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Transcribed from "An Illustrated History of The Big Bend Country, embracing
Lincoln, Douglas, Adams and Franklin counties, State of Washington",
published by Western Historical Publishing Co., 1904.
WILLIAM C. WHITTALL, a pioneer
on the Pacific coast of 1857, lives on a farm three miles northeast of
Washtucna. During the year mentioned he came by way of the Isthmus
of Panama to San Francisco, and soon thereafter went to work in the mines
of California. In 1861 he enlisted in the Fourth Regular Cavalry
and was engaged in warfare against the Indians until mustered out of service
at San Francisco in December, 1865. Having learned the millwright
trade from his father, he then engaged in that work until the following
year, when he bought a California farm and tilled the soil for three years.
In 1872 he engaged in the drug business at Independence, Oregon, four years
later disposed of it to enter the hotel business in that town, then in
1877 he engaged in working at the carpenter trade. He came to Walla
Walla during the year of 1877, where he followed carpentering until coming
to Adams county in 1889. After removing to this county he made a
homestead entry on his present farm and engaged in the stock business,
which he followed with success until 1893, since which time he has devoted
his attention more to farming though he still keeps some live stock.
He has one hundred and sixty acres of land, all under cultivation and in
an advanced state of improvement.
Born in Quincy, Illinois, March 1, 1836, William
C. Whittall was the son of George and Caroline (Brittain) Whittall, natives
of England. The parents of Mr. Whittall came to America when young,
settled first in Illinois, and spent the remainder of their lives in that
state and Iowa. The mother died in 1844, leaving a family of five
children, of whom our subject was the eldest, and later the father married
a second time by which marriage he reared a family of seven children.
He died in 1879.
William C. Whittall was educated in the common
schools of Farmington, Iowa, and at the age of seventeen he left school
to engage in farm work. This he followed until attaining his majority,
when he came west as stated in a preceding paragraph.
In 1866, Mr. Whittall was married to Marie
C. Burns, daughter of William and Rachel (Ford) Burns, the father of Scotch
and the mother of French descent. The brothers and sisters of Mrs.
Whittall are: Robert, Jane, John, Margaret, David, William E., Marietta,
Annie, James H. and Phy.
To Mr. and Mrs. Whittall have been born three
children: Mary, married to John McMillan, Adams county; George B., Whitman
county; and Millie, married to E. K. Lloyd, of Colfax, Washington.
Mr. and Mrs. Whittall are members of the Episcopalian
church, and Mr. Whittall holds membership in the G. A. R., F. and A. M.
and the I. O. O. F. fraternities.
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