John Wesley Hunt
Encyclopedia
John Wesley Hunt was a prominent businessman and early civic leader in Lexington, Kentucky
. He was one of the first millionaires west of the Allegheny Mountains
.
Moving to Lexington in 1795, Hunt became a merchant, horsebreeder, hemp
manufacturer, and banker. In 1799, President
John Adams
named Hunt as postmaster
of Lexington. In 1814, Hunt built a two-story brick mansion known as "Hopemont" (today known as The Hunt-Morgan House) for him and his wife Catherine. His son Charlton Hunt became the first mayor
of Lexington. In the winter of 1839-1840, Hunt introduced the Messenger
strain to Kentucky.
John Wesley Hunt's grandson, John Hunt Morgan
, was a famous Confederate
general
during the American Civil War
. A great-grandson, Dr. Thomas Hunt Morgan
, was the first Kentuckian to win a Nobel Prize
.
Hunt is buried in the family plot in the Lexington Cemetery.
Lexington, Kentucky
Lexington is the second-largest city in Kentucky and the 63rd largest in the US. Known as the "Thoroughbred City" and the "Horse Capital of the World", it is located in the heart of Kentucky's Bluegrass region...
. He was one of the first millionaires west of the Allegheny Mountains
Allegheny Mountains
The Allegheny Mountain Range , also spelled Alleghany, Allegany and, informally, the Alleghenies, is part of the vast Appalachian Mountain Range of the eastern United States and Canada...
.
Moving to Lexington in 1795, Hunt became a merchant, horsebreeder, hemp
Hemp
Hemp is mostly used as a name for low tetrahydrocannabinol strains of the plant Cannabis sativa, of fiber and/or oilseed varieties. In modern times, hemp has been used for industrial purposes including paper, textiles, biodegradable plastics, construction, health food and fuel with modest...
manufacturer, and banker. In 1799, President
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
John Adams
John Adams
John Adams was an American lawyer, statesman, diplomat and political theorist. A leading champion of independence in 1776, he was the second President of the United States...
named Hunt as postmaster
Postmaster
A postmaster is the head of an individual post office. Postmistress is not used anymore in the United States, as the "master" component of the word refers to a person of authority and has no gender quality...
of Lexington. In 1814, Hunt built a two-story brick mansion known as "Hopemont" (today known as The Hunt-Morgan House) for him and his wife Catherine. His son Charlton Hunt became the first mayor
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
of Lexington. In the winter of 1839-1840, Hunt introduced the Messenger
Standardbred horse
Standardbreds are a breed of horse best known for their ability to race in harness at a trot or pace instead of under saddle at a gallop. Developed in North America, the breed is now recognized worldwide for its harness racing ability...
strain to Kentucky.
John Wesley Hunt's grandson, John Hunt Morgan
John Hunt Morgan
John Hunt Morgan was a Confederate general and cavalry officer in the American Civil War.Morgan is best known for Morgan's Raid when, in 1863, he and his men rode over 1,000 miles covering a region from Tennessee, up through Kentucky, into Indiana and on to southern Ohio...
, was a famous Confederate
Confederate States Army
The Confederate States Army was the army of the Confederate States of America while the Confederacy existed during the American Civil War. On February 8, 1861, delegates from the seven Deep South states which had already declared their secession from the United States of America adopted the...
general
General
A general officer is an officer of high military rank, usually in the army, and in some nations, the air force. The term is widely used by many nations of the world, and when a country uses a different term, there is an equivalent title given....
during the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
. A great-grandson, Dr. Thomas Hunt Morgan
Thomas Hunt Morgan
Thomas Hunt Morgan was an American evolutionary biologist, geneticist and embryologist and science author who won the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1933 for discoveries relating the role the chromosome plays in heredity.Morgan received his PhD from Johns Hopkins University in zoology...
, was the first Kentuckian to win a Nobel Prize
Nobel Prize
The Nobel Prizes are annual international awards bestowed by Scandinavian committees in recognition of cultural and scientific advances. The will of the Swedish chemist Alfred Nobel, the inventor of dynamite, established the prizes in 1895...
.
Hunt is buried in the family plot in the Lexington Cemetery.