Hurst was born on December 6, 1851, in
Rock Island, Illinois, to William and Anna (Hurlock) Hurst. William and Ann were from
Delaware, with William having moved to Rock Island in 1837, as a merchant. On May 29, 1873, Hurst married Harriet M. Fieldand, and for many years they lived on the corner of Nineteenth Street and Sixth Avenue in
Rock Island, Illinois. ==Political career==