Family:Whitney, Ammi (1833-a1900)

Ammi Whitney (Ammi Ruhamah, James, [poss.] Isaac⁴, Nathaniel³, Benjamin², John¹), son of Ammi Ruhamah and Hannah (Hall) Whitney, was born 13 Feb 1833, Falmouth, ME,^[1] and died after 1900.

Marriage intentions were published 2 Oct 1860, Cape Elizabeth, ME, for him "of Portland" and Emily Stevens Haskell "of Cape Elizabeth".^[2] He "of Portland" married, 9 or 10 Oct 1860, Cape Elizabeth, ME, Emily S. Haskell "of Cape Elizabeth", daughter of Samuel Haskell of Portland, ME.^[3] She was born about 1836, ME, and died after 1900.

Children of Ammi and Emily Stevens (Haskell) Whitney:

i.	Alice P. Whitney, b. ca. 1866, Portland, ME.
ii.	Kate D. Whitney, b. ca. 1868, Portland, ME.
iii.	Samuel H. Whitney, b. ca. 1871, Portland, ME.
iv.	Emma H. Whitney, b. say 1874; d. in infancy.
v.	Joseph Walker Whitney, b. 25 Nov 1877, Portland, ME.

Notes

Biography of Ammi Whitney

Biographical Review, Cumberland County, Maine (Boston, MA: Biographical Review Publishing Company, 1896), pp. 331-332.

Ammi Whitney, senior member of the firm of Kendall & Whitney, one of the oldest and best-known firms of Portland, was born in Cumberland, Me., February 13, 1833, son of Ammi R. and Hannah (Hall) Whitney. Ammi R. Whitney also was a native of Cumberland, where he likewise grew to maturity. He moved to Falmouth in 1833, and was there engaged in agricultural pursuits up to the time of his death, December 14, 1851. His wife, who was a daughter of Robert Hall, one of the early farmers of Cumberland, died August 2, 1869. Mr. and Mrs. Whitney were members of the Baptist church. They reared the following children: Robert H., a farmer now living on the homestead at Falmouth, formerly a member of the well-known firm Grenville, Griswold, Whitney & Co. of Boston, now Whitney & Clough; Ammi, whose name heads this article; James H., a farmer in Falmouth; Ervin T., in business at the Suffolk Market, Boston; Susan P. Curtis (deceased), who was the wife of Gorham R., a farmer in Falmouth; and Mary E., wife of K. Watts, of Falmouth.

Ammi Whitney was an infant of six weeks when his parents removed to Falmouth. He remained on the farm until twenty years of age, in the mean time acquiring a fair education in the common schools of the town. He then went to Boston and entered the employ of the old firm of Parker & White, dealers in seeds and other agricultural goods. He spent nearly six years in this employment, returning to Portland in 1858, and forming a partnership with Hosea Kendall in the same kind of business. The firm bought the remains of the old agricultural warehouse of James E. Robinson, which had been in the receiver's hands, and first opened a place of business under the old City Hall, occupying two stores. Their trade increased to such an extent that within a short time they were using all the space under the City Hall, comprising five stores. In 1888 Mr. Whitney erected a brick block at the corner of Temple and Federal Street, one hundred and thirty-seven feet by one hundred, and three stories high. Of this block the firm now uses a part of the ground floor, measuring seventy-five feet by one hundred, and all the rooms above. Established in 1858, the firm of Kendall & Whitney is one of the oldest and most reliable in Portland, and has the most extensive business of the kind east of Boston. For the past twenty-five years Mr. Whitney has also owned and operated a large plant for the manufacture of tubs and woodenware at "Duck Pond," Westbrook, which gives constant employment to fifty men. He is a Director of the Casco Bank, one of the most solid financial institutions of Portland; a Trustee of the Old Men's Home; Vice-President of the Governing Board of the Eye and Ear Infirmary, in which he has been actively interested since its establishment; and an extensive owner of real estate, both business and residential. Essentially a self-made man, he has attained prosperity by the exercise of natural business talent, a conservative judgment, and a scrupulous probity in business as well as in all other relations.

On October 10, 1860, Mr. Whitney was united in marriage with Emily S., daughter of Samuel Haskell, one of the leading hotel men of early Portland. Mr. Haskell was the proprietor of the Elm House, which formerly stood on the site of the present store of Kendall & Whitney, and in which Mrs. Whitney was born. He was afterward host of the American House. Toward the close of his life he retired from business, and died at Cape Elizabeth. Five children blessed the union of Mr. and Mrs. Whitney. They were: Alice P.; Kate D.; Samuel H., now in business with his father; Joseph W; and Emma H., who died in infancy.

Politically, Mr. Whitney favors the Democratic party. He attends the Unitarian church. His home, one of the handsomest residences in the city, built by him in 1878, is situated at the corner of Neal and Spring Streets.

- Source: http://www.raynorshyn.com/megenweb/cumberland/biographies/whitney2.txt

Census

• 1860, Portland Ward 3, Cumberland Co., ME:

1276 1840 Rosen G. Burrell 28 M - Clerk $300 Maine ... Ammi Whitney 26 M - Merchant Maine ...

• 1870, Portland Ward 7, Cumberland Co., ME:

660 795 Whitney, Ammi 38 M W $6000 $7000 Maine Male citizen over 21 -----, Emily S. 33 F W Keeping House " -----, Alice P. 4 F W " -----, Kate D. 2 F W " Haskell, Edward C. 26 M W Clerk in Store " Male citizen over 21 -----, George A. 23 M W Clerk in Store " Male citizen over 21 Mosher, Jennie W. 24 F W Domestic Servant Nova Scotia Parents foreign born

• 1880, Portland, Cumberland Co., ME:

Ammi WHITNEY 47 Self M M W ME Wholesale Dealer in Seed and Farm implements ME ME Emily S. WHITNEY 44 Wife F M W ME MA MA Alice P. WHITNEY 14 Dau F S W ME MA MA Katie D. WHITNEY 12 Dau F S W ME MA MA Samuel H. WHITNEY 9 Son M S W ME MA MA Joseph W. WHITNEY 2 Son M S W ME MA MA Maggie BRANNON 29 Oth F S W IRE Domestic Servant IRE IRE Katie BENNETT 16 Oth F S W IRE Domestic Servant IRE IRE

• 1900, Bowdoin College, Brunswick, Cumberland Co., ME

358 421 ... Whitney, Joseph W. Stud W M Nov 1877 22 sgl Maine Maine Maine At college ...

• 1900, 365 Spring Street, Portland Ward 7, Cumberland Co., ME

167 219 Whitney, Ammi Head W M Feb 1833 67 mar 39 Maine Maine Maine Dealer agric. supplies, Owns free house -----, Emily S. Wife W F Sep 1835 64 mar 39 5ch 4liv Maine Massachusetts Massachusetts -----, Alice P. Dau W F Mar 1866 34 sgl Maine Maine Maine -----, Kate D. Dau W F Aug 1867 32 sgl Maine Maine Maine -----, Samuel D. Son W M Dec 1870 29 sgl Maine Maine Maine Dealer agric. supplies Welch, Mary A. Srvt W F Oct 1880 19 sgl Ireland Ireland Ireland Servant, Immig. 1897

• 1900, Portland Ward 7, Cumberland Co., ME

173 225 Pickard, Fred W. Head W M Sep 1871 28 mar 0 Maine Maine Germany Editor newspaper, Rents house -----, Jane C. Wife W F Sep 1873 26 mar 0 0ch 0liv Ohio Canada Eng. Ohio Foley, Margaret Srvt W F Jan 1882 18 sgl Ireland Ireland Ireland Servant, Immig. 1899 Whitney, Joseph W. Son W M Nov 1877 22 sgl Maine Maine Maine At school

References

• Census records.

1.^  "Annie Whitney, b. 13 February 1833," according to Vital Records of Falmouth, Maine.

2.^  "Mr. Ammi Whitney of Portland and Miss Emily S. Haskell of Cape Elizabeth, intentions published 4 October 1860. Same married 9 October 1860," according to Diehm, Anne, comp., Vital Records of Cape Elizabeth, Maine, Maine Genealogical Society Special Publication No. 63 (Rockport, ME: Picton Press, c2009), pp. 467, 510.

3.^  "Oct. 9, 1860, Ami WHITNEY of Portland & Emily S. HASKELL of C. Elizabeth; by H. STEBBINS, M.G., Cape Elizabeth (C:435)," according to Kelley, Judith Holbrook, ed. and transcr., Clayton Rand Adams, ed., Marriage Returns of Cumberland County, Maine, Prior to 1892, Maine Genealogical Society Special Publication No. 29 (Rockport, ME: Picton Press, 1998), p. 600.

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Copyright © 2012, Robert L. Ward and the Whitney Research Group.