I am having research issues with some of my Whitney's. First, yes, I have more than one group of Whitney's in my family tree. I have a David Whitney (b. Jun 1880 Maine) who lived in Sabula Iowa. His parents, according to census were David C Whitney (b 1842 Canada) and Evaline Mills Whitney. The 1880 David married Mary Petersen/or Peterson* about 1913, and I have found they had 2 children, Viola and Hazel. I can find them in one more census, then nothing.....but show David later marrying a woman in Dubuque Iowa, and having children with her, but no mention of the first 2 girls. Anywhere or Mary his wife from 1913. First problem is obivous, I cannot find death records or anything that would point to Mary and the girls dying. I don't think David was a bigamist, but one can never be sure about things ! Does anyone have a lead on this branch of the family to help fill in blanks and questions ? Second problem, the census records would point to the 1842 David's parents as being David Charles Whitney b. 1803 and Mercy Springer Whitney b.1801, but I am not sure, and cannot find verification of this anywhere. The repeated names of especially the girls in the family would point to this, but once again, I have no proof. I have searched the Whitneygen.org for proof until I am about blind and my carpal tunnel is killing me ! I am talking WEEKS and MONTHS of searching these questions ! Third, IF David Charles Whitney-1801 and Mercy Springer ARE the correct parents for the David b-1842, and both parents were born in Maine, and all the other children I have found were born in Maine....then how did he come to be born in Canada ? The only child born in Canada ? Were they on vacation when he was born ? See what I mean about confused ? In a later census, I saw that a possible sister Caroline from the same family was listed as being born in Canada, but only just the one reference...and not ever again. Four, I was told by my mother back in the 1980's, God rest her soul, that I could apply for membership to the DAR via the Whitney line, but she never told me through who or how, but one of our Savanna, IL relatives already belonged. Any one know of this specific Whitney line and how it would be the correct persons? On Ancestry.com, the 1850 census has the David-1803 and Mercy family listed, but only the original. There are 3 names that I cannot decipher. One looks like it is GEAR born about 1830...but I KNOW that isn't correct. One name looks like it is HARMCH born about 1837, or if you squint, it could be HAMISH....but not quite. Last one is the doosey.....with a possible dob of 1845, the name looks like ABERGENT, and I KNOW that isn't it. I tried all different search name possibilities thru Ancestry and the Whitneygen.org sites to no avail. Does anyone have a clear transcribed listing for this family in Lincoln, Penobscot, Maine ? Or be willing to take a look at an email that I could send to them from Ancestry.com ? As I said, I have researched until I am about blind, literally !! One last mystery......same 1850 census for Lincoln, Penobscot, Maine. It looks as if there was a daughter that married......Almira age 24, so dob would be about 1826...and her husbands first name is quite clear, David, (shocked I know) and a child Susan M., but the last names REALLY looks like CATHEART, but all other places it shows CARTHEART....including later census'. Maybe I have just been doing too much census reading, but I had my family look and they agree with what I see. Anyone have leads on Almira and David CARTHEART or CATHEART ? *Petersen/Peterson note........This is also my family. Head of family was Sören Petersen from Denmark, lived in Sabula Iowa. A couple of the sons changed the spelling to PETERSON....and until this year, neither side ever realized we were related...and only 1 mile of distance between us ! Sad ! But any reference to Mary Petersen, could be also spelled Peterson as well. Thank you, Lori Callaway [email protected]

Hello Lori, I cannot be of help at this time for your Peterson connection, but I may be able to be of some help with the Whitney ancestry. I would like to re-state some of your information, so that some who are not familiar with this family can follow more easily. First, the David Whitney found in the 1880 enumeration for Sabula, Iowa who was born in 1880 was not born in Maine. He was born in Iowa. Following is that family as enumerated in 1880: Sabula, Jackson Co., Iowa Whitney, David C., 38 Lumber Yard Worker, b. Canada, parents B. Maine Evaline L., 36, keeping house, b. Maine, parents b. Maine Lizzie M., 13, dau., b. Maine, Father b. Canada, mother b. Maine Carrie H. , 10, dau., b. Iowa, Father b. Canada, mother b. Maine Maude E., 8, dau., b. Iowa, Father b. Canada, mother b. Maine Minnie A., 6, dau., b. Iowa, Father b. Canada, mother b. Maine Mira M., 4, dau., b. Iowa, Father b. Canada, mother b. Maine George P., 2, son, b. Iowa, Father b. Canada, mother b. Maine David, son, 1/12, b. Iowa, Father b. Canada, mother b. Maime Comment: This is the only census in which David C. is said to be born in Canada. All others say he was b. Maine. 1870 Census, Union, Jackson Co., Iowa Whitney, David C., 28, Farm laborer, b. Maine Evelyn, 26, Keeping house, b. Maine Elizabeth, 3, b. Maine Carrie, 6/12, b. Iowa Comment: David is now b. Maine 1860 Census, Lincoln, Penobscot Co., Maine Whitney, David, 58, Farmer, b. Maine Mercy, 50, b. Maine David, 18, b. Maine Charles, 7, b. Maine 1850 Census, Lincoln, Penobscot Co., Maine Whitney, David, 47, farmer, b. Maine Mercy, 49, b. Maine Cathcart, Almira, 24, b. Maine Cathcart, David, 26, laborer, b. Maryland Whitney, Sylvina, 22, b. Maine Isaac, 20, b. Maine Simon, 18, b. Maine Hannah, 13, b. Maine Caroline,10, b. Maine David C., 8, b. Maine Margaret, 5, b. Maine Cathcart, Susan M. , 3/12, b. Maine Comment: Almira and David Cathcart's last name is not quite clear in the record, but Susan M.'s last is more clear, and is Cathcart, not Catheart. Note the age discrepancy for Mercy between 1850 and 1860. An error somewhere. So, what does all this mean? I would operate under the assumption that David Whitney, Sr, b. ca 1802, married Mercy Cathcart until proven otherwise. Could be wrong, but a beginning. How did David C. become born in Canada all of a sudden, after being born in Maine all those years? It is possible that he was born in Canada. It was not uncommon for people living in northern Maine to cross the border fairly often. On the other hand, it could be a census taker's error. No matter where he was born, he was of a Maine family. The Lincoln, Maine Marriages have the marriages of both David C. and his sister Sylvina. More research into the Lincoln records is called for. The problem is, where in Maine were they born? Lincoln, or somewhere else prior to moving to Lincoln? The town was formed in 1829, so David, Sr. came there from somewhere else. Digging into the Lincoln records may be required. As to the DAR, the WRG web site has archived all of the Whitney mentions in the DAR lineage books. However, a name is needed. Perhaps the Savannah relatives can help with that. Where do we go from here? Well, today is your lucky day. There is a David C. Whitney in the index of Civil War pensioners. He fought in outfits from Maine. He may be your soldier. Or, maybe not. If he is, the pension file may have genealogical information in it. But, since it is an invalid's application, it may not have genealogical info. You never know what you will find in these files until you open them. It was filed in 1865, just before David C. married Evaline. However, the index doesn't say from where it was filed. You get more lucky. I am off from work on Monday and Tuesday of this week. If I can stay out of the sights of the lady with the honey-do list, and can avoid the dreaded Christmas shopping, I will commute to the National Archives and review the pension file for you. Suggestions from other WRG members may provide other avenues of exploration. Ken Whitney Silver Spring, MD ----- Original Message ----- From: "Lori Callaway" <[email protected]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Saturday, December 10, 2005 3:26 AM Subject: [WHITNEY-L] David Whitney, Sabula IA, >I am having research issues with some of my Whitney's. First, yes, I have >more than one group of Whitney's in my family tree. > > I have a David Whitney (b. Jun 1880 Maine) who lived in Sabula Iowa. His > parents, according to census were David C Whitney (b 1842 Canada) and > Evaline Mills Whitney. > > The 1880 David married Mary Petersen/or Peterson* about 1913, and I have > found they had 2 children, Viola and Hazel. I can find them in one more > census, then nothing.....but show David later marrying a woman in Dubuque > Iowa, and having children with her, but no mention of the first 2 girls. > Anywhere or Mary his wife from 1913. > > First problem is obivous, I cannot find death records or anything that > would point to Mary and the girls dying. I don't think David was a > bigamist, but one can never be sure about things ! Does anyone have a > lead on this branch of the family to help fill in blanks and questions ? > > Second problem, the census records would point to the 1842 David's parents > as being David Charles Whitney b. 1803 and Mercy Springer Whitney b.1801, > but I am not sure, and cannot find verification of this anywhere. The > repeated names of especially the girls in the family would point to this, > but once again, I have no proof. I have searched the Whitneygen.org for > proof until I am about blind and my carpal tunnel is killing me ! I am > talking WEEKS and MONTHS of searching these questions ! > > Third, IF David Charles Whitney-1801 and Mercy Springer ARE the correct > parents for the David b-1842, and both parents were born in Maine, and all > the other children I have found were born in Maine....then how did he come > to be born in Canada ? The only child born in Canada ? Were they on > vacation when he was born ? See what I mean about confused ? In a > later census, I saw that a possible sister Caroline from the same family > was listed as being born in Canada, but only just the one reference...and > not ever again. > > Four, I was told by my mother back in the 1980's, God rest her soul, that > I could apply for membership to the DAR via the Whitney line, but she > never told me through who or how, but one of our Savanna, IL relatives > already belonged. Any one know of this specific Whitney line and how it > would be the correct persons? > > On Ancestry.com, the 1850 census has the David-1803 and Mercy family > listed, but only the original. There are 3 names that I cannot decipher. > One looks like it is GEAR born about 1830...but I KNOW that isn't correct. > One name looks like it is HARMCH born about 1837, or if you squint, it > could be HAMISH....but not quite. Last one is the doosey.....with a > possible dob of 1845, the name looks like ABERGENT, and I KNOW that isn't > it. I tried all different search name possibilities thru Ancestry and > the Whitneygen.org sites to no avail. Does anyone have a clear > transcribed listing for this family in Lincoln, Penobscot, Maine ? Or be > willing to take a look at an email that I could send to them from > Ancestry.com ? As I said, I have researched until I am about blind, > literally !! > > One last mystery......same 1850 census for Lincoln, Penobscot, Maine. It > looks as if there was a daughter that married......Almira age 24, so dob > would be about 1826...and her husbands first name is quite clear, David, > (shocked I know) and a child Susan M., but the last names REALLY looks > like CATHEART, but all other places it shows CARTHEART....including later > census'. Maybe I have just been doing too much census reading, but I had > my family look and they agree with what I see. Anyone have leads on > Almira and David CARTHEART or CATHEART ? > > *Petersen/Peterson note........This is also my family. Head of family was > Sören Petersen from Denmark, lived in Sabula Iowa. A couple of the sons > changed the spelling to PETERSON....and until this year, neither side ever > realized we were related...and only 1 mile of distance between us ! Sad > ! But any reference to Mary Petersen, could be also spelled Peterson as > well. > > > Thank you, > Lori Callaway > [email protected] > > >