Washington Hunt was born on August 5, 1811 in Vermont. He moved to Lockport in 1828, during a period of great industrial growth due to the completion of the Erie Canal. Hunt worked in the Tucker And Bissell store for two years until 1830 when he decided on a career in law. Washington Hunt was admitted to the bar in 1834. In 1836 at the age of 25, after only two years of experiance in the judicial system, he was appointed a Niagara County court judge. He served in this position for five years. In 1842 Hunt was elected to Congess under the Whig party, he served 3 terms as a congressman before being elected New York State governer in 1850. His election was by no means a landslide, infact he won by only 262 votes! When his term ended in 1852 he again ran for governer but this time was unsuccessful. This for all intents and purposes was the end of his political life. He returned to Lockport and purchased a mansion in the northeast end of the city. This mansion is now Wyndom Lawn. After moving back to Lockport he became involved with a number of local businuses including the formation and financation of the Holly Mfg. Co. Washington Hunt died February 9, 1867 in New York City where he was seeking treatment for Cancer.