Mailing List:2003-07-28 02, Fwd: (MAWORCES) George Clarkson Whitney biography; Part 1, by Maureen Cooley
Mailing List Archives > 2003-07-28 02, Fwd: (MAWORCES) George Clarkson Whitney biography; Part 1, by Maureen Cooley
From: "Maureen Cooley" <mary49cooley -at- hotmail.com> Subject: [WHITNEY-L] Fwd: [MAWORCES] George Clarkson Whitney biography; Part 1 Date: Mon, 28 Jul 2003 11:52:08 -0400 Fellow Listers, This article was on another list I suscribe to. It is the Worcester Massachusettes list. I do not know if anyone knows this Whitney family? Maureen >From: ETexGal -at- webtv.net (Marcia Payne) >To: MAWORCES-L -at- rootsweb.com >Subject: [MAWORCES] George Clarkson Whitney biography; Part 1 >Date: Sun, 27 Jul 2003 14:42:04 -0500 (CDT) > >History of Worcester and Its People by Charles Nutt; Volume 3 > >page 151 > > > Valentine manufacturer, founder of the George C. Whitney Company, >was born in Westminster, Mass., Sept. 19, 1842, died in Worcester, Nov. >7, 1915, son of John and Lydia (Allen) Whitney. He attended the public >schools of his native town and of Worcester, and in 1856 became a >student in the Worcester Academy. > He enlisted as a private in Company F, Captain John S. Baldwin, of >the 51st Regiment, Mass. Volunteers, Colonel A.B.R. Sprague, Nov. 1862, >serving until the regiment was mustered out, July 27, 1863. During part >of the time he was a clerk in the Provost Marshall's office under Major >Harkness at Beaufort, NC. > He started in business in a small house in East Rutland, after he >returned from the service, in partnership with his brother, Sumner A. >Whitney. After a short time the business was transferred to a small >cottage house, at No. 86 Elm Street, near the corner of Fruit Street. > In 1866 Sumner A. Whitney retired and another brother, Edward Whitney >came into the business, and continued in partnership about 3 years. >During the next few years George C. Whitney continued to make valentines >at 3 different locations- one over Rawson's cigar store, near the corner >of Main and Mechanic Streets; the second in the upper floors of the R.C. >Taylor block, formerly occupied by the Clark-Sawyer Company, Main >Street, and later at No. 184 Front Street. > Before 1888 Mr. Whitney bought out at least 10 competitors in the >valentine business in this section of the country. The most important of >these competitors was Ester Howland, a graduate of Mt. Holyoke, 1847. >She had a business amounting to $100,000 a year when he bought it. J.W. >Taft, of Worcester; the Bullard Art Publishing Company, and the A.J. >Fisher Company of New York were other concerns purchased by Mr. Whitney. >In 1869 he bought the business of Berlin & Jones, the largest >manufacturer of valentines in New York. > In 1876 he added various other departments to the valentine >business, such as Christmas cards, books and booklets. Post cards were >made later, calendars and calendar pads, and an infinite variety of >cards and novelities for gifts and other purposes for Halloween, New >Year and Easter. > In 1898 the present building on Union Street was occupied. Additions >have been made from time to time. The busines was incorporated as the >George C. Whitney Company with these officers: George C. Whitney, >president; William H. Cook, treasurer; Edgar Whidden, secretary. > At the tme of Mr. Whitney's death there were 450 hands employed in >the works. The quality and quanity of goods made in the Whitney factory >have been unsurpassed here or aboard. He was active in business until >about 2 years before he died. > >END of PART 1 > > >==== MAWORCES Mailing List ==== >Rootsweb list archiver: ><a href="http://archiver.rootsweb.com/">http://archiver.rootsweb.com/</a> > _________________________________________________________________ The new MSN 8: smart spam protection and 2 months FREE* <a href="http://join.msn.com/?page=features/junkmail">http://join.msn.com/?page=features/junkmail</a>
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