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.


      JOHN D. WHITNEY.  A direct descendant of John Whitney, who came from London, England, to Watertown, Massachusetts, in 1635, John D. Whitney was born June 12, 1850, in Pekin, New York, and is now a prominent farmer residing four and one-half miles east of Davenport.
     His father and mother, both dead, were Jarvis and Mary C. Whitney.  He has three brothers and one sister: Mark J., Fresno, California: William, of Iowa; Franklin, of Minneapolis, and Mrs. Mary J. Michael, living in Lincoln county.
     As a child, Mr. Whitney accompanied his parents to Illinois, and at the age of fourteen left home and when sixteen went to Wisconsin.  The gold excitement led him to attempt a journey into the Black Hills country, but being taken ill he was forced to abandon the adventure at Cheyenne, Wyoming, where he remained through a long and serious illness.  He wandered about from place to place until the fall of 1878, when he came to where Pullman now stands, and in June of the following year came to his present location, and filed on one of the first homesteads to be taken in this country.  He is the oldest settler here, having come to his present home over twenty-five years ago.
     He was married, February 20, 1886, to Angeline Woodin, the adopted daughter of Julius D. and Helen Woodin.  By this marriage two children have been born, Ralph D. and Helen M.  Mrs. Whitney died November 28, 1892.  Ever since coming here Mr. Whitney has been successfully engaged in farming.  He took his land wild and has added to and improved it until he now has three hundred and twenty acres of well improved and thoroughly cultivated ground, with a good house, barn, orchard, etc., upon which he makes a specialty of raising grain.
     Mr. Whitney is a member of the K. P. fraternity of Davenport.
 


BACK