WHITNEY, Chester A. - 1914

WHITNEY, YOUNG, FORSYTHE, LEAPLY

Posted By: Volunteer
Date: 7/10/2009 at 08:31:56

HISTORY OF
Cherokee County
IOWA
VOLUME II
ILLUSTRATED
CHICAGO
THE S. J. CLARKE PUBLISHING COMPANY
1914
by Thomas McCulla

CHESTER A. WHITNEY.

A fine farm of two hundred acres on section 36, Rock township, is the property of Chester A. Whitney and its attractive condition bears evidence to the intelligent management and careful supervision which he has bestowed upon it. He was born in Lee county, Illinois, September 1, 1863, and is a son of Alanson and Delaney (Young) Whitney, natives of Canada. The father came to Illinois in his early life and engaged in farming there for about six years, after which he removed to Bremer county, Iowa, where he purchased a farm and set about improving and operating it. He made his home upon this property until 1897 and then removed to Finchford, Black Hawk county, where he has since lived retired. His wife died in September, 1909, at the age of seventyone years, six months and seven days. They had celebrated their golden wedding June 6, 1908. Incidentally the children of our subject have attended the golden weddings of four grandparents.

Chester A. Whitney was still a child when his parents removed to Bremer county and in the public schools of this locality he acquired his education. When he left home he went to Cerro Gordo county, Iowa, and worked for one year, after which he came to Cherokee county, where he first worked as a farm hand and afterward rented land, which he operated six years. At the end of that time he bought two hundred acres in Marcus township and after carrying on general farming upon this property for five years sold it and came to Rock town ship, renting a farm in this locality. At the end of three years he bought two hundred acres of land on section 36, Rock township, and has cultivated the place since that time. His general farming interests are important and he also engages in stockraising on an extensive scale, keeping Duroc Jersey hogs and shorthorn cattle.

On the 26th of February, 1891, Mr. Whitney was united in marriage to Miss Edith A. Forsythe, a daughter of Levi and Jennie (Leapley) Forsythe, the former a native of Champaign county, Ohio, and the latter of Sidney, Ohio. Her father went to Jackson county, Iowa, in his early life and after farming there for some time removed to Cherokee county, where he bought two hundred acres in Rock township. His first crop there was entirely destroyed by grasshoppers, but he afterward met with a gratifying degree of success, cultivating his property until 1898, when he removed into Cherokee, where he lives retired. Mr. and Mrs. Whitney became the parents of four children: Forrest L., who died in 1893; Give C, aged eighteen; Florence L., seventeen; and Byrl A., thirteen.

Mr. Whitney is a member of the Methodist church and gives his political allegiance to the democratic party. He is at present one of the board of township trustees and an active factor in public affairs, supporting all measures and movements which have for their object the best interest of the community. His worth as a citizen is widely acknowledged and he takes rank with the foremost representatives of agricultural interests in this section of the state.