Villiam M. Whitney

As printed in 1887

VILLIAM M. WHITNEY. This esteemed citizen is a retired farmer, now enjoying the fruits of his early toil, and living quietly in his comfortable home in Fairfax village. Mr. Whitney came to Linn County from Troy, Wis., near which town he carried on agriculture for a number of years, and to which place he had come from Rockford, Ill., in company with his uncle, Richard Montague. He was originally from Oneida County, N. Y., and with his parents, when a lad of eight years, removed from Delaware County, the latter-named State, where he was born Aug. 19, 1819. His father, Isaac Whitney, was a farmer, and he died in Wisconsin in 1850. His removal there occurred in 1839. The country was new, and he took up a tract of land in the wilderness, which he cleared and successfully cultivated for some years. His marriage occurred in Hadley, Mass., July 16, 1818, the lady of his choice being Miss Laura Montague, a native of the same place. Short!

iiii! Hi after their marriage they went into the Empire State, locating in Delaware County, where they remained for ten years, removing thence to Oneida County. The decease of both parents occurred in LaFayette, Walworth Co., Wis., that of the father May 1. 1850, and the mother passing away Nov. 12, 1863.

The Montague family trace their history back to the sixteenth century, previous to which time they rank among the nobility of France. The original progenitor of the family in the United States, Richard Montague, settled in Hadley, Mass., and another brother, Peter, settled in Virginia at about the same time.

William M. Whitney was the eldest child of his father's family, and, with the exception of two years spent with an uncle in Illinois, he remained with his parents until he attained the age of manhood. May 6, 1840, he contracted a matrimonial alliance with Miss Augusta II. Marsh, a native of Montague, Mass., and daughter of Enos Marsh, Jr., who was the son of au old Revolutionary soldier who fought under Gen. Washington for a number of years. The name of the latter was also Enos, and he died at Montague, Mass., at the advanced age of ninety-six years. His wife was a New England lady, and her life rounded up with about the same number of years as did that of her husband.

Mrs. Whitney, the wife of our subject, was born April 24, 1820. The maiden name of her mother was Rebecca Hawley, and she was a native of Hadley, Mass. Her father was a finely educated man, and was a teacher during the last years of his life.

His decease occurred at Granby, Oswego Co., N. Y., in May, 1831, when he was preparing himself for the duties of a minister of the Baptist Church. The mother was also finely educated, a graduate of South Hadley Academy, and for many years was engaged as a teacher; her death occurred in

[ Port Huron, Mich., Aug. 4, 1855. Mrs. Whitney was reared mostly by her grandparents until twelve a years of age; she then resided with her mother. She was educated in select schools, and at the age of eighteen began teaching at Racine, Wis., and two years later became the wife of our subject.

After their marriage Mr. and Mrs. W. settled in LaFayette Township, in the State of Wisconsin, where they were engaged in farming for a time and then Mr. Whitney, being seized with an attack of the gold fever, made his preparations to visit the State of California. The journey was made via the Isthmus of Panama, and after passing safely within the Golden (late he proceeded to the mining regions, and was there engaged successfully in quartz and other mining for two years. He then set his face homeward, having accumulated enough money with which to purchase another home. He continued in LaFayette Township, engaged in the pursuit of agriculture, until the spring of 1864, when he became possessed of a desire to change his location to that of a home in the Hatvkeye State. Accordingly he proceeded thither, came into Linn County, and purchased a farm of eighty acres, which he immediately set about improving and cultivating, and upon which he remained until 1880. He had been continuously successful, and wisely concluded to retire from active labor and care, and leave the field open to younger and more vigorous men.

Into the household of Mr. and Mrs. Whitney were born four children, of whom only two are living, viz.: Harriet L., who became the wife of Wilford II. DeBerard, dealer in lumber, grain, coal, etc., and also engaged in the insurance business at Fairfax Village (see sketch); and Frank W., who married Florence L. Cleaveland; he is engaged in farming in Fairfax Township.

The family are all members in good standing of the Congregational Church, and in politics Mr. Whitney is an uncompromising Democrat. He occupies au enviable position in his community as a good citizen, and is held in high esteem by his neighbors and acquaintances.

As printed in Portrait and biographical album of Linn County, Iowa (1887). See the original pages. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.