Josiah Huntoon
American businessman and abolitionist
About Josiah Huntoon
Lived 1813 – 1891 (aged 77–78).
Josiah Parmerley Huntoon (July 16, 1813 – 1891) was a businessman and abolitionist in New Jersey. A painting of him by Thomas Waterman Wood is in the National Portrait Gallery.
He was born in Montpelier, Vermont. He lived in Paterson, New Jersey.
He had a successful coffee business including a mill. He and his apprentice William Van Rensalier, an African American who became an engineer, were part of the Underground Railroad. A plaque commemorates their work in helping people who escaped slavery.
Huntoon's home, a stop on the Underground Railway, was demolished for a parking garage and later a Taco Bell was proposed for the site.
His son Louis Huntoon was an economics professor at Yale University and wrote a family history.
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Important facts
People in Josiah Huntoon's life
Named in this biography and alive at the same time
Contemporaries
People whose lives overlapped Josiah Huntoon's
Frequently asked questions
Who was Josiah Huntoon?
American businessman and abolitionist
When was Josiah Huntoon born?
Josiah Huntoon was born in 1813.
When did Josiah Huntoon die?
Josiah Huntoon died in 1891.
Sources & further reading
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Josiah Huntoon. https://biography.guide/josiah-huntoon/
MLA: "Josiah Huntoon." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/josiah-huntoon/.
Chicago: "Josiah Huntoon." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/josiah-huntoon/.
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