Peter Whitmer

ETER WHITMER, President of the People's Bank of Bloomington, and a citizen held in the highest esteem by the people of McLean County, is a native of Franklin County, Pa., and was born Feb. 22, 1828. He is the son of Peter and Mary (Hess) Whitmer, also natives of the Keystone State. His father was extensively engaged in farming pursuits. The latter was born in 1777, and died in the same house which witnessed his birth, his decease taking place in 1852. The mother, who was born in 1785, had preceded her husband to the better land, she dying in 1844. They had a family of nine children, only four of whom are living, viz: Catharine, Mrs. George Grove, of Sterling, Ill.; Mary, Mrs. Christian Royer, of Franklin County, Pa.; Peter, our subject, and Rev. A. C., a minister of the Reformed Church, of Lancaster, Pa.

The father of our subject occupied the farm of his father, also Peter Whitmer, who purchased it of John, Thomas and Richard Penn, the sons of William Penn. Originally, the Whitmers were of German birth and parentage, the early ancestors of our subject settling in Lancaster County, Pa., and all engaging in agricultural pursuits.

Peter Whitmer spent the most of his time on his father's farm until he was sixteen years old, receiving his education in the district school. He then left the parental roof and went to Chambersburg, where he served an apprenticeship of five years at saddlery and harness-making. In 1849 he set out on a tour through the Western States, continuing his travels until the spring of 1 852. He then located at Bloomington, and formed a partnership with M. L. Moore, with whom he continued in the saddlery and harness business for two years following, when he sold out to his partner and engaged in the grocery trade on Center street, in company with Messrs. Parke and Hoopes, under the firm name of Parke, Whitmer & Hoopes. They operated together for three years and then our subject disposed of his interest in the business and engaged in the lumber trade, having one office on the East and one on the West Side.

Mr. Whitmer continued his successful operations in this line for a period of seventeen years, when he practically abandoned it. During this time,

, 1148 however, lie had distinguished himself as a man of the strictest integrity, and the people who had known him so long and well singled him out as one of the few who could be depended upon to look after their concerns and preserve their interests. In 1875 he was elected President of the People's Bank, which position he has held since that time. He was also elected President of the Chair Factory, which position he retained from its commencement in 1873 until its abandonment in 1885, when it was merged into the Walton Plow Factory. Mr. Whitmer is a stockholder and Director of that company, and also has an interest in the Stove Works. He has been prominently identified with the affairs of his city and township for many years, and materially assisted in building up a community noted for its intelligence and progress. He was Alderman of the Second Ward in 1867-68, Supervisor of Bloomington Township for ten years, and has been President of the Northwestern Benevolent Aid Society for the past four years. He has been a member of the, I. O. O. F. since 1849. Republican principles receive his heartiest support, and the Christian Church, of which he is a valued member, represents his religious belief.

The marriage of Peter Whitmer and Miss Lucy McDonald took place in 1855, in Bloomington, Ill.. Mrs. W. is the daughter of John and Lucy (McCoy) McDonald, of Kentucky, and was born in Winchester, that State. Her parents' family consisted of seven children, five now living: Harriet, Mrs. Rodgers, resides in Boone County, Mo.; Mary, Mrs. Harding, of Westchester, Ky.; Margaret, Mrs. Patten, is in Illinois, and Mildred is Mrs. Brigham; the wife of our subject was the third child of the family. John McDonald removed from Kentucky to McLean County in 1852, and engaged in farming pursuits, which he continued until his decease in 1881; the mother died in Kentucky.

Mr. and Mrs. Whitmer have a family of six children: Mary became the wife of Dr. Hooper, and resides in Hutchinson, Kan.; they have three children— Bertha, Lucy and Elsie; Olie married J. O. Wilson, teller in the People's Bank at Bloomington; the next were Charles, Ida, Ira S. and LeRoy G. The latter two have been students of Eureka College, Eureka, Ill. The residence of our subject is lo. -iled at No. 924 West Front street, where Mr. Whitmer and his family are enjoying all the comforts of life and many of its luxuries.

As a man, citizen, husband, father and friend, the life of Peter Whitmer has rounded into perfect manhood. Whether in private or public life he is the same courteous, Christian gentleman, with the air and manner which at once impress the stranger with his true character. When, in connection with his daily walk in life, there is voluntarily given the testimony of those who have been intimately associated with him for years, there is little for the biographer to add, and in placing his portrait among those of other honored men of McLean County, we are preserving to posterity the features of one of the best men of this generation.

As printed in Portrait and biographical album of McLean county, Ill., containing full page portraits and biographical sketches of prominent and representative citizens of the county, together with portraits and bio (1887). See the original pages. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.

PETER WHITMER.

nence in the locality where they resided. The great-grandfather of our subject, Peter Whitmer, Sr., was a native of Germany, whence he removed to Lancaster, Pennsylvania, making that his home until his death. The parents of our subject, Peter and Mary (Hess) Whitmer, were both natives of Antrim township, Franklin county, Pennsylvania, and the father engaged in farming there. He was born in 1775, and died in 1852. His wife, who was born in 1785, spent her entire life in that county, and passed away in 1844. They were members of the Mennonite church, and people of the highest respectability. They had eleven children, all of whom are now deceased with the exception of Mrs. Mary Royer, who is living near the old homestead; Rev. Carl Whitmer, of Lancaster, Pennsylvania; and Peter of this review.

Mr. Whitmer, the well-known banker of Bloomington, was born February 22, 1828, and acquired his education in a log schoolhouse in Antrim township, Franklin township, Pennsylvania, and by study in his leisure hours. He left home at the age of sixteen and went to Chambersburg, Pennsylvania, to learn the trade of saddlery and harness-making. There he remained until 1849, after which he worked as a journeyman in Ohio, Indiana and Illinois, wherever he could find positions. During all this time he sought a favorable location, and at length decided to make Bloomington the scene of his future labors. He arrived here in April, 1852, and formed a partnership with M. L. Moore under the firm name of Moore & Whitmer, engaging in the manufacture of harness and saddlery, at the corner of Washington and Clark streets, the site of the People's Bank. After two years Mr. Whitmer sold out to his partner and engaged in the grocery business in Center street as a member of the firm of Parke, Whitmer & Hoopes. For three years he was connected with that enterprise, and then embarked in the lumber business, having a yard on each side of the city. For seventeen years he was identified with the lumber trade, and at the time of his retirement therefrom was the oldest representative of the business in Bloomington. He enjoyed a very extensive and profitable patronage, his sales having reached extensive proportions. On the loth of January, 1875, however, he sold out and accepted the presidency of the People's Bank, to which position he had been elected. He was one of the original incorporators and stockholders of the bank, but hitherto had never been officially connected with it. During almost a quarter of a century he has remained at its head, and to his wise policy and capable management the success of the bank is attributable. It is regarded as one of the most reliable financial institutions in this part of the state, having weathered all kinds of financial storms, yet standing firm and unshaken through all. It is capitalized for one hundred thousand dollars and has a surplus and undivided profits amounting to one hundred and twenty-five thousand dollars. Since the third year of Mr. Whitmer's presidency it has regularly paid a quarterly dividend of three per cent, and the stock has sold for three hundred per cent, above par, but has been upon the market rarely. The corporation purchased the ground and erected the fine building which they now occupy and which is especially adapted for their purpose. Mr. Whitmer succeeded his former partner, Mr. Parke, as president of the People's Bank, and is now the second oldest in years of service in

6l2 such a position in Bloomington. He has a justifiable pride in the institution, which is alike creditable to the city and to the stockholders.

From time to time many enterprises have been established in the city to which he has given his support and encouragement. He was one of the organizers of the Bloomington Canning Company, is one of its heaviest stockholders and has been president from the beginning. The company also owns and controls a branch factory at Chenoa, and puts up one hundred and twenty-five thousand cases or two hundred and fifty car loads of canned goods annually. Employment is furnished between three and four hundred operatives during the busy season and more or less throughout the year. The enterprise has proved not only a profitable one to the stockholders, but has been of great benefit to this section of the state by furnishing a market for many of the products produced by the farmers. Ira S. Whitmer, a son of our subject, is secretary of the company and gives his entire time to the management of the business, which has gradually increased from year to year until the goods are now sold throughout the United States and are so well known that it is no longer necessary to advertise them through traveling salesmen, for orders come direct from the merchants to the factories. This company ships more goods than any other canning concern in the state and their success is now thoroughly established. Mr. Whitmer has also been and is a stockholder in various other enterprises, but is not officially connected therewith, save as a director of the Union Can Company, which manufactures tin cans at Hoopeston, Illinois.

On the 22d of February, 1855, Mr.

Whitmer married Miss Lucy McDonald, a daughter of John and Lucy (McCoy) McDonald, who was born and reared in Winchester, Kentucky, but in 1852 came to Bloomington, where he was in business for many years. Six children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Whitmer. Mary, the eldest, is the wife of Dr. Asa Hooper, of Kansas City, and has three children, Lucy, Lucile and Bernice. Olive is the wife of J. O. Wilson, vice-president of the People's Bank. Ida is the wife of H. C. Hawk, of the firm of J. F. Humphries & Co., wholesale grocers of Bloomington, and they have two children, Henry Clark and Lucy. Ira S., the secretary and manager of the Bloomington Canning Company, married Eva Fry and has one child, Pauline. Leroy G., a graduate of Eureka College and the Wesleyan Law School, is now an attorney of this city; he married Mildred Murphy, and they have one child, Robert P.

In the affairs of the city Mr. Whitmer has always taken a deep, zealous and commendable interest, and Bloomington owes not a little of her substantial development to his efforts. He withhold his support from no movement for the public good, has been a generous friend to the hospital, the Public Library and to the Coliseum, and advocates all interests for the moral, intellectual and social welfare of Bloomington. For almost a half century he has been a member of Remembrance Lodge, I. O. O. F., and has filled all of its offices. He helped to found the Bloomington Club and retained his membership therein for a few years, but preferred the pleasures of home to those of club life. For forty years he has been a member of the Christian church, becoming identified therewith when it was a small organization, and laboring for its interests until it has become one of the strongest in the city. For many years he has served as deacon and trustee, was a member of the building committee, and has contributed liberally to its support. He held the office of supervisor of Bloomington township for ten or twelve years, but about 1890 refused to serve longer. He was at one time alderman for the second ward, but has never cared for public office, and when unanimously nominated for mayor by the Republicans, when a nomination was equivalent to an election, he refused to accept the candidacy. For twenty-eight years he resided on West Front street, but in 1897 purchased his present home at the corner of East and Locust streets. His business career has been one of marked success, yet his prosperity has been gained along the most commendable lines of legitimate business and is but the reward of his well-directed and consecutive effort. So worthily has it been won and so well has it been used that the most envious could not grudge him his wealth, but while he has gained triumphs in commercial life, he has also won that warm personal regard which is a tribute to his many good qualities of head and heart, to his true nobility of character.

As printed in The Biographical record of McLean County, Illinois (1899). See the original pages. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.