1880

The Farmer Building His Foundation

The Census Snapshot: Ten years later, the 1880 census finds Ransom Hunter still in River Bend Township, Gaston County, but now officially listed as a “Farmer” – his first recorded occupation. Remarkably, he’s listed as 40 years old again, the same age as in 1870, creating an immediate puzzle about his true birth year.

A Changing Household: Ransom’s family had transformed dramatically. Wife Rebecca, now listed as 36 and born in South Carolina rather than North Carolina, remained by his side – but the dramatic differences suggest recording inconsistencies. Gone were most of the seven daughters from 1870. Instead, the household now included 14-year-old William, 9-year-old Annie, and 4-year-old James – a complete shift in family composition.

Deep Carolina Roots: Both of Ransom’s parents were born in North Carolina, cementing his status as a man with deep generational ties to the region. The family remained rooted in the same township where they’d been found a decade earlier, showing stability and commitment to their community.

What This Moment Reveals: By 1880, Ransom had claimed his identity as a farmer – the foundation upon which he would build his later success in land development and business ventures. This census captures him in his working prime, with a stable marriage and young children to motivate his ambitions. The consistency of location suggests a man putting down roots, preparing to thrive.

What Other Documents Reveal: The 1900 census provides crucial clarity, showing Ransom’s birth date as January 1835, making him actually 45 in 1880, not 40. His 1890 marriage certificate to Maggie Wells confirms his parents as Mike Johnson and Judie Hunter, explaining his North Carolina roots through both family lines.

The census records appear to show two different women named Rebecca: the 1870 Rebecca was 48 years old from North Carolina, while the 1880 Rebecca was 36 years old from South Carolina with parents from South Carolina and Virginia. The age difference (48 in 1870 vs. 36 in 1880) would make the second Rebecca 12 years younger than the first, and their birthplaces and family origins are completely different.

However, family lore suggests these were census taker errors and that Rebecca was the same person throughout. Census takers often made mistakes with ages, birthplaces, and other details, especially when people didn’t have official documentation to verify information. This explanation remains our working theory unless we find evidence to the contrary.

The 1870 children Sarah, Alice, and Luola, who should have been 14, 12, and 10 in 1880, don’t appear in the later census, whether they were Rebecca’s children from a previous relationship or simply not recorded by the census taker.