We cannot know what drew them to Winnipeg, but it could have been the allure of land via the 1872 Dominion Lands Act. Upon arrival, the family may have heard about the settlement effort underway in Dakota Territory and decided they would be better off there (land was being offered at $1.25 an acre).
Between 1870 and 1890 more than 120,000 Canadians chose the American Plains over Canada, with North Dakota being the most important destination. Most Canadians migrating directly to North Dakota came from three major source regions in Ontario: the Huron Tract, Glengarry County, and Bruce and Grey Counties, all areas experiencing significant population pressure. By 1879 Canadians, many of Scottish descent, settling along the northern part of the Red River were so numerous that more Canadian than American money circulated there.
New family, New start
In 1882, the Hunters moved to the Red River Valley in Dakota Territory. A Milton, ND newspaper obituary described their journey:
“Mr. and Mrs. Hunter and an infant son came to Dakota territory early in 1882 and freighted their belongings with an ox team to St. Vincent, Minn., and then to their homestead in Cavalier County.”The article doesn't mention the 5 children of Wilson’s from his first marriage.
The older children may have stayed in Canada. George and William were old enough to have stayed in East Wawanosh and tended their own farms and families, but Ann and James would have been 15 and 12. It's possible they stayed with their deceased mother's family back in Ontario. I was unable to find any record of them.
Homestead Life
The homesteader’s first task was to build a house where there was no timber. Pioneers usually built a dugout first, scooping a hole in the side of hill, blocking the front with a wall of cut sod, and covering the top with a few poles that held up a layer of grass and dirt. They housed whole families for months or even years before a permanent structure could be built, usually a log or clapboard house.
Isabella gave birth to her second son, John Francis (my great grandfather) on September 14, 1882, while still living in a tent structure. A third son, Wesley Wilson, was born on the 4th of July, 1888. A daughter, Rachel Ruth, was born to Wilson and Isabella on May 8, 1892. And so began the Hunter Family in Dakota Territory.
Laura Ingalls Wilder “Little House on the Prairie” books give a general idea of what life was like on a homestead. Up with the sun, hard work all day. Isabella would have been responsible for gardening, housekeeping, laundry, baby tending, cooking, baking, canning, sewing and teaching. Church certainly played a large role, probably a welcome day of relative rest and a chance to socialize with neighbors and get caught up on the local gossip and news. The farms in Cavalier County were roughly 160 acres each, so the next door neighbor was not exactly close. I imagine neighbors were quick to lend a helping hand when needed.
Isabella's parents both died just a few years after she moved away, so it's likely her final goodbye to them was when she left Ontario. Her brother, James C. Auld had a ranch in Montana, where John Francis stayed with him at one point, for that is were he met Nell, his future wife. That may be why he is missing from the 1910 ND Census.
1900 US Census - Cavalier County, ND
- Wilson - 63 - Farmer
- Isabella - 42 - Wife
- Robert - 18 - Farm laborer
- John F - 17 - Farmer laborer
- Wesley A - 11- In school
- Rachel R - 9 - In school
1910 US Census - Cavalier County, ND
- Wilson - 73
- Isabella - 54
- Robert D - 27
- Wesley - 21
- Rachel - 18
- William - 47 (Wilson's first son from first wife)
1920 US Census - Cavalier County, ND
Wilson - 82 - Farmer
Isabella - 63
Robert D - 38
John F - 37 - Farmer
Wesley A - 31 - Livery man
Life after Wilson
Wilson Hunter died on his farm in South Olga on 26 Oct 1921 at the age of 84. He is buried in Oak Town Cemetery, north of Concrete, North Dakota.
By 1930, Isabella was living at the home of her eldest son and his wife, Anna.
1930 and 1940 US Census:
- Robert - Head - Farmer
- Anna M - wife
- Isabella - mother
The Great Depression
Most of North Dakota suffered serious drought during the 1930s. When a little rain came along, it was often not enough to make up for months of drought. Banks foreclosed on farms that could not pay their mortgages. Then the banks closed and many farmers could not borrow money, many lost their farms. These factors contributed to making the experience of North Dakotans in the 1930s among the worst in the nation. Low income, heavy debt, and very cold winters were more than many people could withstand, so they left.
In March of 1945, Isabella was visiting or living with (I have found conflicting accounts) her daughter Rachel and her husband in Beavercreek, Oregon when she took a bad fall and broke her hip. She spent a week in the hospital before she passed away on March 17. She is buried in Mt. View Cemetery in Oregon City, Oregon.
Hunter Men and Spouses
Isabella and her daughters-in-law
Isabella, Jack and Rachel Hunter Baty
Charlie, Robert, Anna, Wesley, Isabella
Rachel Hunter Baty and Isabella Auld Hunter
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| Robert Daniel, Isabella, John Francis, Rachel Ruth, Wesley Auld |
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| Isabella and her step-sons |
George Stewart and Rachel Ruth Hunter