, of whom he was a great admirer. Until 1856 he was a democrat, but at the formation of the republican party joined it and voted its ticket until his death. Before coming to Illinois he lived eight years in Cleveland, Ohio, working at his two trades, shoemaker and ship carpenter. When he moved to Illinois and bought 40 acres of farming land between the two ridges west of the present railroad, there were very little prospect that such thriving suburbs as Evanston and South Evanston would ever be built here. The sites they occupy was a vast swamp, covered a large part of the year with water. There was only one place, near where the Evanston depot now stands, at which the people could cross from the ridge to the lake, and that was often impassible. Once an ox of Mr. Huntoon's mired on Adams street, South Evanston, and no efforts being able to extricate it, the animal had to be shot. There were only half a dozen houses in this region then, among which were Major Mulford's log house on the site of Mr. Kirks present residence. Mr Huntoon occupied a primitive log house near where Mr. T.W. Pemberton now lives. All the people were neighbors, from Waukegan to Chicago, and at that time the latter city had no railroads and was little more than a quagmire, with a log hut set here and there on a high place. When Evanston began to be built up Mr Huntoon's land made him a rich man, but by a stroke of misfortune some years ago he was made penniless. For over 60 years he was a christian, first joining the Baptist Church, of which he was a member 12 years, and afterwards uniting with the Methodist Church. He was superintendent of the first Sunday school established in this vicinity. A family line consisting of four children, twenty-four grandchildren, forty-six great grandchildren and one great-great grandchild survive him. He died Wednesday night, Aug. 6th, while visiting his daughter near Grand Ledge, Mich. Unitl within half hour of his death he was as well as ever, and the cause can only be ascribed as old age. His last moments were marked by his serrnity which charcaterized his entire life. Bishop W.X. Ninde, who had preached his wife's funeral sermon nine years before, conducted the funeral sevices, which were largely attended by friends and relatives. His remains were placed by the side of his wife's in Rosehill Cemetery.
Lucinda Bowler Huntoon
Evanston Index 1875
A MOTHER IN ISREAL--After a long, active and eminently useful life--the last nineteen months of which were full of physical pain, calmly and patiently borne--Mrs. Lucinda B. Huntoon, wife of George W. Huntoon, Esq., has "entered into the rest that remaineth." On Saturday last, at her residence on Lincoln ave., and in the eightieth year of her age,, "as a shuck of corn cometh in, in its season," she "died in the Lord." It is unneccessary to speak of her well-rounded life to the citizens of Evanston. For thirty-five years, she has resided in this immdeiate neighborhood, and during all of that time, her life has been "a living epistle," attesting her earnest desire "to adorn the doctrine of her Lord and Saviour in all things." Ten days before her death, when she thought the hour of her departure had come, calling her husband and children, and her children's children to her side, she asked that the beautiful hymn "My latest sun is sinking fast," might be sung, and then comforting them with the assurance that although she ws close to the "valley of the shadow," she feared no evil, she bade them all farewell. But the end was not yet. For ten days more she lingered; part of the time she was unconsious, but always, when her mind was clear and unclouded, her utternances testified to a full submission to a Father's will, and a triumphant faith in a Saviour's love. And so at last, she passed away.
The funeral seviced took place in the South Evanston M. E. Church, and were peculiarly impressive, at the close of which the remains were taken to Rosehill, and there interred in the presence of a very large number of sorrowing and sympathizing friends.
George William Melissa Ann Emeline Maria