Dear Shirley: I have tried to find your Alva Lewis Whitney in our databases, but would really like to know more about him, i.e., his dates, or, if you don't know them exactly, approximately what time he lived. I have found an Alvah Spaulding Whitney in the CT Whitney database, born 10 Feb 1822, place not shown but his parents were in CT. If your Alva Lewis might have been born ca 1845, then there might be a connection. You gave us a place, but not a time frame. In the Whitny14 database there is an Alvah Whitney, born ca 1803, with no other information shown. There is also an Alvah W. Whitney, born 16 Dec 1832 in Chelsea, Orange Co., VT. These are the only Alva(h)s that I find in the main databases. Since the name is somewhat uncommon, perhaps one of these is related to your Alva Lewis Whitney. Have you gone to the Whitney Research Group website and run a search for Alva, Alvah, and Lewis Whitney? That might turn up something else from the many other sources to be found there. Happy Hunting! Allan E. Green