Family:Whitney, Charles Oscar (1838-a1920)

Charles Oscar⁷ Whitney (Luke⁶, John⁵, James⁴, Joseph³, Jonathan², John¹). born Troy, New Hampshire, 4 May 1838; married 27 Nov 1862, at Keene, Frances Flora Bent; born Oct. 27, 1838, at Fitzwilliam.

Mr. Whitney's father dying when he was but three years old, and the family being in humble circumstnaces, he went to live with his uncle, Ira Godding, of Troy, New Hampshire, where he resided until he was about twelve years old, when he was thrown upon his own resources by the death of Mr. and Mrs. Godding. Now commenced his hard struggle with the world for a living, and for the next few years he made his home in any family where his labors would suffice for his board and clothes. With all these adverse circumstances he had but little time or opportunity for education except a few weeks in the winter at the district school. At the age of seventeen he went to work in a saw and grist mill and afterward to Gardner, Massachusetts, where he worked for some time in a chair manufactory. At the breaking out of the war, when the demand for firearms was largely increased, he went to Springfield, Massachusetts, and worked for the United States government making muskets, where he remained nearly two years. But Mr. Whitney had conceived the plan of furthering his business interests, and his early life of labor had taught him prudence and economy, so he now determined to start business for himself. Accordingly returning to South Gardner and taking into partnership his brother-inlaw, under the firm title of Whitney & Bent, he began chair manufacturing, which was carried on for several years with a fair percentage of profit for the capital invested. In 1866 Mr. Whitney disposed of his interest in the business and removed to Marlborough, New Hampshire, where he now resides. The same year he in company with several other gentlemen formed a copartnership under the name of the Marlborough Manufacturing Company, and in the following spring made the first horse blankets manufactured in this town, thus developing a most important branch of industry, which added much to the prosperity and growth of the town. Mr. Whitney afterwards withdrew from this company, purchased land, erected a building, and creating a new water-power, resumed chair manufacturing. Subsequently he, with Mr. Warren H. Clark, formed what is now known as the Cheshire Blanket Company and fitted up the mill in which Mr. Whitney formerly made chairs for the manufacture of blankets. These enterprising men from time to time enlarged their manufacturing facilities until they now have seven sets of machinery. They have a capital stock of $40,000 and can produce five hundred blankets a day. This firm also manufactures satinets and produce as many as twentyfive thousand yards per month, and the annual production when running full time is three thousand bales. Politically Mr. Whitney is a Republican, and has served the town as selectman and has for some time been a member of the school board. He is a man of great industry, perseverance and pluck, and though his early manhood was one of hard toil, yet by persevering efforts, from humble beginnings, unaided, he has acquired competency, and stands well in the esteem of his fellow townsmen and is a good type of the self-made men of the Granite State; resided Marlboro, New Hampshire.

Children of Charles Oscar⁷ Whitney:

i.	Frank Russell8 Whitney, born 29 Aug 1866; died in Marlboro.
ii.	Chas Winnefred Whitney, born 4 Aug 1877.
iii.	Robert Whitney, L., born 10 Sep 1880.

References

1. All data imported from Frederick Clifton Pierce, The Descendants of John Whitney, Who Came from London, England, to Watertown, Massachusetts, in 1635, (Chicago: 1895), pp. 378-379.

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