Lunt, Stephen Purrington
Stephen Purrington Lunt, Sr. (1832-1919) is the half brother of Orrington Lunt (1815-1897) son of William Webb Lunt (1788-1864) and his first wife Ann Matilda Sumner (1795-1825). Orrington Lunt was one of the cofounders of Northwestern University; he determined the location of Evanston; and was one of the first directors of the Chicago Board of Trade.
Stephen, the son of William Webb Lunt and his second wife Priscilla Purrington (1795-1863), was born in 1832 in Bowdoinham, Maine and died in 1919 in San Francisco, California.
Stephen Purrington Lunt married Eliza Jane (Jennie) Chase (1842-1918) In Chicago, on January 3, 1860.
Stephen P. Lunt appears in the 1850 United States Census in Bowdoinham, Maine in his father’s household at 19 years old. In the 1860 U.S. Census he appears in Chicago, Ward 1, Cook County. His Illinois marriage license shows he married Jennie Chase in Chicago on January 3, 1860.
Jennie and Stephen had nine children while they lived in the Chicago-Evanston area between 1860 and about 1890.
In the 1870 U.S. Census Jennie’s parents Samuel Collins Chase and Elizabeth Fenner Chase (nee: Towne) lived with Stephen and Jennie and their five children Lillian (1860-1933); Orrington (1863-1885); Stephen Purrington, Jr. (1865-1934); Herbert (1867-1933); and Elizabeth (1870-?). Stephen’s occupation was listed as a "banker" and they were living in Evanston at that time.
In the 1880 U.S. Census Stephen and Jennie were living in South Evanston and had eight children. Jennie’s father was still living with them. Stephen’s occupation was listed as "deals in mines."
It is not currently known the years that the S.P. Lunt Silver Smelting and Refining Works operated in Chicago. This information was found on a 3” x 5” card that was found with family information.
Stephen and Jennie had four more children: Samuel Collins Chase (1875-1918), Miner Raymond (1875-1958), Carolyn May (1878-1964), and James Chase (1881-1942), before leaving the Chicago-Evanston area for San Francisco. Their son Orrington died in 1885 when he was only 22.
In the 1900 U.S. Census, the Stephen P. Lunt and Jennie Chase Lunt family had moved to San Francisco, California, and lived at 109 Liberty Street Stephen’s occupation was listed as "life insurance." In the 1910 U.S. Census his occupation was listed as "insurance inspector." Members of their family continued to live at 109 Liberty St. until 1942, when the youngest unmarried child, James Chase Lunt, died at age 62.
Stephen Purrington Lunt held a deed to 1902 W. Lunt Avenue in 1873.
Stephen had many business opportunities all his life. It is known that in 1907, he was an incorporator of the Ideal Gold Mining and Milling Company, a California Corporation. This corporation owned quartz gold mining property near Nevada City. The corporation applied for a U.S. Mineral Patent in 1907; which was granted in 1914. Nevada City is about 180 miles northeast of San Francisco. Stephen Purrington Lunt died in San Francisco in 1919.
