Joseph Snadon Hunter

Joseph Snadon Hunter was born in Clackmannan, Scotland on November 20, 1844.  His family joined The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on October 30, 1846. On November 10, 1849 when Joseph was just 5 years old, the family set sail from Liverpool on the ship "Zetland" for America. There were 250 Saints on board and S. H. Hawkins was in charge of the company. There were seven members in the Hunter family. The parents, one girl and four boys, of whom Joseph was the youngest. They arrived In New Orleans on December 24, 1849. They stayed with Joseph's Grandfather in St. Joseph where the family contracted cholera and Joseph's brother Alexander and sister Euphamia died.

In March 1852, those of the family remaining, started across the plains with James Porter and family.  The 8th of October 1852 , Brother Hunter and his little family were sent to Cedar City in Iron County, by President Young to help colonize it.

On January 1, 1865, Joseph married Eliza Catherine Pinnock, an eighteen year old English girl. Her family had also been sent to Cedar City by President Young. He first saw her at a Seventies Party, in the old social hall. He, with several other young men were standing by the North door when Eliza and her father and mother and sister came in at the South door, just across the hall. She was a beautiful girl. Joseph looked long at her, then turned to his friends and said, "That is my future wife".

Joseph and Eliza and six children in the 1880 census.

Joseph and Eliza's home has been of some importance in Cedar City since it was built in 1866.  In 1982 it was placed on the National Historic Register. The home was scheduled to be demolished to make room for additional parking for a thrift store. Other pioneer homes had already been demolished, leaving the Hunter House as the oldest remaining pioneer home in Cedar City.  A foundation was created to save the historic home. With support from the community, the home was disassembled and moved across town to a new location at the Frontier Homestead state park. It is now being reassembled.

The home in it's original location at 86 E. Center in Cedar City.

Kanani and I checked on the status of the home last summer while in Cedar City.  The home is now in the Frontier Homestead stake park, but is not yet open to the public. As you can see, the home was added on to twice over the years.  The only part of the home that has been re-located is the original part of the home, which is the left side of the house in the photo above. I am excited that the Hunter home will be preserved at the state park for many people to enjoy.

The home in it's new location at the Frontier Homestead state Park in Cedar City.

There has been much in the news about the Hunter home in Cedar City. This article is from the Deseret News in 2005.

Joseph Snadon Hunter's life was one of service, both in a civic and a religious capacity. He held many offices of importance. He filled a two year mission to the Southern States in 1881-82. Also a six months home mission to Washington Co. in 1898. He was set apart as a High Councilman in the Parowan Stake June 1884 by Francis M. Lyman.

He could play the violin and did so for dances. There were three young men, Joseph, Edward Parry and one other who played together. They even took their violins into the canyon with them, when they went for wood. They would play while they rested. The canyon still carries the name given it, "Fiddlers Canyon" a few miles north and east of Cedar City. His home and his means were ever at the disposal of the LDS. Church Officials.

Joseph Snadon Hunter died July 26, 1904 in Cedar City Utah.  He is buried next to his wife Eliza in the Cedar City Cemetery  The coordinates of his headstone are N 37° 41.418 W 113° 03.773.  The location is marked on the map with a green arrow.  Joseph Snadon Hunter is my 2nd Great Grandfather on the Mendenhall side of my family.

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