Mailing List:2008-09-14 01, The Whitney Crabapple and Col. Nathan Whitney (1791 -1891), by Greg Nickels
Mailing List Archives > 2008-09-14 01, The Whitney Crabapple and Col. Nathan Whitney (1791 -1891), by Greg Nickels
From: "Greg Nickels" <gjnickels -at- comcast.net> Subject: [WHITNEY] The Whitney Crabapple and Col. Nathan Whitney (1791 -1891) Date: Sun, 14 Sep 2008 16:42:43 -0700 Eliza Ann Whitney was our great-great grandmother (she married Daniel Bates McKenney in 1842). Her father (and our great-great-great grandfather) was Col. Nathan Whitney (Nathan/Olive, Jonathan/Jesse, Jonathan, Jonathan, Benjamin, John). Some time ago the University of Washington Botanical Gardens honored Col. Nathan (and our connection with the Whitney Familly) with the planting of a Whitney Crabapple in the Crabapple Meadow of the Washington Park Arboretum. Washington Park is a City of Seattle park managed by the University (<a href="http://depts.washington.edu/wpa/general.htm">http://depts.washington.edu/wpa/general.htm</a>). They recently contacted me and offered two small trees that were left over from the planting ceremony (for which I made a small donation to the arboretum). I planted these two Whitney crabapples today. Col. Nathan's parents, Nathan and Olive, were both Whitney's (and cousins) and resided in Conway, Massachusetts until shortly after his birth, when they moved to Seneca Castle, New York. There he married Sarah Gray in 1811. Their Whitney stock was strong. Col. Nathan lived to be 100 and his brothers Luther 95 years, Theodore 7 years (killed by a falling tree), Otis 98 years, Cheeney 90 years and Jonathan 76 years. Poor Teddy! That tree cost him 80 - 90 years! Talk about being in the wrong place at the wrong time! Col. Nathan opened a farm near Albion, New York (1814 -1827), another at Elba, New York (1827 -1831) and in Unionville, Ohio (1831 to 1836). He visited Lee County, Illinois, in 1835, 1836 and 1837, his family following in 1838. The Whitney nursery was the first north of the Illinois river. Col. Nathan brought with him many seeds of fruit trees for planting. By 1843 he had a large orchard and in 1847 began selling fine apples and other fruit. He also perfected new varieties by grafting and he had developed numerous types of apples. One that was well known was the "Whitney #20 Crabapple" developed in 1869 and still in production. He shipped fruit and nursery stock all over the country and helped to establish other orchards. His home and orchard in Franklin Grove (1620 Whitney Road) is on the National Register of Historic Places and has been recently restored. He was one of the commissioners to organize the county of Lee (Dixon), and held the office of county commissioner. >From De Witt Clinton, Governor of New York, he received three military commissions, those of captain, lieutenant-colonel and colonel. He served in the war of 1812 and was mentioned for brave service in the battle at Fort Erie (for this he received a pension of $8 a month from 1878 until his passing in 1891). Prior to his death, Col. Whitney was the oldest Mason in the "Northwest" having received his first degree in 1817. During the Morgan excitement he was among the "faithless faithful found." He was tendered a 100th birthday reception on January 22, 1891, by his Masonic brothers at his home in Franklin Grove and prominent Masons from Chicago, Dixon, Ashton, Creston, Amboy, De Kalb and Sterling were present. A.B. Fich, in behalf of Nathan Whitey Chapter, No. 129, Royal Arch Masons, presented him with a solid silver platter suitably inscribed. Letters and telegrams of congratulation poured in upon Father Whitney all day. Over two hundred guests and four generations sat down to a bounteous repast. The March 7, 1891 Scientific American noted his one hundredth birthday. He died June 11, 1891; a resident of Albion, New York, and Franklin Grove, Illinois. Greg Nickels Here a couple of descriptions of the Whitney Crabapple tree and it's fruit: "An upright, rounded tree <<a href="http://www.backyardgardener.com/plantname/pda_2ba0.html##>">http://www.backyardgardener.com/plantname/pda_2ba0.html##></a>; with toothed, green leaves and large fruit <<a href="http://www.backyardgardener.com/plantname/pda_2ba0.html##>">http://www.backyardgardener.com/plantname/pda_2ba0.html##></a>; . The flowers, over 2 inches across, appear in spring. Single, cupped pink and white flowers. Yellow fruit with red stripes. Requires moist, well-drained soil <<a href="http://www.backyardgardener.com/plantname/pda_2ba0.html##>">http://www.backyardgardener.com/plantname/pda_2ba0.html##></a>; . Prefers full sun, but tolerates partial shade." "Sweet enough for spiced apples! This beautiful little tree gives you lots of pink and white blooms every spring, and a heavy crop of crab apples, often bigger than a golf ball. These tangy little apples are perfect for canning, preserving, pickling and putting up as spiced apples. The flesh is sweet, juicy, and slightly yellow. The tree is narrow and grows upright. The apples will keep fairly well, so you can enjoy them from late July to late August and beyond."
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