Hunt Brothers (steamboat line)

Hunt Brothers

Advertisement for Hunt Brothers steamer Sentinel
Founded	1882
Defunct	1927
Headquarters	Tacoma, Washington

The Hunt Brothers were the owners of a steamboat business that ran on Puget Sound as part of the Puget Sound Mosquito Fleet. Five of the seven Hunt children became owners, engineers and masters of steamboats, these were Emmett E., Arthur.M., A.R, L.B., and F.M. Hunt.

The family originally came from Michigan and settled near Wollochet Bay in 1876. They started out in the maritime business when the oldest brother, Emmett E., rowed the mail once a week between Steilacoom and Wollochet Bay, a 20-mile row.

In 1882, Emmett E. built a little steamboat, Baby Mine, just 26' long, and his brother Arthur.M. came on board as the engineer. They built or operated for others additional boats including Gypsy Queen, Susie and Victor.

In 1898, the Hunt Brothers had Sentinel built at the Crawford and Reid yard in Tacoma, and placed her on the East Pass Route between Tacoma and Seattle. In 1899, they had Crest built at Tacoma for service on the Tacoma-Gig Harbor route

In 1902, the partnership ended, and Emmett Hunt took over the Crest on the Gig Harbor route. and appears to have continued in business until at least 1907 as the Hunt Steamboat Company. Arthur M. Hunt kept Sentinel and the sternwheeler Clara Brown.

In 1905, Arthur M. Hunt and Frank Bibbins formed the Tacoma and Burton Navigation Company. Arthur M. Hunt designed Burton, launched 1905, and Magnolia launched 1908. One authority states that about three years later, Arthur M. Hunt sold both boats (Sentinel going to the newly formed Merchants Transportation Company) and quit the steamboat business. Another authority indicates that Arthur M. Hunt bought out Bibbins' interest in a shipyard on the Puyallup river, where he superintended the construction of boats such as Ariel (1912).