Norwich bulletin., 1911-08-21
WiNDHAM BOY
PROMINENT IN NEW HAVEN.
Frederick E. Whitaker, Native of
Hampton, One of Those Who Rose
from Bottom Up.

Tuesdays New Haven Register had
the following readable account OF a
former eastern Connecticut boys ac-
tivities in life in series of sketches IF
prominent New Haveners who rose
from the bottom up:9
Rising from the bottom up is in
all essentials true in the case of Town
Clerk Frederick E. Whitaker, who for
the past six years has so capaDly con-
Quoted the affairs Of that important
office. Its the story over again of a
country boy leaving the little village
in his youth and by hard work. and
it was hard work in Mr.. Whitakers
case, taking a place at the head of n
important Office in a big city.
Mr.. Whitaker was born in Hampton
way up in Windham county, 40 years
ago. The section of the town where he
was born comprised at that time a SET
tlement Of about two houses, one of
them being his fathers and today it
hardly has more than a half dozen
.'naighbors." For what schooling he
the long Hampton hills to the villa ge
school, carrying lunch with him, and
when schulz" was out tramp back
home again to do the chores assigned
him
When old enough to leave school Mr.
Whitaker trudged it to Willimantic.
where he secured jon as maehinist
helper. He learned that trade of ms
chinfst and after learning that trade
secured employment in the Windham
county metropolis now presided over
by Mayor Danny Dunn. Then he ca me
to New Haven and entered the ma
chine shops of the New Haven road.
where for Is years ne worked hard and
stea Oily.
That was IS years ago, and when NJ
Whitaker arrived here he took up his
residence in the Fourth ward. 1t vas
only a short time before he made his
presence felt, and q few years after
entering the ward. which at that time
was considered staunchly democrat tic.
was elected to the old board of coun-
cilmen on the republican ticket. This
his first office was quickly followed by
election to the higher board that OF
the aldermen. and he served two terms
there.
While an alderman. Mr.. Whitaker
was appointed registrar of the ward,
and his thoroughness in his canvass
has been held responsible for bringing
it into the doubtful" column, if not
indeed leaning toward the republican
party.
When former Mayor John P. studley
was put into Office Mr.. Whitaker was
and the streets were then in pretty bad
shape. His push, however. togeth> u
with his geniality towards the men I'M
der him. soon brought order out pf
CDdOS and when he left office after tour
years the streets had never been better
nor have they been better since.
From superintendent Of streets Mr..
Whitaker was nominated by the repub-
1ican party for town clerk and at the
election defeated the democratic hold
err of that place. Frederick H. Breth-
auer who had held the office consecu-
lively for % years. His first move was
TO reorganize things there and by the
installation of loose leaf and type
writer system soon had the Office run
ming like cloGllwork. Work that had
been hanging fire for months was
cleaned ~ and has since been kent up
despite the big increase in the business
of the office consequent with the
growth Of the city. Last fall although
1t was against his personal wishes. he
was nominated for sheriff hv the re-
nublicans against Sheriff Philip Hugo.
He went to defeat with the other re-
puhlicans who were in the way of the
democratic landslide. He rapresen 5ad |
The Tenth district on the republican
state central committee.
Mr.. Whitaker is married and has a
FAMILY of three sons and one daughter |
besides his wife. He still lives in the |
Fourth ward. at 2o5 Howard aveuue |
He is member of the Flks and of the !
'pinochie squad" of the FIRE depart |
ment
The cut which accompanies the
sketch shows 4 we'll preserved and |
looSin~ face