J. E. Whitman was born in Newton, Middlesex County, Mass., Dec. 3 1816. His parents, Smith and Abigail Whitman, nee, Adams, were natives of Massachusetts. They died leaving our subject an orphan at the early age of seven years. He worked on a farm in his native place until twelve years old, when he went to Windham County, Vt., thence to New York. He remained in that State working on farms in Cayuga, Cattaraugus and Genesee Counties, a number of years, then went to Michigan. He returned to New York and remained in Genesee County eighteen months, then went to Ashtabula County, O., where he was married to Sophia Holden, Dec. 15, 1844. She was born in Vermont and was a daughter of Ambrose and Silvia (Parks) Holden, natives of the Green Mountain State. After Mr. and Mrs. Whitman were married they went to Kane County, Ill., thence to De Kalb County, that State, where he followed farming six years, and in March, 1851, came to Clayton County, and settled on his present farm in Lodomillo Township. He owns sixty acres of highly cultivated land, and
containing many excellent improvements. He is a Democrat
in politics, has been elected to various public offices.
Mr. and Mrs. Whitman are members of the Congregational
church. source: History of Clayton County, Iowa, 1882, p. 908 |