BENJAMIN WHITMORE, b 20 Nov 1843

WHITMORE, STEWART, PATTERSON, MCCREERY, FOSTER, BROWN

Posted By: Donna Moldt Walker (email)
Date: 2/28/2005 at 17:56:05

The farming and stock-raising interests of Maquoketa Township recognize in this gentleman one of their worthiest and most successful representatives. He has, by his own industry and perseverance, arisen to an influential and prominent position, and has a remarkably pleasant homestead, occupying the northwest quarter of section 8. Here he has made good improvements, building up a farm of which, in all its appointments, he has reason to be proud.

Our subject comes of excellent New England stock, being the son of Daniel Whitmore, a native of Hartford, Conn., whose father also farmed in the Wooden Nutmeg State a goodly portion of his life. Daniel, however, possessed considerable mechanical genius, and developed into an engineer. In early manhood he emigrated to Indiana, where he engaged in the manufacture of carriages, wagons, and other road vehicles. He sojourned there until 1845, then, coming to this county, located in Bridgeport, and assisted one of its leading men - Mr. Tubbs - in the erection of the various sawmills which the latter was building at that time.

The father of our subject also worked as a cooper - in fact he could turn his hand to almost anything. He purchased sixty-four acres of land near Bridgeport, which he improved, and built a ferry-boat, which he ran on the Maquoketa until the fall of 1867. The following spring he went into Blackhawk County, and at Watertown established himself at the grocery business, at which he was occupied until 1875. Then, selling out he retired from active business, and thereafter made his home with our subject until his death, which took place July 16, 1882, when he was eighty-three years of age. He was a Democrat, politically, and in religious matters a member of the Episcopal Church.

Mrs. Mary C. (Stewart) Whitmore, the mother of our subject was of French descent, and died in Bellevue, in this State, March 1, 1883, aged sixty-six years. The parental family consisted of eight children, namely: Annie F., a resident of Bellevue; Daniel, also living there; William, in Tennessee; Benjamin, our subject; Titus, Jackson K., Gordon, and Josie, the latter four all deceased. William during the late war enlisted, in 1862, in the 2d Iowa Cavalry, was promoted to Sergeant, and served until the close.

The subject of this sketch was born in Indiana, Nov. 20, 1843, where he lived until eighteen months old, when his parents came to Iowa. They made the journey overland with an oxen-team, and the father secured land in the vicinity of Bridgeport, Maquoketa Township, where the lad was reared to man's estate and became familiar with agricultural pursuits. He attended the district school, and remained with his parents until twenty years of age. He then began in business for himself, and worked his father's farm two years. At the expiration of this time he took charge of the ferry, which he operated one and one-half years, then sold and purchased land. Upon this he operated one summer, when he disposed of it to good advantage, and purchased the farm which he now owns, in December, 1879.

Upon this place, when Mr. Whitmore took possession, there was a log house, and thirty acres had been broken. He applied himself vigorously to the task of building up a homestead, and now has about ninety acres under the plow, with good fences, groves, an orchard, wind-mill, water-tanks, and all the other appliances of the modern farm. In addition he has put up a house and barn, the former two stories in height and 16x28 feet square. The barn covers an area of thirty to forty feet. In his stock-raising operations Mr. Whitmore has been uniformly successful, buying and feeding cattle and swine, the latter full-blooded Poland-Chinas, and shipping of these a car load each year.

Mr. Whitmore was first married in Maquoketa Township, July 4, 1863, to Miss Marietta Patterson, who was born in New York State, and is the daughter of Hamilton and Althea Patterson. She was a very well educated lady. Of this union there were born four children, namely: Luta A., Frank H., Eddie A., and Mary C. The wife and mother died in September, 1871, at the early age of thirty-two years. Mr. Whitmore contracted a second marriage in Maquoketa, Dec. 4, 1882, with Miss Luella, daughter of Wellington McCreery. Both Mr. McCreery and his father Daniel, were natives of New York State, and the first mentioned was a stone-mason by trade. He removed from his native place first to Illinois, and then to this county. He was later engaged in farming, and finally went to Kansas, but came back to Maquoketa Township, and farmed on forty acres of land, also working at his trade. After a few years he sold out, and is now living in Bridgeport retired from active labor. He is now fifty-five years old, a Republican, politically, and in religious matters an Adventist.

The mother of Mrs. Whitmore was formerly Miss Nancy J. Foster, a native of Jo Daviess County, Ill., and the daughter of William Foster, who was a farmer by occupation. He finally removed to Harland County, Neb., and now makes his home with his son. He is seventy-seven years old. He served in the Black Hawk War during his early manhood, and was one of the early settlers of Illinois. The mother of Mrs. Whitmore is still living, and makes her home in Bridgeport, and is fifty years old.

Mrs. Whitmore was born in Dallas County, this State, March 25, 1864, spent her childhood and youth under the parental roof, and received her education in the district school. The eldest daughter of our subject is the wife of W.J. Brown, a well-to-do farmer of Maquoketa Township; Frank H. following farming in Dakota; Eddie A. is farming in Maquoketa Township; Mary C. is at home with her father. Of the second marriage of Mr. Whitmore there have been born two children - Gordon and Fanny. Mr. Whitmore is a Democrat, politically, has been a member of the School Board two terms, and has also officiated as Road Supervisor.

("Portrait and Biographical Album of Jackson County, Iowa", originally published in 1889, by the Chapman Brothers, of Chicago, Illinois.)