Archive:Early Settlers of Otisfield, Maine
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Grinfills B. Holden, comp., "Early Settlers of Otisfield, Maine," (1929). Copy located at NEHGS Library, Boston MA.
Extracted by Janice E. Whitaker.
WHITNEY MICAH WHITNEY, son of Abel was born in York, Maine in 1752. His wife's name was Hannah. In April 1777 Micah Whitney, blacksmith, bought of Napthalin Whitney of Gorham thirty-three acres of land in Gorham; he worked on the road in Otisfield 3 1/2 days in Sept. 1779 and Jona[than]Britton mentions him as being one of the first fourteen families who settled in town and was in Otisfield when Britton came in 1782. He acquired tirtle[sp] to Lot 93 (including the Merrill Knight and Mark Knight places) beyond doubt by doing settling duties on it. In 1784, Micah Whitney, blacksmith of Gorham sold to Daniel Cobb of Otisfield 1/4 part of the above named lot, and he sold the other 3/4 to Samuel Gammon of Otisfield (Merrill Whitney of Saco who takes it from the records of deeds, says the 75 acres sold to Samuel Gammon was in lot No. [blank]). Micah Whitney resided in Gray from 1806 to 1809 (so says Merrill Whitney of Saco). "Micah then was born in York in 1752; was living in Gorham in 1777 and in [1]779 was working on the road in O. Did settling duties on Lot No. 93 and was living on his place in 1782 when Jona[than] Britton came to O. - in 1784 was living again in Gorham and in 1806-9 was living in Gray." (Ambrose F. Wight is of the opinion that he came to some unnatural death.) MOSES WHITNEY said to be Revolutionary soldier, came to Mr. Geo. Peirces Oct. ye 15, 1777 and moved his family into his own house Dec. ye 6, 1777 (B. Patch Diary) Capt. Britton does not mention him [in] the list of first 14 families, and it is believed he settled at first not very far from Mr. Peirce's place in O. and his and his descendants still live on the old homestead in that town. In a few years he moved to Raymond. He had a daughter who married Hezekiah C who died in 1859 (the daughter) (Samuel Knight Diary) (But probably Hezekiah Cook's wife was the dau. of a later Moses Whitney). Moses Whitney was a merchant in Boston and Mr. Geo. Peirce worked for him trucking goods but the merchant met with absolute financial disaster and followed his successful truckman into the woods, in Maine to mend his fortunes. Mr. Whitney lived to a great age and died in the town of Phillips. His wife lived to be over 100 and died in Raymond (A. F. Wight). NATHANIEL WHITNEY b. April 14, 1680 had a son Able born in York July 3 1712. This Able had three sons: Daniel born 1741 in York died in Gorham Joseph Zebulon born 1747 in York and died in Gorham Micah born in 1752 in York and died in Gorham [I have transcribed this as it appeared, with [ ] interjections being my corrections. Yes, Nathaniel's sons number four, not three. I believe this is a loose collection of the facts, as the following entry comes from my Whitney line and there are names that do not agree with documented VR's and other reliable sources. - JEW] ------------------ URIAH [URIAL] WHITNEY of Gorham m. Dorcas [Lydia] Whitmore and had a dau. Betsey [b. 27 May 1795, but also second wife was widow Betsey (Mosher) Lathrop]. ABNER WHITNEY was living at Mr. Peirce's Dec. 6, 1782-4 and Capt. Jona[than] Britton there made the acquaintance of his daughter Beulah whom he married 1785 (she had a brother who came to O and died in No. Yarmouth) (Mary Brackett). She had a brother Urial or Uriah but whether this is the one who died in No. Yarmouth is not known. Abner had a house in O. He had Beulah, Samuel and Elijah. William Whitney came from Casco about 1835-8 and bought near where Merrill Peace now lives. Worked in his blacksmith shop-Went to Webbs Mills and died soon after in Aug. 1845. They had Martha, Nancy and a son. [I only copied this page and believe that was the end of the Whitneys in the book - JEW] [William,is not connected to the family immediately preceeding, according to VR's and documents. Abner did have a son William but he died in Standish ME 1836, and did not have a wife or daughters with those names. - JEW]
Copyright © 2011, Robert L. Ward and the Whitney Research Group.
