Catherine Kurtz

Other Events:

• Residence: 1861, King, York, Ontario, Canada
• Residence: 1871, King, York, Ontario, Canada
• Residence: 1881, Billings and Campbell, Algoma, Ontario, Canada
• Residence: 1891, Billings and Campbell, Algoma, Ontario, Canada
• Residence: 1901, Billings and Campbell, Algoma, Ontario, Canada
• Residence: 1911, Medicine Hat, Alberta, Canada

Family/Spouse: Joseph Hunt. Joseph was born on 26 Mar 1829 in Scotton, Lincolnshire, England, United Kingdom; died on 5 Aug 1915 in Alberta, Canada. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

1. Arthur Bennett Hunt was born on 31 Jul 1858 in King, York, Ontario, Canada; died on 16 Jan 1940 in Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada.
2. Marshall Hunt was born in Abt. 1861 in King, York, Ontario, Canada.
3. Mary Maria Hunt was born on 12 Oct 1864 in King, York, Ontario, Canada.
4. William John Hunt was born on 17 Jun 1866 in King, York, Ontario, Canada.
5. James Hunt was born in Abt. 1869 in King, York, Ontario, Canada.
6. Clarence J Hunt was born on 14 Jun 1871 in Algoma, Ontario, Canada.
7. Martha Alena Hunt was born on 5 May 1875 in Kagawong, Manitoulin, Ontario, Canada; died on 4 Feb 1940 in Iron Springs, Alberta, Canada.
8. Franklin Watson Cristy Hunt was born on 19 Jan 1880 in Algoma, Ontario, Canada.
9. Margerie Mirdell Hunt was born on 23 Jan 1893 in Ontario, Canada.

Other Events:

• Residence: 1851, King, York, Ontario, Canada

Michael married Mary Bennett in Mar 1828. Mary (daughter of Aquilla Bennett and Susanna Cober) was born in 1808 in Pennsylvania, United States; died on 04 Sep 1853 in Aurora, Ontario, Canada. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events:

• Residence: 1851, King, York, Ontario, Canada

Michael married Elizabeth Cober in 1788 in Berlin, Somerset, Pennsylvania, United States. Elizabeth (daughter of Peter Cober and Anne Margaret Stroeher) was born on 15 Aug 1765 in Lebanon, Pennsylvania, United States; died in in Toronto, York, Ontario, Canada. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events:

• Residence: 1851, North Gwillimbury, York, Ontario, Canada
• Residence: 1861, North Gwillimbury, York, Ontario, Canada

Aquilla married Susanna Cober in 1804 in Pennsylvania, United States. Susanna (daughter of Peter Cober and Anne Margaret Stroeher) was born in Abt. 1791. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events:

• Residence: 1851, North Gwillimbury, York, Ontario, Canada

Peter married Anne Margaret Stroeher Anne was born in Abt. 1741 in Germany. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events:

• Residence: 1800, Somerset, Pennsylvania, United States; Brothersvalley
• Residence: 1830, Ridgeway, Orleans, New York, United States
• Residence: 1834, Ridgeway, Orleans, New York, United States

Notes:

Life & times of Isaac Bennett after moving to New York from Pennsylvania.

He moved from Brothersvalley, Pennsylvania after 1804 and is found in Medina, New York in 1809.

Aquilla Bennett Sr. told to his grandson, George Albert Bennett that:

?As a young child, he boiled salt in kettles with his father, Isaac Bennett, in Medina Twp, Orleans Co., NY. ?

Isaac's first attempt in the making of ?White Gold? (salt) was in 1813, but the enterprise was not sucessful. In 1818 he came into possesion of a unprofitable saltworks from the Holland Land Company. From 1818 to 1823, Isaac & family were in the business of salt production. Since Aquilla mentioned boiling the salt, it would make sense that Isaac's other son's, Jacob & Jesse also had a hand in this line of work. This saltworks was located on the east bank of Oak Orchard Creek in Oak Orchard village. Here he sunk a well 150 feet into the ground & found a good brine, which could be boiled down to get the salt.

He then contracted Israel & Seymour Murdock to furnish him with 64 kettles, which they acquired in Utica, NY and had shipped by lake, to the mouth of Oak Orchard creek. The Murdock boys then hired several teams to bring the heavy kettles to the works, arriving one day before Isaac's stipulated delivery date, once delivered they received their pay in gold. (By the end of this business venture Isaac had upwards of 70 kettles boiling.)

Making salt it seems was a labor intensive, dangerous & mundane job. After drawing the brine water to the surface it was emptied into the large boiling kettles, (some possibly set out in large bowls in the sun to evaporate). Men stood over the kettles, stirring the fetid smelling water with long wooden paddles. While this may sound like a hot job it was also very dangerous! Mention is made of men being severly scaled by the boiling brine and worse, falling in the huge kettles which ultimately led to their deaths.

Issac sold his salt for between $5-$10 a barrel ( $10 in 1825 had the same buying power as $217.90 current dollars) It appears then that Isaac was a fairly wealthy man, since it is stated about his saltworks: ?furnishing a large portion of all the salt used in this portion of the country.?

Isaac a wise businessman, could see the handwriting on the wall with the building of the Erie Canal. Once the Erie Canal was complete, salt could be shipped from Salina (now Syracuse) and purchased for a much cheaper price, which in turn would hurt his profits. He decided to sell his business in 1823 to Henry Boardman, who abandoned the business once the canal was completed.

There is much more to be found about Isaac Bennett. There is much documentation that shows he also amougst other ventures, made a pretty good living buying and selling very large tracts of land in Pennsylvania, West Virginia & New York. We think that he died around 1835 in New York....

Written by Lisa Hoffius. A huge Thanks goes to cousin David Sidney Bennett (Maryland) also a descendant of Isaac Bennett. After David's father passed away last year, he came into possesion of many notes written by his ancestors, leading to the discovery of where Isaac Bennett wandered off to after his years in Brothersvalley Twp., Somerset Co., PA.

Isaac married Hannah in Abt. 1775. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]