Jonathan Hunt (1803-1887) came to California is 1856 by way of Panama. He made the journey with his wife Abigail and their children.
The Hunts first settled in San Francisco where Hunt was elected Tax Collector in 1857 for a two-year term. In 1866 Pacific Insurance Company was incorporated and he was elected the President. Pacific Insurance Company was the first firm of fire insurance agents organized in California.
In 1866 the Hunts moved to Oakland and built a lavish home along Glen Echo Creek (Piedmont Ave) near Mountain View Cemetery, and named the home "Glen Echo." Jonathan lived there until his death in 1887 and Abigail until her death in 1910. The Hunts owned a large portion of the area surrounding the house itself, and the property was first offered for auction in 1886,1 and ultimately sold off in 1912 as Brookside Manor.
detail of 1903 Sanborn map (public domain)
Links:
- Glen Echo Tract, Oakland Museum of California collection
