Born in Sullivan County, , Joel Huntoon received an academic education and married Ellen S. Richardson from Alstead, New Hampshire in 1845. In 1856, Huntoon moved with his family to Leavenworth, Kansas Territory and then a few months later to Topeka. In the late 1850s, Huntoon was the Topeka city engineer and contstructed a pile bridge across the Kansas River. Joel Huntoon mustered in as captain of Company H, 11th Kansas Cavalry, on September 15, 1862. During the BAttle of the Little Blue River, Captain Huntoon and his company were sent to guard a ford that was four miles upriver (south) of where the fighting occured. Huntoon's company was not involved in the fighting on October 21. Huntoon mustered out of service with his company on September 13, 1865. Huntoon received a brevet promotion to colonel on September 24, 1865. Huntoon’s brother, Andrew Jackson, was captain of Company B, 2d Kansas State Militia. After the war, Huntoon was the chief engineer for Kansas Midland during which time he built a road from Topeka to Kansas City. Huntoon worked as chief engineer for the Santa Fe Railroad and built a road from Topeka to Burlingame. He built around 100 miles of the Scioto Valley Railroad in Ohio, completed in 1879.
Kansas Adjutant General. Report of the Adjutant General of the State of Kansas, 1861-’65, 405.
Berrett, Who’s Who in Topeka, 60.
Oz. “Col Joel Huntoon.” Find A Grave, November 16, 2005. Link.
Sinisi, Kyle S. The Last Hurrah: Sterling Price’s Missouri Expedition of 1864, 181-184.