It was 1871 when William and Rachael Hunter arrived in the South Lyon area from Ontario, Canada.  John Hunter’’ parents had been born in Scotland, as were several of his eight siblings, before migrating to a new life.

John’s CHERRY HILL FARM lay in the E ½ of the SE ¼ of Section 18, Brighton Township and the NE ¼ of the NE ¼ of Section 19 (on the west side of Hunter Rd., approximately ¼ mile north of Hilton Road. (a total of 120 acres.  Prior to c. 1900 these and other tracts of real estate in Section 18 and 19 had been bought for speculative purposes with a total of 200 acres (including John’s 120) found in Charles Prosser’s name by 1846.

January 1, 1879, at the age of 22, John and Hattie Prosser, Charles’ daughter, were married.  The 1895 Atlas lists John as owner of 120 acres and it is assumed he continued the farming practices of his father-in-law. John’s brother-in-law Frank, owns the other 80 (Plus more near by).

In 1910 John is employed as a rural route mail carrier for the Brighton Post Office.  This occupation he held until one year before his death in 1926.  Both John and Hattie are buried in Fairview Cemetery.

John and Hattie had four children.  One died as an infant.  At the time of John’s funeral their only daughter, Mina, was married to T.A. Kidd and lived in Ann Arbor, Son Perry lived in Wyoming and son Howard lived in Pontiac.  Brothers Levi, Daniel, Alpheus, Enoch, William and Robert survived him.  Brothers Thomas and James had passed on.

The name of John’s Farm, CHERRY HILL FARM,  gives us a clue to his agricultural pursuits.  The site is north of Woodland Lake and rather hilly.  The majority of Prosser’s original 200 acres now houses the Woodland Hills Subdivision North and South.  Plat maps show the house owned by Charles Prosser and then John Hunter was probably located somewhere around the Entrance to Woodland Hills Subdivision North. 

Compiled by Marieanna Bair and Lisa Palermo; from First Landowners of Livingston County, Land Owners and Settlers of Livingston County and Early obituaries compiled by Milton Charboneau.  Also from early atlases.