Abijah Hunt

A native of New Jersey, Abijah Hunt was a successful merchant active in provisioning the US Army and as cotton planter and entrepreneur. In 1798 he was appointed a licensed merchant for the federal army troops stationed along the lower Mississippi River. Using family connections in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, he acquired manufactured goods from back East and bartered them for whiskey, tobacco, pork, and salt, which they then sold to army outposts. Hunt was also involved in planting and sale of cotton and purchased large tracts of land in Adams Country, Jefferson and Claiborne Counties. Abijah lost his life in 1811 in a duel and his nephew David took over his business turning it gradually into land and slave business.