Family:Whitney, James Mordoff (1821-1893)

James Mordoff⁸ Whitney (Warham⁷, John⁶, Joshua⁵, Nathaniel⁴, Nathaniel³, John², John¹), son of Warham⁷ and Nancy (Mordoff) Whitney, was born 24 Feb 1821, Rochester, NY, and died 24 May 1893, Rochester, NY.

He married, 7 Sep 1852, Rochester, NY, Martha Louise Pond, daughter of Elias Pond. She was born 1833, Brockport, NY.

Mr. Whitney was a life-long resident of Rochester, NY, and a member of a family that has long been prominent in its history. His father, Warham Whitney, came here at the beginning of the century, and became the owner of large tracts of land in which is now the northwestern part of the city. The family resident was built on State street, near where the Rome, Watertown, & Ogdensburg station now stands, and it was here that Mr. Whitney was born in Feb 1821. He attended the public schools here, and graduated from the old Rochester high school. He attended an academy in Palmyra after leaving the high school, and after returning from that town he entered the milling house of his brother-in-law, General Williams, as a clerk. He remained with Mr. Williams a number of years, and then entered into the miling business himself, forming a co-partnership with N. T. Rochester and S. G. Andrews under the firm name of N. T. Rochester & Company. He retired from active business life several years ago. He has been a large holder of Rochester real estate, and at the time of his death, few citizens owned more than he. He was one of the first members of the old street car company, and held his interest in it up to the time the new corporation assumed control. Mr. Whitney never held public office, although he took a strong interest in all that pertained to the city's welfare. The only official position he held was that of trustee of the Mechanics Savings Bank, a position he held from the time the bank was incorporated. He was an excellent bank official; shrewd and far-sighted, and never missed a directors' meeting. Mr. Whitney married Miss Martha Pond, a daughter of Elias Pond. It was due in great part to Mr. Whitney's persistent agitation that Ontario Beach was developed into the beautiful summer resort it is to-day. He and Samuel Wilder purchased in 1860 sixteen acres of land in the outskirts of Charlotte, which included the present site of the Charlotte Iron Works. They paid for the tract $1,000. It was but a few years later that the iron works site alone was sold for $8,000. A short time later Mr. Wilder sold his interests in the land to Mr. Whitney, who built several cottages now become the Cottage hotel. He resided Lake Ave., Rochester, NY.

Children of James Mordoff⁸ and Martha Louise (Pond) Whitney:

i.	Warham9 Whitney, b. 3 Jul 1854; m. Fanny Palmer Arnot.
ii.	George Pond Whitney, b. 15 Jan 1856; d. 25 Dec 1891.

Census

• 1855 State, Rochester Ward 5, Monroe Co., NY:

[36] Brick $4000 38 James M. Whitney 34 M - - Monroe 1 - 34 Merchant Miller 1 - - - - 1 - Martha S. Whitney 24 F - Wife Monroe 1 - 24 - - - - - - - - Wareham Whitney 1 M - Chld Monroe - - 1 - - - - - - - - Mary Shean 26 F - Srvt Ireland - - 11 - - - 1 - - - - Mary Jones 40 F - Srvt Ireland - - 1 - - - 1 - - - - Jessee Thompson 25 F - Srvt Scotland - - 4 - - - 1 - - - - Frederick Schiver 28 M - Srvt Germany - - 2 - - - 1 - - - -

• 1860, Rochester Ward 9, Monroe Co., NY:

982 718 James M. Whitney 29 M - Merchant Miller $40000 $4000 New York Martha L. Whitney 29 F - House Keeper do Hiram Whitney 7 M - do George W. Whitney 5 M - do Maria FitzGerald 21 F - Servant $30 Ireland Margaret Robinson 37 F - do $25 do John Cosgrove 26 M - Laborer $100 do

• 1870, Rochester Ward 9, Monroe Co., NY:

671 658 Whitney, Jas. M. 49 M W Miller $50000 $20000 New York Male citizen over 21 -----, Martha L. 38 F W Keeping house " -----, Warham 16 M W At school " Attended school -----, Geo. P. 14 M W " " Attended school Farley, Rose 30 F W Domestic Servant Ireland Parents foreign born Garrety, Eliza 50 F W " " " Parents foreign born

• 1880, Rochester, Monroe Co., NY:

James M. WHITNEY 59 Self M M W NY Real Estate Agt. MA CAN Martha L. WHITNEY 48 Wife F M W NY Keeping House VT NY Warham WHITNEY 25 Son M S W NY Book Keeper NY NY

• 1880, Cameron, Clinton Co., MO:

Chester D. COMBS 47 Self M M W NY Hotel Keeper NY NY Hattie W. COMBS 47 Wife F M W NY Keeping House VT VT Walker M. COMBS 17 Son M S W WI Telegraph Operator NY NY Helen M. COMBS 12 Dau F S W WI At Home NY NY Mattie PRICE 24 Oth F W W MO Chambermaid NC AR Elsie CLAPPER 21 Oth F S W CAN. Servant Employee VT --- Clara KINNEY 17 Oth F S W IL Employee Servant IA OH Mary C. WARDEN 16 Oth F S W MO Work In Dining Room TN VA Mary MC ATEE 20 Oth F S W MO Cook Employee IL IA Albert CECIL 20 Oth M S W IL Clerk In Hotel VA VA Charles PRICE 9 Oth M S W MO Boarder MO MO James R. COVINGTON 22 Oth M S W MO Brakeman Railroad MO --- George H. MILLER 36 Oth M M W NY Railroad Conductor NY NY Sadie H. MILLER 22 Oth F M W PA Boarding PA PA Nellie I. MILLER 9 Oth F S W PA NY NY Hattie B. MILLER 4 Oth F S W PA NY PA Anna L. MILLER 2 Oth F S W PA NY PA Albert J. SNOVER 33 Oth M W W MI Express Messenger NJ NJ George P. WHITNEY 24 Oth M S W NY Traveling Ft. Agent NY NY James H. ALLEN 44 Oth M M W MI Engineer NY NY (Continued)

• 1892 State, Rochester Ward 9 E.D. 05, Monroe Co., NY:

James M. Whitney M 71 - U.S. C. Real estate Marietta L. Whitney F 60 - U.S. C. Rachel Wilson F 35 - Canada A. Cook Selena Thompson F 28 - Canada A. Bertha Wilson F 10 - U.S. C.

• 1900, 197 Lake Avenue, Rochester Ward 10, Monroe Co., NY:

272 301 Whitney, Martha Head W F Sep 1833 66 wid 2ch 1liv New York Vermont New York Owns mortgaged house Wilson, Rachel Srvt W F mar 1850 50 wid 1ch 1liv Canada Eng. Scotland Scotland Servant, Imm. 1860

References

• Census records.

• 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. 450-451.

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