FIFTH GENERATION

583. Walter "Buck" Hunter was born on 21 Sep 1891 in Austin, Travis County, Texas. He appeared on the census on 9 Jan 1920 in 4401 Avenue C, 4th Ward, Austin, Travis County, Texas.⁽¹⁰³⁹⁾ He died on 10 Nov 1975 in Bell County, Texas.⁽⁴⁶⁰⁾

He worked for the Post Office. Also was a homebuilder in his spare time. Lived at his parent's house, 212 W. 43rd, until his death.

From the Austin American Statesman, May 16, 1948 (on file at the Austin History Center)

SCARS BY HUMAN AND DOG MARK MAILMAN-CAPITALIST VENTURE

His Day Off Means Money in the Bank
Comparatively Small Profit Nets Success

By Jay Vessels, American-Statesman Staff

Walter Buck Hunter has made a fortune, running into six figures building homes while doing a 32 year hitch as a postal employee.

The capitalist-mail carrier has dog bite wounds on his legs and human bite scars in his pocketbook. Yet he thinks he is the luckiest man in the world, because he feels he never got tough with the naughty pooches on his route, and that he never took advantage of a person in the more than 100 buildings he has constructed.

Hunter, on the day he was devoting his time to being a capitalist, sipped his black coffee in a downtown café, then pushed his hat to the back of his head and confided, pleasantly:

"One day a big German police dog almost tore a fence down lunging at me, and he almost tore off my britches … You know within two weeks that hound was following meekly behind me on my route … Shucks, I never cut off anybody's mail because of dog trouble … And there have been a few wolves tearing down fences to get at me … and some of them got away with it …"

Hunter began his profitable hobby 20 years ago. Then about 1935 he first realized the possibilities.

"I was building an apartment house and even before I could get the roof on it, somebody came along and made me an offer at a good profit."

Hunter's policy calls for comparatively small profits. Intimates say that his benefactions thus totals up to a large sum.

"I'm not a big operator, " said Hunter, modestly. "I just try to keep a house at a time going up."

Hunter said he hadn't driven a sack full of nails in his life but he did paint one of his houses white on vacation. But he does know materials and plans and workmanship.

He thinks the best policy to follow in building is to "be sure what the public is interested in."

Some of Hunter's large holdings now include the Varsity Grill building at 19th and San Antonio and the Corral Club and grounds comprising 274 acres six miles west of Austin. He is now concentrating on a new two-story combined store and office building on property he owns at 15th and Guadalupe.

Hunter got his start by saving money on his first "big job" as manager of a cedar post yard at $35 a month. He bought a lot and then used it as security for a loan to build.

"Buck" Hunter, who is 56 and a bachelor, does have his problems. "I suppose the most of my troubles come from backing people," he grinned.

"Yes," interposed a friend, "Buck's lost more money than he's made because he's too fair with people."

Right at the moment, Hunter was trying to hurry up his work on his one week-day being a capitalist (his day off).

"I gotta get back out there to 212 West 43rd and trim a hedge and cut my grass."

He may have more time for that detail soon, because he's going to retire from the postal service. That will allow more time for his hobby, but "Buck" says he will stick to his old policy of one building at a time.


From the Austin American, November 10, 1975:

Deaths and Services

HUNTER, Walter, 84, 212 W. 43rd St., died Monday. Services 1:30 p.m. Tuesdy at Hytlin-Manor Funeral Home. Survivors: Brother, Alex Hunter of Austin; sisters, Mrs. Vera nelson, Mrs. Vernie H. Emmons, both of Austin.