Who Was Ransom Hunter?
Ransom Hunter (1835-1918) was a visionary leader who built a community in Gaston County, North Carolina called Freedom in the years following the Civil War.
Ransom Hunter’s early life is not fully documented, but historical records show that he was a free man by the time he appears in the public record at age 26. Using skills he had learned earlier in life, he built new opportunities for himself through hard work and determination. During a time when travel depended on horses, Ransom opened two livery stables—businesses that provided reshoeing, shelter, water, and care for horses used by travelers.
He purchased and sold land a recorded 30 times to men like Robert Calvin Grier Love (R.C.G. Love), a prosperous merchant, banker and textile pioneer, General Daniel Harvey Hill (D.H. Hill) and former Mount Holly, NC mayors, W. B. Rutledge and Abel Peterson Rhyne.
In addition to being an entrepreneur and real estate developer, Ransom was a community planner. He conceived of Freedom on land he owned, and built two churches, a school and developed property on which the newly freed could build homes. While creating a safe, supportive community for freedmen, he worked with some of the wealthiest men in the community to buy and sale land that eventually became the city of Mt. Holly.
During a time of heightened emotions, he was able to work with those in his community to accomplish his goals of building wealth for himself and his family, and create a community in which people could live and thrive.
About The Foundation
The Ransom Hunter Foundation preserves and shares the life of Ransom Hunter and carries forward his legacy through educational programs, original resources, and by honoring individuals whose lives reflect the principles by which he lived.
Our Vision
A future shaped by examples of purpose, integrity, and community drawn from the life and legacy of Ransom Hunter.
Our Mission
To share the life and legacy of Ransom Hunter and encourage learning from the values by which he lived.
What We Do
The Ransom Hunter Foundation conducts genealogical research, preserves and consolidates historical records, and develops educational resources that share Ransom Hunter’s life and legacy with educators, librarians, families, and the broader public.
Ransom Hunter Foundation 