Nathan Hunting

Everything I learn about Nathan Hunting increases the respect I feel for him. He was town clerk for fifty years and kept meticulous records, was a surveyor who valued honesty, education and quiet diplomacy. I spoke to his daughter Fay Hunting Bennett today and here are some notes from her recollections:
Henry M. Hunting and Emma Smith were the parents of Lucy and Nathan. Their sister died soon after birth and their mother a year later. They went to live in New Salem and their father, remarried Katherine Brown and was a blacksmith and farmer, and descended from Smiths on both sides, would say "I'm a Smith and a blacksmith". Nathan Justis Hunting was named for his grandfathers Nathan Hunting and Justus Right Smith who is Fay's grandfather on her mother's side. Nathan's father was Amos Hunting, married to Olive who Fay had a hard time tracking down because the grave, in the West Cemetary has no maiden name.
Fay's mother was 39 and Nathan was 42 when they got married. They were both caring for family, the Fays in New Salem and Huntings in Shutesbury so the kids grew up in New Salem but visited Nathan in Shutesbury and had fond memories of chasing Aunt Lucy around the table until they were weak with laughter.

Hurricane of 1938 the weather got bad and though no one knew how bad it would be, Nathan said "There's wind in those clouds, I'm going to pick my peaches". 400 trees fell and Fay's uncle walked from New Salem to Shutesbury climbing over downed trees. With crosscut saws they got half the road passable by noon. Fay was at the "aggie" school and they said "you'd better come home" After the storm Nathan took them to rte 202 around Athol to see the damage.

Nathan was known for his peaches and some people would only buy his peaches. Fay and Nathan would go "peddling peaches" and they went to people's back doors. He could tell from whether the knock was hollow if someone was home. He hated sagging ridge poles and would say "look at that sagging ridge pole"