Abigail Jane Hunter, (1855–???) was a businesswoman and real estate developer in Carmel-by-the-Sea.

Abbie Jane Hunter
Abbie Jane Hunter (1855-????)
Born
Abigail Jones Goldsmith

1856 (1856)
Died???
OccupationReal estate development
SpouseJohn J. Hunter
Children1

Early life

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Hunter was born in San Francisco, California, in 1855.[1][2] She was the daughter of J. Gillet Goldsmith.[3] and Annie Johnston (1820-1898).[4] She married John J. Hunter on September 6, 1876 in San Francisco,[5] and lived on 355 First Street.[6] They had one child, Wesley R. Hunter (1876-1966), who was born on February 12, 1876, at San Francisco’s Hunters Point, named for his father.[1][7] The Hunters were divorced on September 4, 1903, in San Francisco.[8]

Professional background

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Carmel City

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Carmel City Map by W. C. Little (1888).
 
Carmel City Catholic Summer Resort advertisement.

In December 1889, Abbie Hunter bought 7 lots in Carmel City from Duckworth.[9]

Women's Investment Company

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Women's Real Estate Investment Co. return address, addressed to W. T. Dummage in 1893.

She was appointed President of the Investment Company on August 16, 1891. The company headquarters were in the California Academy of Sciences building.[10]

Hunter, of 355 First Street, was arrested in February 1892, when Duckworth brought charges of embezzlement. Duckworth said that Hunter was collecting money for her own use on property sold on the installment plan and that she had formed a conspiracy against Duckworth. It was also said that she transferred all her property to her mother, Annie Goldsmith.[11]

In February 1895, Hunter was apprehended and arrested in San Francisco on a charge of obtaining money by false pretenses and failing to produce a deed to a client, Mary O'Donnell, who had bought a lot in the Sunnyside tract of San Francisco.[12][13] Hunter was released on $3000 (equivalent to $109,872 in 2023) bail. The San Francisco court drop the charges, but the bank foreclosed on her home in Carmel-by-the-Sea on Guadalupe Street and 4th Avenue.[14][15]

Carmel-by-the-Sea

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In 1892, Hunter sent out a bulk mailing postcard promoting Carmel-by-the-Sea instead of a Catholic retreat:

"Carmel-by-the-Sea an ideal summer resort! Just the place for summer homes and camping parties. Balmy Climate – Grand Bathing Beach – Excellent Trout Fishing. Pure mountain water supplied by the Pacific Improvement Co. Carriages meet all trains at Monterey. Building lots 40 x 100 can be purchased at slight cost and on very easy terms by applying to The Women’s Real Estate Investment Co., Rooms 53-54, Academy of Sciences Building, San Francisco."[9]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b Neal Hotelling (12 Jul 2019). "The early days of developing the town and the mysterious Abbie Jane Hunter" (PDF). Carmel Pine Cone. Carmel-by-the-Sea, California. pp. 26–27. Retrieved 2022-07-10.
  2. ^ Goldsmith, Abigail (1856). "1860 United States Federal Census" (Database). United States of America, Bureau of the Census.
  3. ^ "Died - Goldsmith". The San Francisco Examiner. San Francisco, California. November 21, 1886. p. 10. Retrieved 2023-03-01.
  4. ^ "Deaths - Goldsmith". The San Francisco Chronicle. San Francisco, California. April 2, 1898. p. 12. Retrieved 2023-03-01.
  5. ^ "Married". The Sacramento Bee. Sacramento, California. September 13, 1876. p. 3. Retrieved 2023-02-26.
  6. ^ "Calvary Presbyterian Church". WM. C. Brown. San Francisco, California. 1883. p. 29. Retrieved 2023-02-27.
  7. ^ "Wesley Hunter". Carmel Pine Cone. Carmel-by-the-Sea, California. 1966-06-23. pp. 26–27. Retrieved 2022-07-11.
  8. ^ "The following divorces were granted yesterday". The San Francisco Examiner. San Francisco, California. September 5, 1903. p. 3. Retrieved 2023-02-26.
  9. ^ a b Larry Scriviani (April 26, 2004). "Santiago Duckworth and the Catholic Resort". Harrison Memorial Library. Retrieved 2022-07-10.
  10. ^ "Will Use Electricity. Recent Representative Sales". The San Francisco Examiner. San Francisco, California. 16 Aug 1891. p. 4. Retrieved 2022-07-10.
  11. ^ "Alleged Conspiracy Against a Prominent Resident of Monterey". The San Francisco Examiner. San Francisco, California. February 7, 1892. p. 2. Retrieved 2023-02-27.
  12. ^ "Did Not Own The Lot". The San Francisco Call. San Francisco, California. February 10, 1895. p. 9. Retrieved 2023-02-27.
  13. ^ "An Investment Company Unsuccessfully Dabbles In Real Estate". The San Francisco Call. San Francisco, California. February 15, 1895. p. 11. Retrieved 2023-02-27.
  14. ^ "Mrs. Hunter's Defense, She Denies That She Ever Swindled Mary O'Donnell". San Francisco Chronicle. San Francisco, California. 7 Mar 1895. p. 14. Retrieved 2022-07-10.
  15. ^ Neal Hotelling (19 Jul 2019). "What if trains had come to carmel and Pebble Beach? We'll never know" (PDF). Carmel Pine Cone. Carmel-by-the-Sea, California. pp. 27–28. Retrieved 2022-07-10.
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