Hello Mark. I am not a 'Hunter' researcher but have been watching your posts to this board. I do know of one descendant that has quite a bit of information on your Hunter family. (Please) Contact me directly if you would like this contact information. My particular interest in your post is the Murray connection(s). There are several Murray connections to the families you have listed in your previous posts. I have pasted a letter (below) that was posted to our 'Murray site'. This letter from Thomas Murray (3rd) to his family. This Thomas Murray marr Barbara Hunter the d/o Abraham Hunter (Sr) & Mary Marks. Several of the Cole CO MO families removed to CA. "Pattalome City, Sonoma County, California Dear Children: After my best respects to you all I can inform you that I am yet on the land of the living and we are all well and hearty and hope these lines may find you all in good health. I have many things to write to you. I left the state line on the 13th day of April 1853 and landed in Jackson, California on the 16th of September 1853, after a long and tedious trip of five months and five days. I stopped there a month. John Bouse stopped there and J.J. Hensley stopped about twenty miles below on Consbia River. Hugh S. Enloes wife had a five daughter on September the 18th day and calls its name Rachel. Hugh went south down near. I think we were all wore out and tired of traveling and our cattle so too. The intention of the boys was to go about 230 miles south to where Abraham and J.H. Murray live. We saw Abraham and family--they came to see us in Jackson. He told us that Joshua and himself was farming together and in a good country, and about 170 miles from any place of trade, and doubted the health being so good as it was on the sea breezes. I then studied my judgement and concluded I and the old woman was old and had a seasoning to go through in the country. I then set out myself and old woman and three little girls to cross the Sacramento river at Sacramento City about 50 miles, and the continued our course in northwest about 100 miles further and in about 12 miles of the ocean and there rested my stock about two weeks. I have now passed two places of tide water and then I went back about 6 or 8 miles and stopped one-half of a mile above this city, and myself and a young man from Ohio taken us up a claim of 160 acres apiece and built us a frame house about 40 steps from tide water and our spring is about 40 feet from the house and first rat water and about 3 feet deep. Our land is rich and black gumbo land. Guess this land is like all other land in this part of the country. It is in dispute between the United States and a Spanish frant and if the government gains it I have made my file, and if the Spanish grant gains it I lose it all, but we think our chances good. We have got seven lots in this city enclosed and intend improving them this season. There is three steam boats running here and about twelve sail vessels. These boats run from here to San Francisco City. There is large bounds of good family farming country around here. We shall run our wagon and team, hauling in good business. We shall run our wagon and team, hauling in good business. Here we are about 50 miles north of Sancisco City and all the way by water. I see this morning plenty of snow on the mountains about 8 miles off. The wild oats is entirely green all over the valley and hills, stock is doing first rate on the range. The climate is mild and healthy. The people look fresh and well. There is about 20 warehouses in this city and mostly filled with Irish potatoes, and they are of a little demand. I saw Mark Hunter on his way to the states, he told me he had lived by a good many of the Cole County people Judge Ewing, some of the Walsers. We started too soon, we had to lay back on account of grass. Our company all landed safe though, we had but very sickness. On the way the old woman took the mountain fever at the Willow Springs, which lasted her a few days, she then recovered and stood the trip well. She became very poor and lean in flesh, but she walks into the Saravadia mountains without drawing a breath. I never lost but one meal on the road and the reason of that was that I was about 9 or 10 miles from camp after a cow, and about dusk the Indians got after me and made me lay in a bunch of grass, two hours before day, when I made my escape to safety. Some of our stock got lame and we had to sell it ti the traders at a reduced price, but on Carson river our cattle began to die;our oxen died so I had to leave one of my wagons. I had to sell my mare, she got so poor, and I got into Jackson with one wagon and four yoke of oxen and then I lost one in a mine hole, then I sold three of my oxen for $225. We run out of provisions on Humbolt river then we had to give 40 c a pound for flour and bacon from 50c to 75 c a pound; coffee 50c, rice from 30c to 40c;beef 30c a pound. My lost property and expenses coming over here is a little over $1000, the health was good on the road for the people, but bad on stock of all kinds. It is thought by all who is acquainted that there is a loss of one-third of stock in crossing last season. Peary Hensley and us got parted, he went on a little ahead one evening and we were detained a hunting stock and the Indians done a little depredation, and he had to go on with the company he was with, and he beat us in about ten days. Old Mrs. Hensley died in Carson Valley with old age, aged 69 years. I am well and hearty and well satisfied with my trip and believe it to be a good healthy country. The trip is not bad as I expected. Am here with th expectation of being where most of my children are, but really my boys are about 300 miles from me. I have not seen Joshua since he left the states. Barbara Ann is about 150 miles from here and Margaret is 130 miles from here;Rachel is well and hearty and weighs 150 punds and has made $50; Sallie looks fresh and well and has about 16 hens and paid $2 a piece for them;I sold some eggs for about a $1 a dozen. We have some hogs. I thinkwe are about 2600 miles from your country. I wish you would let Jane Enloe read this letter and we will write her the next mai, and I want you to write to is without fail. Direct to Patlaloma City, Sonoma County, California. No more at present but still yours until death. Thos. Murry and Barbara Murry " Side Note: The Rachel mentioned in this letter now resides at Penss Grove , Ca. with her daughter Nettie Clark Cannon. Rachel was 14 years old at the time referred to in the letter. While the family was located in Carson Valley, Rachel washed tea towels for a boardinghouse and earned the $50.00. She married Abner Clark 3-1-1855 at Judge Thomas Murray�s house in Petaluma, Sonoma County, California on a place known as the John Green Place. Rachel was sixteen at the time of her marriage. Rachel was seven years old when the family went to Cass Co. to live and she remembers being at Enoch and Jane Enloes (on the old home place) just before they left for Cass Co. She and Uncle Jim (James Enloe) jumped out of a big gum tree to give Grandma (Jane) a scare, and she fainted! The scare was theirs since they had to run to the bottom of the field for Grandfather Enoch." "I do not know who it was written to although it said �Dear Children�. However, my deduction of the seven people mentioned in the letter to already be in CA (that being Joshua, Barbara Ann, Margaret, Rachel, Sarah, and Abraham) and that he mentioned at the end of the letter to let Jane Enloe read it when it arrives (which was in Missouri where they lived), that only leaves Mary, Emily, Urith, Martha, and Hannah. Well, Emily is Hugh S. Enloes wife, the one that had a baby on the trip out there (mentioned in the letter); Martha died in 1845 (8 years earlier); Urith married a Samual Orr who already was living in California by 1850; Mary was married to Smith Yount and had a daughter who died 11 days before Thomas and Barbara landed in Jackson, Ca., and her husband died in Missouri in 1854. The only thing I know about Hannah is she married in 1858 in California. So, it could have been written to Mary, Jane and possibly Hannah. But who knows!" Side NOTE: Rachel Murray married 'Almer' not 'Abner' Clark" I thought this patricular letter might be of interest to you. I have quite a bit more on the Murray, Enloe, Hensley ... families of Cole MO who removed to CA. Debra Anderson northern CA > [Original Message] > From: <eirikblotox@aol.com> > To: <mocole@rootsweb.com> > Date: 4/16/2007 4:33:10 PM > Subject: Re: [MOCOLE] Hunter & Murray > > Hi! > > Do you happen to know what year this family went to California? There is a story that Abraham Hunter Jr. went about 1850, but didn't stay. I sort of doubt it myself as he seemed to be busy enough in Missouri. I ran across this in the book "History of Laclede Co. MO" 1979 edition. I wondered if it meant to say California , Missouri? Or did Abraham help a relative to move? > > -Mark > > ________________________________________________________________________ > AOL now offers free email to everyone. Find out more about what's free from AOL at AOL.com. > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to MOCOLE-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message