Huntley Reunions

The first “reunion booklet” was printed by Royce Huntley this year. The genealogy of the Marlow Huntlys was explained. Several of the men served in the Revolutionary War, including Nathan b. 1726 (Aaron II,; Aaron I,; John) and his sons, Rufus, Elisha, and Russell. As was the norm at that time, dinner was prepared by a woman’s church group and served in a public hall.

This reunion booklet included the first dedication. It stated, “Let us Pause One Reverent Moment...In Memory of Charles Henry Huntley (1878-1948) Charter Member of HNA.” The first Huntley Talent Night was held at this reunion. Thereafter, both of these became yearly traditions. Also included is an excellent genealogy of Nova Scotia Huntleys.

This reunion booklet included a financial report, minutes of meetings, and described the events of the weekend. Officers were elected at this reunion. A singalong, led by James Huntley of Norwich, VT, was enjoyed by all and became a tradition looked forward to each year.

Other talent night acts included ballet dances, accordion selections, a polka, and home movies and slides. MC Clarence Miller wrote, “Guests that wish to offer talent see the MC. He isn’t the least bit hard to get along with.” The Huntley Song by Fern Huntley Kalar was adopted.

This reunion returned HNA members to their geographical roots. The Herel family has hosted many reunions. Virgil, our historian, had been injured in a car accident and wrote “Gertrude Huntley of Hudson Falls, NY offered the use of historical data on Columbus W. Huntley, her great grandfather.” An excellent genealogy of Henry Huntley of Lyme, CT is included. For the first time, a bulletin announcing information was mailed preceding the reunion. Also distributed was a booklet of “The songs We Sang at the Fifth Reunion.”

A separate New York State Huntley Association was organized in March and began meeting the second Sunday in July in West Winfield, near the geographical center of the state. The purpose of the group was “to create an expression of fellowship and friendliness among the present generations; preserve landmarks, graves, and records of all those Huntleys born or residing in New York State.” The Association tried to encourage other states to begin similar organizations.

At this reunion each family brought its own picnic supper to the Fairgrounds Community Park Saturday night. The official, catered banquet was held Sunday at 1:00pm in the high school cafeteria. Huntley newsletters, written, printed, and mailed by Royce Huntley, kept members up-to-date on family events. An example: “Julia and Gertrude Huntley of Hudson Falls, New York, tolerated the Royce E. Huntleys at Phoenix over Memorial Day. We were all expecting and hoping to meet Fred and LaVeta of Glenbeulah, Wisconsin, but their car caused them to change their plans when it developed motor trouble in Lancaster, NY.”

In his historian’s report for this reunion, Virgil listed the names of more than 100 Huntleys who fought on both sides of the Civil War. At that time, one Union and 5 Confederate veterans, all over 100 years old, were still living. Virgil believed many more Huntleys had served than he had listed, and asked for help in identifying and adding them to his list. Ted Huntley, of Washington, DC, had travelled the farthest to this reunion.

Harry and Margaret Huntley, the hosts of this reunion, started the first “Feed the Kitty” or “Hungry Kitty” picnic for Saturday night. The food was provided, and each member contributed to the “kitty” to cover costs. Tourist homes could be rented for $4.50-$6.00 for doubles, $5-$7 for twins. These were private homes where rooms were made available to travellers. Motels were $10 and up for 2 persons. Many tourist sites were recommended, including the Baseball Hall of Fame, the Farmer’s Museum, and the home of James Fenimore Cooper.

During those years, an Executive Committee of officers met the first Sunday in February. The meeting at 2:30pm on February 5, 1955 in Springfield, MA included interesting topics for discussion: the idea of owning a place where items of interest owned and donated by Huntleys to the Association could be kept for all to see and enjoy, and the selection of a permanent place for the annual reunion which was rejected because it was felt that the association was too young and that membership could be lost. How far sighted the group was! Secretary Gertrude Huntley closed the minutes stating “No other business was at hand, and as some had to catch trains and others had long distances to drive, meeting was closed at 4:30pm.”

“The Songs We Sang at Norwich” were sometimes familiar: “Tipperary,” “Roamin’ in the Gloamin’,” “Pack Up Your Troubles,” and “I Want a Girl,” and “Auld Lang Syne.” But have you ever heard of “The Old Family Toothbrush”?

Royce wrote a beautiful tribute to his Dad and printed it in the booklet for this reunion:

“Dear Dad:

I guess that this page will have to be a page of memories, —fond memories, all. Dad, I remember at one time when I had been irksome to mother, you told me that some day I would not have a mother, but there would never be a day that I would not recall her to my mind. You said that there was never a day that you did not think of your mother. It was all true, Dad; but you did not tell me that I would think of you every day, too.

Humble Dad...You had plenty of time to stop to see a big turtle slide off a log in the murky waters of Six Mile Creek; or watch the Blue Heron wading in Old Peter Scott’s swamp...I guess what I remember best was how you enjoyed just visitin’ and relating your experiences...It was your love of people that was one of the finest reasons I had for starting the Huntley National Association in 1947. How you would have loved to meet these people; wonderful people, just like you Dad...”

This reunion was dedicated to Moses Huntley, the oldest known son of John the Immigrant. He was born in Boston, MA, but moved to Saybrook, CT and finally across the Connecticut River to Lyme. He and his brother Aaron grew up and raised their families here. They were farmers, but soon Huntleys joined the sailing crews of clipper ships or whaling ships. In the reunion booklet, Virgil, the Historian, listed 45 Huntleys who had lived to be 90 or older. Many had lived in the 1800s, and died in every state as far west as California. The Saturday night picnic supper cost $1.25 for adults and $.65 for children under 12; the Sunday Turkey Dinner, with all the “fixins’” cost $2.25 for adults, $1.25 for children under 12, and included the gratuity for the waitress.

This reunion tells the history of Daniel Huntley, the great-grandson of the immigrant John, who, in 1760-61, moved his family from Lyme, CT to Nova Scotia, Canada, and settled in the township of Cornwallis. He sailed on the schooner “Hope” from New London, CT with his wife, Susannah Beckwith, and their son Daniel, Jr. His farm was laid out in 1761 and encompassed approximately 44 acres.

This Historian’s report tells about Huntleys who moved west, beyond the Mississippi, in the 1800s. One of the first white settlers in Looking Glass Valley, Oregon was Daniel Huntley. He travelled the Oregon Trail, reaching his destination in 1851. Joseph Huntley, who was born in New York State in 1803, sailed around Cape Horn. He anchored near the Columbia River for water, and found gold near the present site of Port Orford. Joseph moved his family several times, finally leaving Oregon for Wyoming. On a trip back to Wyoming from Oregon to pick up money from the sale of property, he was found shot and robbed somewhere along the Snake River, and was buried by the road. His wife, Ester, died at age 93-11-0 in Placerville, CA, in 1915.

This reunion was dedicated to John Jackson Huntley, who served in the Civil War. He was born in 1838 and enlisted as a private August 15, 1862. A severe wound to his left hand caused him to be transferred to a Volunteer Reserve Corps August 24, 1863. He was discharged from service July 7, 1865. In poor health, he moved to, and died, in Hot Springs, Arkansas August 26, 1875. Virgil was still in the process of helping the host family placed in the line of descent from John the Immigrant. The Huntley National Association boasted 706 members that year. On August 14, 1960, during this reunion, James Dewey Pratt was born at 7:59am. in Durand, MI. Later that day, at 11:30am, he was enrolled as a Golden Member of the Huntley National Association. This means he is a lifetime member, and does not have to pay dues.

Many of the Huntleys in the Historian’s Report for this reunion are buried in the Lyme, CT, area, and many of their descendants still live on Connecticut’s shoreline in and around Old Lyme. Elihu Huntley enlisted May 10, 1775 to fight in the American Revolution in Colonel Samuel Holden Parson’s 6th Connecticut Regiment. He applied for a pension on July 8, 1833 at age 90, and received $52.10 a year until he died in 1836 at age 93. His son, Barnabas, is buried in back of the Lyme Congregational Church. Virgil Huntley, the historian of HNA, Robert Herel, Chaplain of HNA, and William P. Huntley, past President, are all descended from sons of Barnabas. At the 15th reunion, 14 states and the District of Columbia were represented.

“Fred and La Veta have the teakettle set up front!!!” announced the 1962 Spring Newsletter...that’s HNA-talk for “Please join us!” The last page of the newsletter gives “approximate travelling distances that will be taken by HNA members attending the 16th reunion: Old Lyme-1,159 miles; Kentville, Nova Scotia-1,669 miles; Sheridan, Oregon-2,172 miles; Auburn, California-298,462 miles (some people may think that this is a little high estimate from Auburn, but did you ever ride with Randall?” Randall Huntley had the reputation of taking long, roundabout, possibly scenic routes to get places! This reunion was hosted by, and dedicated to, the descendants of Andrew Huntley who was born in Norwich, CT in 1757 and fought in the Revolutionary War Battle of Bennington, VT on August 16, 1777.

The Historian’s report of the Huntleys of Machias states that Jabez Huntley, Sr. of Lyme, CT served in the Revolutionary War and the French and Indian Wars in the campaign of 1757. He migrated to Nova Scotia about 1760 along with other families from eastern Connecticut. Unfortunately, this was due to the expulsion of the French from the area. Some of these folks fled to Lousiana, and became known as “Cajuns.” After 10 years, Jabez sold his 250 acres and moved to Machias, ME. One famous descendant of Machias Huntleys is Chet Huntley, of the famous Huntley/Brinkley New Hour. Chet’s great-grandfather, Reuben Huntley, was born in Machias in 1824.

This was the largest reunion ever, with 230 Huntleys attending from 15 different states. To get the official reunion photo, the photographer had to take half the crowd at a time. The Ashtabula County, Ohio Huntleys were descended from Selden Huntley and Lovisa Peck, who left Lyme, CT around 1811 for Ohio. Their son, Calvin Selden Huntley was born in 1839. He was a teacher and a farmer in Ohio and then in Butler County, Iowa, in 1863. These were tough times: his wife, Lemira’s, inheritance money was lost in a land venture, and the household goods were ruined by rain and dust in transit by train from Ohio to Iowa. Returning from schoolteaching one winter, Calvin’s legs were frozen because he could not afford to buy warm clothing. With hard work and dedication, these obstacles were overcome, and their seven children had the opportunity to go to college. Five became teachers, one a builder, and the youngest, a cataloguer in a college library.

This might be called a reunion of firsts: this was the first reunion held in Ohio, and the first reunion in which the meetings and meals were held in air-conditioned halls. The first Christmas tree in America was decorated in Wooster, Ohio in 1847 by a German immigrant named August Imgard, so Christmas carols were sung during Huntley Talent Nite (probably for the first—and last—time...but you never know!)

Virgil recounted many of the special moments of past reunions in his Historian’s report this year. A reprint of a Gila Bend, AZ Herald article announced that Mrs. Elizabeth Willson (HNA #494) was, at age 99, the oldest living member of the Association. Also reprinted is a collage of postcards sent to himself by Jim Huntley from cities and towns named “Huntley” or “Huntly.” They are postmarked from Nebraska, Wyoming, Virginia, Montana, Illinois, and Minnesota. A Huntley Song by Edith Ridley was introduced.

186 people registered at this reunion! Huntley, Illinois was named for Thomas Stillwell Huntley (1807-1894). He moved from New York to Illinois in 1846 and bought land in Grafton Township, McHenry County. The village of Huntley, where it still stands today, was established when the Chicago and Northwestern Railroad was built here in 1851. You can see the large water tower with “Huntley” painted on it in large letters near a shopping mall in the village.

The first Huntleys to live in Pennsylvania came directly from England, as best we can tell. It was William Huntley, who, in 1692, married Mary Stanfield, a daughter of Francis and Grace Stanfield of Groton, Cheshire, England. She had arrived (with 6 children!) on the “Endeavor” from London on July 29, 1663 and settled in Marble Township, Chester County, Pennsylvania. New England/New York State Huntleys probably moved to Pennsylvania sometime after 1800. Reunion go-ers enjoyed a tour of the Gettysburg Battlefield.

197 Huntleys registered! Since this reunion was held in the same state as the year before, Virgil reported on several famous Huntleys, including Joseph Smith(1805-1844), Great Grandson of Hannah Huntley and founder of the Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter Day Saints; Lydia Huntley Sigourney (1791-1865) of Norwich, CT, who wrote at least 56 volumes of published poetry and prose; Elias DeWitt Huntley (1840-1909), who established the first book store and bindery in Newtown (now Elmira), New York. He also served as President of Lawrence College in Appleton, WI from 1879-83, and served as pastor in many churches, including Trinity Church, Washington, DC from 1897-1900; Carlton Joseph Huntley Hayes, historian, author of “The Political and Cultural History of Modern Europe,” and recipient of the 8th Annual Cardinal Newman Award for outstanding citizens interested in the work of the Newman Club, an organization for Catholics attending non-Catholic colleges and universities; Chester R. “Chet” Huntley, of the NBC News team of Huntley/Brinkley; Calista M. Huntley (1841-1929), who enjoyed a singing career as a prima donna in Europe; and Rosina Delight Richardson, who weighed 5 pounds at birth, 515 pounds at age 19, and travelled with P.T. Barnum’s circus as one of his “fat ladies!”

The Historian’s Report by Virgil this year was dedicated to Miss Gertrude M. Huntley of Hudson Falls, who completed a great deal of genealogical research on the descendants of Moses Huntley (son of the original John Huntley of Lyme). Moses’ son Jabez Huntley (1760-1816) settled in Cutler, Maine, and built the first frame house in the town. He fought in the Revolutionary War, 1777-79. Jabez and his wife, Betsey, became sick and died within 2 months of each other in 1816.

The Silver Anniversary Reunion was held by the family of one of our most beloved Huntleys, Dr. Dee Allen, pictured with his wife, Mary.

He was revered in his community as a dentist with a heart, who could cajole and “gentle” children in his care. He attended many reunions, including the Mystic, Ct reunion in 1993. He died at age 96 on June 13, 1995. Amendments to the by-laws concerning election of officers (Article IV, Section 1) and payment of dues (Article VI, Section 1), were voted in at this reunion.

One of the early pioneer settlers in Michigan was John Huntley#283(1805-1883) of Romulus. Pictured (Romulus, c. 1905) is a log cabin owned by his son, Daniel Sylvester Huntley (1842-1934).

For the first time ever, Huntleys travelled wst for their reunion! A bus tour to Yosemite National Park was enjoyed, and a Hawaiian theme was selected so that Saturday night supper became a luau, served on tables around a pool. (One guest fell into the pool-no names!) The Huntleys “dressed Hawaiian” if they could! Talent Night also included Hawaiian songs, and a modelling by the Cardell ladies of three generations (a fourth generation was shown), of wedding gowns. This reunion took place during the oil embargo, but hosts Carl and Marjorie Cardell assured all that gas would be available: Regular, 41 cents; Ethyl, 43.9 cents; 2 cents off for servicing your own car. At that time, HNA had about 700 active members.

This year’s historian, Richard M. Huntley of Phoenix, New York, wrote of Huntleys other than John who immigrated to our country: Job Huntley, of England, whose wife Caroline Salisbury died in 1909 in Lowell, MA; Arthur Samuel Huntley (1848-1910) of Cardiff, Wales, who became a US citizen in 1900; Harry Robert Huntley of England, who may have descendants in North Dakota and the state of Washington; and William G. and James Huntley, who settled in Erie County, Ohio and were the children of Richard and Elizabeth Huntley of West Benard/West Penard, near Glastonbury, Somerset, England. Richard reports of a servant girl named Huntley who came ato a Virginia plantation, but her history before and after “has been dissolved in the mists of years.” What a good reminder for us to keep our family history alive!

107 Huntleys registered for this reunion. Sightseeing trips were planned to Tijuana, Mexico and the San Diego Zoo, and other attractions. At Talent Night, a poem written by Doris Walsh, Mother of the Year 1973 of Syracuse, NY, was read by Larry Huntley. The title of the poem is “The Intoxicated Rat.”

The reunion “came home” this year and was hosted by the Herel family: Robert Herel’s Grandmother, Bessie Huntley Gear, and Great Aunts, Ellen Huntley Sawyer and Ethlynn Huntley Holman, worked with Royce Huntley in 1947 to make the first reunion a reality. Since this was the bicentennial year, many reunion go-ers dressed in 1776-type costumes.

Early Bird Reunion go-ers were treated to a Burgoo Supper, a Kentucky recipe that goes back to the Civil War, when a stew would be made of whatever animals could be found. This rather tame burgoo consisted of beef, pork, and chicken cooked in a large iron kettle over an open fire, served with corn pone. During the supper, guests were entertained by Mr. Alfred Bailey, Kentucky State Fiddle Champion and friends who accompanied him on guitar and banjo.

One historical Huntley from Michigan is Ephraim Huntley, who settled in Hamburg, NY in 1816, but moved to Michigan in 1833 to purchase land. He narrowly escaped death when the steamer “George Washington” ran ashore at Lake Point, Canada. Ephraim settled on a farm in Howard Twp., Cass County, MI in the Fall of 1834. He bought 80 acres, and built a home in Niles.

This reunion was dedicated to Mr. Frank Huntley, father of the hosts, “grand old man of the Iowa Huntleys,” who lived to be 102. Both Frand and his sister, Libby H. Wilson, died in 1975. Libby was 108! Their ancestor, Martin (1750-1834), was a private in Capt. James Huntley’s Connecticut Regiment during the Revolutionary War.

The host’s ancestors, Bernard Chauncey Huntley and his wife Bessie, came to San Bernardino in 1906, the year of the San Francisco earthquake and fire. Bernard’s great-grandfather, Asher Huntley, began the westward migration of the family in 1804 when he moved from Lyme, CT to Canandaigua, New York. His son, Asher, Jr., moved to Ohio in 1838. The next generation, Asher, Jr.’s son Chauncey Elizur, taught school in Ohio. His son, Bernard, was also teaching school in Ohio when, in 1881, his doctor advised him to move to California for his health.

This was the Huntley’s first trip to Colorado for a reunion, and the first time a reunion had been held on a college campus. The host’s grandfather, William S. Huntley, served in the Civil War, Illinois Infantry of the Union Army from 1861-1863 and was wounded in the neck during the Battle of Corinth, MS in 1863. When William S.’s daughter, Mary, contracted TB, her mother Lucy, brother Fred, and sister Fannie moved with her to Colorado in 1907 for her health. Mary had an infant son, Ellsworth, and when she died soon after the move to Colorado, Fannie adopted the infant boy.

This reunion was held in a stronghold of the Confederate Army of Tennessee. Tullahoma was the headquarters of General Braxton Bragg during the first half of 1863, with troops camped from McMinnville on the east to Shelbyville on the west. Hostess Angela Arnold owns and operates a bookstore of old and antique books in town, with a particular interest in that period of history, and relates that some local residents have still not surrendered to the Union Army.

A group of reunion go-ers went to the top of the Washington Monument at midnight to enjoy the lights of our Nation’s Capitol.

Here is an excerpt from an interview with Edith about her mother, Alice Parker, conducted by then Historian, Herb Hartman.

“For my family, it all began back in the early 40’s with needle-point chair seats. My mother, Alice, decided the Huntley coat-of-arms would be lovely in stitchery. She researched the coat-of-arms all right, but in the process discovered there was no published book of the Huntley family history. We never saw the needlepoint chair covers. Mother launched into a new project—researching the geneology of the Huntley family.

“As her work progressed, she began to correspond with Ivy Horn, in Virginia, and a Royce Huntley in NewYork.... This Royce Huntley began to write about an idea he had, to start a national association of Huntleys. Eventually, his idea bore fruit and the first reunion was held in Old Lyme, Connecticut in 1947. My mother and father, (Robert E. Huntley, of Silver Spring, MD) were there. Father succeeded Royce as President of the new Association in 1949. Mother continued her research and eventually published her work in the journal of the New England Historical and Geneological Society....”

This reunion actually took place both in Heritage USA near Ft. Mill,South Carolina. The Carolina Huntleys trace their lineage to Thomas Huntley, Sr.(1745-1802) and Zilphia(Sarah) Meadows Huntley(1747-1812) who came to North Caroline from Virginia. Thomas and his eldest son Robert S., served in the Revolutionary War. Later on, Carolina Huntleys fought for the Confederacy in the War Between the States. Another famous Huntley, James R.(1916-1985), was chosen to build a scale model of the famous Wright Bi-plane, which made the historic first flight in 1903 at Kitty Hawk, NC. It was used a the centerpiece of the North Carolina Exhibit at the World’s Fair in New York in 1939.

This reunion took place in the beautiful Black Hills. A group of reunion go-ers visited Deadwood, and the graves of Calamity Jane and Wild Bill Hickock, and viewed beautiful Mt. Rushmore at night. Neil Hall and his wife entertained by dancing a polka!

An excerpt from The Historian’s Report, by then Historian, Myra Hall Mitchell:

This reunion, in the beautiful Rocky Mountains, was held in a YMCA camp. Reunion go-ers stayed in a dormitory—with a spectacular view of the mountains. Many recreation activities were available, from horseback riding to river rafting.

Many reunions have been hosted by descendants of Henry Huntley(1811-1872) and Eliza Ann Brown (1811-1872) which includes the Huntley/Allen line. At this reunion, buffalo meat was served for dinner! Evelyn Simon won a bottle of non-alcoholic wine because her birthday fell closest to the reunion dates.

Many Huntleys have fought in wars for our country. A relative of the hosts of this reunion, Gordon (10, b.1920) Rufus Huntley, was killed in action during the Battle of the Bulge, 13 January, 1945, and was decorated with the Purple Heart and Oak Leaf Clusters. He is buried in the American Military Cemetery, St. Vieth, Belgium. A group of reunion go-ers took a train ride around and up the mountain to the top, and enjoyed a laser show about Robert E. Lee and Stonewall Jackson. The lights on Stone Mountain are quite beautiful.

Talents: professional, amateur, and just-for-fun are displayed during Huntley Talent Night after Saturday dinner. This is a picture of Maria McKinney performing. Maria is a professional musician and at the time of this reunion was involved in a Music Therapy program.

A picture of our host Reverend William Huntley, who played his bagpipes for us at many reunions. Our HNA hotel headquarters was across the street from the Mall of America, which opened the Sunday of the reunion, Aug.11, 1992.

Minnesota Reunion Scrapbook

Visiting Salem, Oregon offered reunion go-ers an opportunity to visit Mt. St. Helen’s, site of a volcanic eruption in 1980, and beautiful Crater Lake.