Hunsaker Pioneer Immigrants to Oregon

 

This paper describes the Hunsaker families descended from Hartman Hunsaker that immigrated to Oregon.  The table below shows the heads families that immigrated to Oregon, and their relation to Hartmann.

Hartmann Hunsaker

John Hunsaker

 

Jacob Hunsaker

 

Jacob Hunsaker

 

 

Nancy Hunsaker Wigle (immigrated to Oregon in 1852)

 

 

Catherine Hunsaker Wigle (immigrated to Oregon in 1852)

 

 

Jacob T. Hunsaker (immigrated to Oregon in 1846)

 

 

George Brown Hunsaker (immigrated to Oregon in ????)

 

 

Joseph P. Hunsaker (immigrated to Oregon in 1850, 1852)

 

 

Daniel Kimmel Hunsaker (immigrated to Oregon in 1848)

 

Joseph Hunsaker

 

Joseph Hunsaker (immigrated to Oregon in 1847)

 

Daniel Hunsaker

 

 

Harrison King Hunsaker (immigrated to Oregon in 1848)

 

Andrew Hunsaker

 

John Hunsaker

 

 

Bradford Hunsaker (immigrated to Oregon in 1852)

 

George Hunsaker

 

Thomas Jefferson Hunsaker

 

Joseph Richardson Hunsaker

 

Benjamin Hunsaker

 

 

John William Hunsaker

 

Samuel Hunsaker

 

 

Daniel Hunsaker

 

 

 

Joseph A. Hunsaker





Four sons and two daughters of Jacob Hunsaker (Jacob Sr., John, Hartmann) immigrated to Oregon with their families after the death of Jacob in 1845.

Children of Jacob Hunsaker and Polly Luce:

1.   Nancy Hunsaker, immigrated to Oregon in 1852

2.   John Luce Hunsaker, lived in Vermont and eventually immigrated to Texas,

3.   Abraham Hunsaker, joined the Mormon Battalion in 1846, and marched to California with the battalion in 1846 and 1847.  After the battalion disbanded in 1847, he returned to Iowa, where he left his family. They immigrated to Utah in 1848.

4.   Catharine Hunsaker, immigrated to Oregon in 1852

5.   Jacob T. Hunsaker, immigrated to Oregon in 1846

 

Children of Jacob Hunsaker and Elizabeth Brown:

1.   Mary Ann Hunsaker, stayed in Illinois

2.   Barbara Hunsaker, stayed in Illinois

3.   George Brown Hunsaker, immigrated to Oregon in ??.

4.   Joseph P. Hunsaker, immigrated to Oregon in 1852.

5.   Daniel Kimmel Hunsaker, immigrated to Oregon in 1848.

6.   Elizabeth Hunsaker, stayed in Illinois.

7.   Eliza Jane Hunsaker, stayed in Illinois.

8.   Matilda Hunsaker, died at age 4, in Illinois.

9.   Minerva Hunsaker, stayed in Illinois.

It appears that the first to immigrate to Oregon was Jacob T. Hunsaker and his family.   In the families that follow, the names shown in bold are names of Oregon immigrants and are given with their ages at the time of immigration.   Brief histories are included with each person when possible.

Jacob T. Hunsaker, age 28, and Emily Collins Hunsaker, his wife, age 26, immigrated to Oregon in 1846 with their five living children, shown below. The family settled in Oregon City, Clackamas, Oregon, where seven more children were born to the family.  Oregon City was located at the confluence of the Willamette and Clackamas Rivers.  Oregon City was established in 1829, incorporated in 1844 and was designated as Oregon Territory’s capital 1848-1852.  In 1849, the population of Oregon City was over 900. [Emigrants To Oregon In 1846, http://www.oregonpioneers.com/1846.htm]
Children:

1.   Horton Hunsaker, age  7, (died of diphtheria at age 14)

2.   Josephine Hunsaker, age 5, (died at age 12)

3.   Mary Anne Hunsaker, age 4
Reminiscences of Marianne Hunsaker D’Arcy, born 1842. 1846-1870. 168 pages.
Marianne D’Arcy’s reminiscences describe her early life in Illinois, family history, her overland journey to Oregon in 1846, housing, food, drink, and medicines, Oregon City in the 1840s and 1850s, social life, courting customs, the building of the first bridge over the Clackamas River in 1852, the founding of McMinnville College (Linfield College), and schools in early Oregon. The collection includes the original manuscript by Hunsaker and a copy edited by Daisy Sanford.  University of Oregon Library special collections. http://libweb.uoregon.edu/speccoll/mss/guides/women/pioneer.html

4.   Araminta Hunsaker, age 3

5.   Jacob Hunsaker, age 1

 

Joseph Hunsaker, age 48  (Joseph Sr., John, Hartmann) and Elizabeth King his wife, age 43, immigrated to Oregon in 1847 with his six living sons and daughters, and settled, first in Marion County, 10 miles south of Salem, and then in McMinnville, Yamhill, Oregon.  He was the doorkeeper for the Oregon Legislative Assembly (5th Territorial), 1853 Regular Session. http://arcweb.sos.state.or.us/legislative/histleg/territorial/1853reg.htm

Photos of this family are at http://www.oregonpioneers.com/photoh.htm

See also http://www.rsvpjulia.com/hunsakerphotos.htm
Children:

1.   Thomas Howard Hunsaker, age 23

      He married Elizabeth Jane Miller in 1850.  They first settled in Polk, and then in Marion County, Oregon.  They had nine children.

2.   Daniel Stinson Hunsaker, age 19

      He married Mary E. Williams in about 1854.  They settled in Dexter, Lane County, Oregon, where they had eight children.

3.   Rev. Andrew Jackson Hunsaker, age 13

      He married Emma J. Hill in 1855.  They had one child in Lane County.  His wife died in 1858 at Corvallis, Benton, Oregon.  He died in McMinnville, Yamhill, Oregon.

4.   Elizabeth Jane Hunsaker, age 11

      She married William Thomas Miller in 1851, and they settle in Marion County, Oregon where they had six children.

5.   Margaret Ann Hunsaker, age 9
She married Thomas Barbre in 1853.

6.   Martha Ellen Hunsaker, age 4
She married Manuel Gonsaules Conser in 1861, and Henry Clay Morgan in 1867 in Marion County.

7.   Charlotte Evelyn Hunsaker, born 1849 in Marion County,  married John H. Conser in 1867, in Marion County, Oregon.

 

Daniel Kimmel Hunsaker, age 19,  immigrated to Oregon in 1848, where he died in 1852. [Emigrants To Oregon In 1848, http://www.oregonpioneers.com/1848.htm]

 

Harrison King Hunsaker, age 10,  (Harrison, Daniel, Joseph, John, Hartmann), immigrated to Oregon in 1848, where he married Susannah Jones in 1860 in Portland, Multnomah, Oregon.  Their children were born in Marion County, and in California. [Emigrants To Oregon In 1848, http://www.oregonpioneers.com/1848.htm]

 

In 1850, Congress passed the Donation Land Law, which granted land to certain settlers, provided they were citizens of the United States or would become citizens within a year, and provided they agreed to stay on the land for four years. They could receive 320 acres each (if single and would marry one year after arrival), 160 acres if single and over 21, and an additional 320 acres in the name of their wife, if married. The settlers needed to emigrate to Oregon between December 1850 and December 1853 in order to qualify. 

Jacob Hunsakers’s two daughters, Nancy and Catharine, married brothers: Jacob W. and John W. Wigle.  In 1852, three Wigle brothers packed up their families and took the Oregon Trail to Oregon: George W, Jacob W and John W.  In all, thirty-three members of the Wigle family plus some hired hands left Adams Co., Ill. to travel by wagon train to Oregon.  

WIGLE, Andrew Jackson - OHS mss #587 - 28 pages typed recollections.
Departed Liberty, IL, 11 April 1852; arrived Portland, OR, 21 September 1852.  http://home.netcom.com/~symbios/ohs52.html
 

BARNARD, Guilford. (Wife: Catherine Wigle Barnard; Child: Landy died on the way)

CAMPBELL, John  (Wife: Nancy; Children: Nancy and Elizabeth Campbell)

CAMPBELL, Mary

HUNSAKER, Bradford

HUNSAKER, Jacob ?T.

HUNSAKER, Joseph P.

WIGLE, Andrew Jackson; ???Abraham J.

WIGLE, J. D.  (Jacob Daniel)

WIGLE, J. F.

WIGLE, Jacob (Wife: Nancy Hunsaker Wigle; Children: 5)

WIGLE, John. (Wife: Catharine Hunsaker Wigle; Children: 3)


Several of these families settled on adjoining land in Linn County. [Lois (Wigle) Claspil, http://www.linncountyroots.com/Cemeteries/wigle_survey.htm]  Wigle, Abraham J., Wigle, Jacob W., Wigle, John W., and Wigle, Peter H. received title to land in Linn County, Oregon. http://www.usgennet.org/usa/or/town/lebanon/dlcs.html

Nancy Hunsaker Wigle, age 43, and her husband Jacob Wigle, age 45, and their six living children immigrated to Oregon in 1852, and settled in Linn County, Oregon. http://home.netcom.com/~symbios/gfo52.html http://linnhistory.peak.org/1852/1852w.html
http://worldconnect.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=benton&id=I09973

 

Children:

1.   Abraham J. Wigle, age 22, and his wife Mary Minerva Daugherty, age 25, married in 1848, with their son Jacob Daniel Wigle, age 3.  They crossed the plains to Oregon in 1852 and settled in Linn County about six miles southwest of Brownsville. Abraham became a minister of the Universalist Church in 1869 and was ordained 1871. He organized the first Universalists church west of the Rockys.  In 1875, he was active in organizing the first Oregon Universalists Convention. The meeting was held at Mr. Wigle's home in Linn County. A rather complete biography of this man was published in "Illustrated Atlas Map of Marion and Linn county," published at San Francisco in 1878. http://www.linncountyroots.com/Cemeteries/wigle.htm http://linnhistory.peak.org/bios/wpa/wigle.html

2.   Catherine Wigle Barnard, age 20, and her husband Guilford Barnard, age 27, married in 1849 in Adams County, Illinois.  Their son Landy Barnard, age 2, died on the trail to Oregon.  They settled in Bellfountain, Benton, Oregon. http://linnhistory.peak.org/1852/1852b.html

3.   Peter H. Wigle, age 18. He married Nancy Hawkins (Ford) and they had 2 children.  They settled in Linn County, Oregon. http://home.netcom.com/~symbios/gfo52.html

4.   Mary Wigle, age 16.

5.   John L. Wigle, age 15.
Beaver Creek, south of Oregon City, is named after a creek that flows through the community. The Christian Church there reported their date of organization as 1878. By 1880 they had 39 members. J. L. Wigle was the circuit-riding preacher in 1881. http://ncbible.org/nwh/orhistdd.html

7.   Margaret Wigle, age 8.  She later married Jonathon Tharp, had one child, and died young in 1865, at the age of 20 years, 7 months, and 1 day.

6.   Anna Wigle, age 5
Born 2 Feb 1847 in Adams County, Illinois.

Catherine Hunsaker Wigle, age 38, and her husband, John Wigle, age 43, and their three living children immigrated to Oregon in 1852 and settled in Linn County, Oregon.  They had one additional child in Oregon in 1854. http://linnhistory.peak.org/1852/1852w.html
Children:

1.   William Wigle, age 17.
William married Martha Jane Spauling in 1860, in Wasco County.  They lived in Linn County until about 1870, when they moved to Umatilla County.  He died in Prineville, Crook, Oregon.

2.   Jacob H. Wigle, age 10.

      Jacob married Miranda Kenney in 1865, and they raised their family in Linn County, Oregon.

3.   Mary Elizabeth Wigle, age 6.
Mary married William H. Taylor in 1865.  They lived in Linn County until about 1870, when they moved to Umatilla County.

 

Wigle Sources:

http://www.linncountyroots.com/Cemeteries/wigle.htm

http://www.linncountyroots.com/Cemeteries/wigle_survey.htm

http://www.nationalregisterofhistoricplaces.com/OR/linn/state2.html

http://ncbible.org/nwh/orhistdd.html

http://linnhistory.peak.org/1852/1852w.html

http://worldconnect.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=SHOW&db=benton&recno=25864

Joseph P. Hunsaker, age 23, crossed the plains in 1850, first coming to Oregon City in an ox team train. The next year, he returned to Illinois.  In 1852, at age 25, he crossed the plains with ox teams a second time with his cousin, Bradford Hunsaker, landing in Oregon City.   In 1854, he married Elizabeth Campbell, who crossed the plains in 1852 with her parents, being in the same train with Joseph. They had four children in Oregon between 1854 and 1860.
http://linnhistory.peak.org/1852/1852hi.html

In the 1860 census, he and his family were in Hillsboro, Washington, Oregon, where he was a blacksmith.  He was an overland pioneer of 1873 and was involved in launching the Prineville church.  He had settled in Crook County. http://ncbible.org/nwh/OrCrook.html  In the 1880 census, he was a druggist in Prineville, Wasco, Oregon.

http://www.geocities.com/possumlover3/GENEALOGY/crook/1905history/hunsaker_josephp.html

Bradford Hunsaker, age 20, (John, Andrew, John, Hartmann) crossed the plains with his cousin, Joseph P. Hunsaker.  They departed Liberty, Illinois on 11 April 1852 and arrived in Portland, Oregon on 21 September 1852.  After arriving in Oregon in
1852, he then went on to Washougal, Washington where he engaged in the saw
milling business.  He married Hannah Maria Stice, a daughter of Peter Stice, who was a chair maker of Vancouver.  They had four children in Clark County, Washington.  In 1855 he secured a donation land claim of three hundred and twenty acres in Clarke county Washington and resided thereon for about eighteen years.  After leaving there he removed to eastern Oregon and settled in Baker County in about 1861 where they had their last three children.  [History of Oregon Centennial, by S.J. Clarke Pub. Co., page 148]   Obituary: Frank Hunsaker (Bradford’s son), 72, a resident of Oregon all his life and of Baker county since boyhood, died at his farm home just north of Baker, early Tuesday morning after an illness for the past year. He was a son of the late Mr. and Mrs. Bradford Hunsaker, early Oregon pioneers. http://linnhistory.peak.org/1852/1852hi.html
http://www.accessgenealogy.com/scripts/data/database.cgi?file=Data&report=SingleArticle&ArticleID=0019593

George Brown Hunsaker, born 1825, immigrated to Oregon, but we don’t know when, and settled in Alsea, Benton County, Oregon.  His estate was administered in Benton County, Oregon, after his death in 1884.

John William Hunsaker , born 1824, and Zipporah Wheeler Hunsaker immigrated to California in 1861/1864, and then to Oregon in 1864/1866.  They first went to Marion County, and then Polk County.
1.      George Washington Hunsaker, born 1846
2.      Christopher Columbus Hunsaker, born  1849
3.      Matthew Hunsaker, born 1851, died 4 Nov 1877 at age 26 in Myrtle Creek, Douglas, Oregon
4.      Jasper Newton Hunsaker, born 1855, settled Stevens County, Washington
5.      Benjamin Albert Hunsaker, born 1856, settled in Douglas County
6.      Sarah Elizabeth Hunsaker, born 1858
7.      Thomas Homer Hunsaker, born 1861, settled in Napa, California
8.      Robert Edward Lee Hunsaker, born 1864 in California
9.      Minnie Emma Hunsaker, born 1866, in Marion County, Oregon
10.    Laura Hunsaker, born 1872, in Polk County, Oregon

Joseph Richardson Hunsaker, born 1851, immigrated to Baker County, date unknown.

Joseph A. Hunsaker; born in 1843 in Illinois; died 4 Jul 1908 in Union County Oregon

Sarah E. Hunsaker; wife of Joseph A.; born in1843; died 2 July 1884 in Union County, Oregon.

 

OTHER SOURCES

 

Names of 1852 Travelers to Oregon from Journals and Reminiscences

http://home.netcom.com/~symbios/ohs52.html

 

35. WIGLE, Andrew Jackson - OHS mss #587 - 28 pages typed recollections.
Departed Liberty, IL, 11 April 1852; arrived Portland, OR, 21 September 1852.
ALFORD, Al, BARNARD, Guilford. BELTS, Paul. BENFIELD, Eli. CAMPBELL, John; Mary. CRONIN, Patrick. CROUCH, Ebenezer. HUNSAKER, Bradford; Jacob; Joseph. MANSFIELD, Mose. McBRIDE, Andrew. McDANIEL, Jack. McHARGUE, James. McKINLEY. MOSIER, Nickolas. NATIONS, James. PADGET, Lish. PUTMAN, Daniel. TOONE, Dennis. TUNGATE, Riley. VAUGHN, Billy. WHITLEY, Elisha. WIGLE, Andrew Jackson; J.D.; J. F.; Jacob; John. WILSON, John. WINGFIELD, John.

 

1880 Census PRINEVILLE PRECINCT WASCO COUNTY, OREGON

JOSEPH HUNSAKER 53 HUSBAND DRUGGIST ILL PENN ----
ELIZABETH HUNSAKER 47 WIFE ILL, KEN, KEN
MAT HUNSAKER 24 DAUGHTER OREGON, ILL, ILL
IDA HUNSAKER 20 DAUGHTER, OREGON, ILL, ILL
JOHN HUNSAKER 19 SON FARMER OREGON, ILL, ILL

Linn County Vital Records

http://www.linncountyroots.com/VitalRecords.htm

http://www.linncountyroots.com/index.html

http://www.rootsweb.com/~orlinngs/index.html

 

Lebanon, Oregon Brethren Church
Lebanon, Linn Co, Oregon  May 13, 1867.
We the brethren of Oregon, being assembled at the house of brother Philip Baltimore agree to 6 items, the last to be subject to the decisions of the brethren in Yearly Meeting.
Signed in the presence of us, George Wolfe and Henry Haines. J. Hardman, Anna Hardman,  J. H. Ritter, Rachael Ritter, B. Hardman, M. Hardman, A. J. Wigle, J. W. Hardman, H. Spurlock, S. R. Peebler, Cath. Barnard, Peter Zell, Philip Baltimore, Mary Baltimore, Daniel Leedy, Mary Leedy, David Peebler, Susan Peebler, Jacob Wigle, Nancy Wigle, Solomon Ritter, Elizabeth Ritter, Sam. Hardman, Mary Hardman.
 
This was from Page 238 of Christian Family Compani 
http://archiver.rootsweb.com/th/read/BRETHREN/1998-08/0903406438
 

Summit Cemetery

http://www.rootsweb.com/~orbenton/Cemeteries/Summit.html

 

Abraham Wigle House

      Amnuaywattana, Parima: University of Oregon, M.S. Historic Preservation 2002
Title: Analysis and Rehabilitation of the Abraham Wigle House, Harrisburg, Oregon
Abstract: This project will consider how to conduct preservation research and documents, such as the National Register Nomination, a Historic Structure Report, and a Rehabilitation Plan of the historic property. Furthermore, the project will find appropriate actions for bringing this historic farmhouse back to the state of utility. parimaaaa@hotmail.com

 

Willamette National Cemetery,  Portland, Multnomah, Oregon

http://www.interment.net/data/us/or/multnomah/willanat/w/willamette_w10.htm

 

Linn, OR  1860 Federal Census
ftp://ftp.us-census.org/pub/usgenweb/census/or/linn/1860/
Page 321B Line 20  DW# 403  FM# 371  
Wigle, Jacob     53 M  Farmer               Mo.
Wigle, Nancy     52 F   .    .              Ky.
Wigle, Peter     25 M  Teacher Com. School  Ill.
Wigle, John      21 M  Farm Laborer         Ill.
Wigle, Margaret  15 F   .    .              Ill.
Wigle, Hannah    13 F   .    .              Ill.
Wigle, Abraham   30 M  Wagon Maker          Ill.
Wigle, Mary      33 F   .    .              Ill.
Wigle, Jacob     10 M   .    .              Ill.
Wigle, Lorenzo    5 M   .    .              Ogn.
Wigle, Margaret   1 F   .    .              Ogn.
Wigle, Catharine 45 F  Manager of farm      Ill.
Wigle, Jacob     18 M  Serving              Ill.
Wigle, Mary      14 F   .    .              Ill.
Wigle, David      5 M   .    .              Ogn.

 

1900 Census, Prairie Creek Precinct, Wallowa Co., Oregon

http://www.usgennet.org/usa/or/county/wallowa/census/1900censuspc.htm

HUNSAKER John Head W M Sep 1845 56 W  Illinois Pennsylvania Missouri, Farmer

HUNSAKER         Head W M Apr 1853 47  S   Illinois Kentucky       Missouri, Farmer

 

The family documented below, is not a descendent of Hartmann Hunsaker.  James Huntsucker came from Missouri, and settled first in Linn County, and ended up in Lincoln County.  The spelling of his name eventually became Hunsaker.
 
CENSUS YEAR: 1860  STATE: OR      COUNTY: Linn    MICROFILM#: M653-1055
http://ftp.us-census.org/pub/usgenweb/census/or/linn/1860/fam-0414.txt
Page 338A Line 20  DW# 493  FM# 448
Hunsaker, James     35 M   Day Laborer  Mo.
Hunsaker, Avena     32 F   .    .       Mo.
Hunsaker, Sarah     10 F   .    .       Mo.
Hunsaker, Willard    8 M   .    .       Ogn.
Hunsaker, Elisabeth  6 F   .    .       Ogn.
Hunsaker, Anna       4 F   .    .       Ogn.
Hunsaker, John    3/12 M   .    .       Ogn.
 
South Beach Cemetery, Newport, Lincoln Co., Oregon
http://awt.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=southbeachcem&id=I044

Name: James C. Huntsucker 1

Sex: M

Name: James Hunsaker 2 3

Name: Jas Huntsacker 4

Birth: ABT. 1825 in Missouri 4

Birth: ABT. 1824 in Missouri 2

Death: 24 MAY 1893 in Newport, Lincoln Co., Oregon 1

Burial: South Beach Cemetery, Lincoln Co., Oregon 1 5

Census: 30 JUL 1860 Brownsville, Linn Co., Oregon 2

Census: 14 JUN 1880 Newport, Benton Co., Oregon 4

Occupation: 30 JUL 1860 Day Laborer 2

Occupation: 14 JUN 1880 Laborer 4

Father: Hunsaker
Mother:

Marriage 1 Avena b: ABT. 1828 in Missouri

Children

  1. Sarah Hunsaker b: ABT. 1849 in Missouri
  2. Willard H. Hunsaker b: AUG 1850 in Oregon
  3. Elizabeth Hunsaker b: ABT. 1853 in Oregon
  4. Amna Hunsaker b: ABT. 1855 in Oregon
  5. John Hunsaker b: 1860 in Oregon
  6. Parlece J. Huntsucker b: ABT. 1863 in Oregon
  7. Columbus Huntsucker b: ABT. 1866 in Oregon

Sources:

  1. Title: At Rest In Lincoln County
  2. Title: 1860 US Federal Census
  3. Title: Email from Oregon Coast History Center, July 20, 2004
  4. Title: 1880 US Federal Census
  5. Title: Email from Oregon Coast History Center