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BARBOUR COUNTY WEST VIRGINIA
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Submitted to the West Virginia Biographies Project by:
Valerie & Tommy Crook
vfcrook@trellis.net
March 18, 2000
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The History of West Virginia, Old and New
Published 1923, The American Historical Society, Inc.,
Chicago and New York, Volume III,
pg. 351
EVERETT A. HUNT. Teaching his first school at the age
of twenty, his early success led Everett A. Hunt to realize
that he had found that vocation in which he could do the
most good in the world, and his career since then has been
one of steadily increasing service in what is perhaps the
greatest of all callings. He is serving his second term as
county superintendent of schools of Barbour County.
Mr. Hunt was born March 17, 1878, in Barker District,
between Belington and Philippi. His father, John F. Hunt,
was born in Pennsylvania, and early in the Civil war period
came to West Virginia and joined the Union Army at
Grafton as a volunteer. He was with Company H of the
Sixth West Virginia Infantry, and was in service through-
out the remainder of the war. He was once or twice cap-
tured, but escaped each time and was never wounded. For
a number of years he was deeply interested in the work
of the Grand Army of the Republic. His life after the
war was devoted to farming and teaching school. While
his early advantages were not above those afforded by
the common schools, he proved a very good and effective
teacher. He died in 1897, at the age of seventy-five. John
F. Hunt married Phebe Minear, who died in 1917. Her
father, Adam Minear, was a veteran of the War of 1812,
was an early settler in Iowa, and from that state came
to West Virginia and spent the remainder of his life as
a farmer. The five children of John F. Hunt and wife
were: Charlotte, now Mrs. Francis Matillo, of Oil City,
Pennsylvania; Dora B., deceased wife of Michael Guye;
Everett Answorth; Clinton D., a lumberman in Tennessee;
and Ella, deceased wife of Hickman Wright.
Everett A. Hunt grew up on the farm where he was
born, received a primary education in the country schools,
and attended several summer normals. His first school
as a teacher was the Montrose School in Randolph County.
For several years he alternated between teaching and at-
tending school In 1906 he graduated from the Fairmont
State Normal School, and subsequently pursued special
courses in education and kindred subjects in the University
of West Virginia at Morgantown. He did his last work
as a student at the State University in 1910.
Mr. Hunt was for three years principal of the Second
Ward School of Fairmont, this now being known as the
Miller School. On leaving that city he was chosen prin-
cipal of the schools of Watson, West Virginia, where he
remained three years, for one year was connected with the
schools at Elkins, and then, returning to Barbour County,
was principal of the grammar school at Belington for
four years.
Mr. Hunt has his home at Belington, and while still
principal of the school there he entered the race as can-
didate for the nomination of county superintendent of
schools. He won the nomination in the primaries by a
vote of three to one, and on the republican ticket was
elected in the fall of 1914 over his democratic opponent
by a good majority. He entered upon his official duty in
July, 1915, as successor of C. O. Marsh. In 1918 he re-
ceived the nomination without opposition in his own party
and was elected at the general election by a majority of
500.
His administration of the county schools during the past
eight years has struck a high mark in educational im-
provement. He has used his influence to secure better
school architecture, modern heating and ventilating sys-
tems, the installation of sanitary chemical closets, has
organized and systematized reading circles in every dis-
trict, has established the school system on a sound financial
basis, and has organized in different parts of the coun-
ty the "Four-H" (head, hand, heart and health) clubs.
As a co-ordinate factor in the improvement of school stand-
ards and the improvement of rural life in general he has
organized parents-teachers associations and civic clubs.
During the World war Mr. Hunt was county food ad-
ministrator. He helped organize the Federal Land Bank
for the farmers of Barbour County, and is a director and
one of the appraisers in the institution, which has been
instrumental in distributing about $75,000 on long time
loans among the farmers. Fraternally he is affiliated with
the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, the Rebekahs, the
Modern Woodmen of America, is a member of the Meth-
odist Episcopal Church, has been superintendent of the
Sunday school at Belington, and is teacher-training super-
intendent in the county Sunday school organization.
In Randolph County, December 13, 1900, Mr. Hunt mar-
ried Miss Bertha L. Bennett, who was born in Barbour
County in January, 1882, oldest of the two daughters and
five sons of Richard M. and Catherine (Wright) Bennett.
Her mother was a daughter of William Wright. Mrs.
Hunt, who finished her education in the public schools,
is the mother of six children: Gertrude Theresa, wife
of Melville Golden, of Belington; Ophelia Belle, Mrs.
Warren Phillips, of Belington; while the younger children,
still in the home circle, are named Alston Everett, Venola
Marguerite, Circe Eurydicie and Theodore Adonis.
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