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William S. Huntoon, the Caswells and Peases

by Harry Huntoon (Copyright, 2001)

In 1997, I became interested in William S. Huntoon, my great-great-grandfather.  My curiosity was as to how and why he came to Providence, Rhode Island and established a family that is still in the area today.   A second, related curiosity was about the woman who accompanied him as wife, Martha Pease (Caswell) Huntoon.

There was a reference to this William S. Huntoon in Daniel T. V. Huntoon's  Hunton Genealogy (as child William of Willard and Rhoda Huntoon), and in family records and cemetery records.  It was known that his wife's name was consistently given as Martha P. Huntoon.  Aside from that, there was a biography in a genealogical subscription work published in 1908, more than 30 years after his death in 1876, probably entered by his grandson Harrison B. Huntoon, who seems to have had a consistent interest in his family's history.  The book is Representative Men and Old Families of Rhode Island, vol. 2, p. 2146-8.  I quote from that work below:

"(VI) William Simeon Huntoon, father of William, was born in January 1812 in Rutland VT. He left home when a young man, and went to Springfield MA where he began life, and where he resided for a number of years, finally engaging in the manufacture of whips at Westfield MA. He remained there until 1845, when he disposed of the business, came to Providence, and began the manufacture of cigars in a small way. The business grew from the start, and in time he had the largest cigar factory in New England. He continued the manufacture of cigars, with his son William as a partner, establishing the firm of William S. Huntoon and Son, wholesalers and retailers of cigars. Subsequently, Mr. Samuel Gorham, who had been employed as a clerk, was admitted to partnership, under the firm name Huntoon and Gorham, which name continued (even after the death of William S. Huntoon) for thirty-two years, when Mr. William Huntoon purchased the interest of Mr. Gorham. 

William S. Huntoon was married in Springfield MA to Martha Pease [note the omission of Caswell]  of that city. She survived him and died in Providence Jan 5 1894 aged eighty-two. They had one child, William. Mr. Huntoon suffered from poor health for a number of years before his death, so that his extensive business affairs were looked after by his son. He died August 14, 1876, and was buried at Swan Point Cemetery. "

The book continues with an entry for his son William that gives more information about William S. Huntoon:

"(VII) William Huntoon was born in Springfield July 29, 1834. He received his earlier schooling in the public schools at Westfield and Providence, and completed his studies at a private school in Springfield. He was about eleven years old when the family came to Providence. After leaving school he entered the employ of his father, and in time was taken into the partnership as before mentioned...

My initial inquiry was made about William S. Huntoon's parents, Willard and Rhoda Huntoon.  The more I learned, the more I realized that when it was said that "He left home when a young man,"  that it is clear that there was in all probability no strong family bond between parents and son [if they even knew each other past early childhood, a possibility discussed below].   From the end of the War of 1812 until the 1830's Willard and Rhoda Huntoon were residents first of Goshen NH and subsequently Bridgewater VT.  In 1844, Willard Huntoon died in Dover Township, Lenawee County, Michigan after transferring his War of 1812 veteran's bounty land to his youngest son Wilson S. Huntoon.   Willard's wife Rhoda may or may not have accompanied him there, but by 1850 she was back in Bridgewater VT, listed in the census at 66 years old with a 44-year son Willard Huntoon, Jr. (six years older than William S. Huntoon).  She was listed as pauper and Willard Jr. as pauper and idiot.  By 1860 she is no longer listed and Willard is still resident at the poor house.  An entry found in Willard Huntoon Sr.'s hometown of Unity NH records may explain why William may have had no contact or relationship after the age of 3: 

1815 -- Youngest son of Willard Huntoon was bound out until the age of 21 with Stephen Huntoon, which is where Willard Huntoon was sent to live in 1815 [Unity Town Records 6:183 per K. Beals]. 

I presume this youngest son to be William S. Huntoon, born 1812, as there aren't any younger children recorded after 1812 but before 1815, and William S. Huntoon's death certificate supports the 1812 birthdate and this parentage.  I do not know whether this indenture was ever carried out, but it seems an interesting coincidence that in the summer of his 21st year when the indenture would have concluded, William S. Huntoon married to a 22-yr old Martha P. Caswell at Lansingburgh (Troy) NY, then home for several Caswell relatives, and both William and Martha were listed as "of Springfield"  (Columbian Centinel September 25, 1833).

While I have not found William S. Huntoon specifically mentioned in records until his marriage in 1833,  after that time, because of a series of land transactions, his life is well-chronicled in land transactions first in Springfield, then Westfield MA, and finally in Providence RI.  Those transactions yield some information.   In his first land trasaction, at age 22, he purchases tract of land near "Upper Water Shops" in Springfield MA, with tenant on 1/2 of land in 4 year lease for $950 on August 15, 1834 from Orange Scott of Springfield. Property bounded N+E by William Sheldon, S a highway, W by Silas Smith. Witnesses to purchase William Rice (JP&Register) and Sophia M. Fletcher. Property sold back to Orange Scott on November 3, 1834 for the same price. Witnesses to sale are William Rice and A. Caswell.   M. P. Huntoon releases dower. [Hampden County Deeds 93-68 and 93-120].  Who was A. Caswell? In all probability, Asa Caswell, M.P. Huntoon's uncle (brother of Samuel Caswell) from Lansingburgh NY.   After that first set of transactions in Springfield, by 1837 he was buying a store for the buggy-whip making business as Huntoon & Bush, Whipmakers with one Charles Bush in Westfield.  He sold out of that by 1842.