H.A. Whitney

### Known for

Created Columbus' first wood framed-store, and subsequently the Whitney Hotel, which he managed for a good number of years. Served as Columbus' first postmaster and helped increase business in the village. Additionally served terms on the Village and Council Boards.

**Henry A. Whitney** (April 20th 1819-May 25th 1888) was a hardware merchant responsible for the creation of the Whitney Hotel, a prominent feature of Columbus, which has endured since 1858. Whitney was born in Windham County, Vermont in 1819 to Warren and Caroline Whitney. He was educated in the common schools of his state, and at the age of 14 in about 1833, began peddling Yankee notions which he continued doing for a few years thereafter. Whitney then immigrated to Illinois in 1839, locating himself on a farm near the town of Peoria, devoting himself to agriculture for two years, next moving to Rockford, Illinois, where he continued farming for another year, before finally arriving in Columbus in 1843 (Some sources alternatively cite 1844 and 1845, thus Whitney's precise year of arrival in Columbus, remains unknown). Whitney soon set up shop, building Columbus' first wood-framed store, which was situated at the present site of the Whitney Hotel and was 1.5 stories tall. The building served as a combination store, tavern, rooming-house, and post-office, with Whitney himself becoming Columbus' first postmaster. After conducting his business there for several years, in somewhat cramped conditions, he sold the building to Almon P. Birdsey. Unfortunately for the new owner, the wood-framed structure was completely destroyed in a fire, but was subsequently rebuilt. Whitney soon constructed another building near the first one, continuing his mercantile trade and livery business. Roughly a year later, he began buying produce and transporting it to the lumber regions of the state, taking the lumber in exchange, which he would float down the Mississippi to St. Louis, (Just under 500 miles), via raft. On one such occasion, Whitney lost nearly all of his lumber, when his raft broke at Alton, Illinois, scattering the logs into the water, with no apparent destination. Returning to Columbus after this excursion, Whitney began drawing provisions to Green Bay, and trading with Native-Americans. Whitney then bought back his old store, sometime around 1854, only to have it burn to the ground a second time on October 8th 1857. Whitney subsequently turned his attention to the wheat business, buying and hauling it to Milwaukee, returning either with wagons full of goods for the merchants of Columbus, or immigrants to this section of the country, helping to boost early Columbus' population. Most of such travel was done with Ox-Teams and would take between 10-14 days to travel to Milwaukee, as-well as the return trip to Columbus. A few years after this, Whitney began dealing in livestock, and shipped the first car-load, (likely meaning railroad), from this part of the country, a venture which he continued for several years, under Government contracts. In 1858, Whitney had a hotel built in his name, on the site where his wood-framed stores had previously existed. This time however, the building was three floors tall, in addition to a Belvedere at the top (non-extant), and was built of brick and masonry, which has allowed it to endure till present day. The hotel's roof was added just 18 days after the foundation was laid. Whitney was proprietor of the Hotel, until he sold it in 1866, afterwards continuing in the hardware trade. Whitney's other notable contributions include serving as Columbus' first postmaster, and serving several times as a member of both the Village Board and City Council. By 1880, he owned a 300-acre farm in Columbus, four farms in the town of Fountain-Prairie, culminating in a combined 838 Acres, three farms in the town of Ostego amounting to 690 acres, a farm of 200 acres near Loss Lake, a farm of 180 acres in the town of Calamus, two farms near Augusta amounting to 240 Acres, and one final farm of 160 Acres in Fairmount, Minnesota. Whitney married Helen M. Pierson of Rockford, Illinois, originally a native of Vermont also. They had a son and daughter together, Alonzo and Orlina. Whitney was also a member of the Masonic Fraternity, joining in about 1855. Whitney built a new home in Columbus in 1868 (now known as the H.A. Whitney Inn), where he lived along with his family, for the rest of his life. Whitney passed away on May 25th 1888, at the age of 69. In 1921, his son Alonzo built the Whitney Memorial chapel at Hillside Cemetery, in honor of his parents, another structure which stands to this day.

## Trivia

* As mentioned above, Whitney's properties towards the end of his life amounted to a total of 13 farms, amounting to a combined total of 2608 Acres, something which would likely cost in excess of $7.8 Million in today's money.
* Oddly in some documentation regarding Whitney, he's cited as being born in 1816, as opposed to during 1819.
* Present and Former locations in Columbus named after Henry Whitney include, H. A. Whitney's Store, Whitney Hotel, Whitney Bridge, H.A. Whitney Inn, Whitney Memorial Chapel, and Whitney Street.
* In 1845, Columbus was in need of a postmaster, as the railroad would not reach Columbus until 1857, the only means of communication with nearby regions were either walking or traveling on horseback. Postal-Routes to regions such as Madison and Green-Bay didn't yet exist, and even communication with nearby Beaver-Dam was limited, with an Indian-Trail being the only means of communication. Thus late that year, Columbus' first post-office was set up, with mail arriving once a week. Whitney, and another prominent resident of early Columbus, Col. Jeremiah Drake, held a spirited contest to see who should become the first postmaster. Whitney of course, was the winner.
* Whitney had another child, Rosultha, born C. 1843, who unfortunately died aged 2, on June 17th 1845. She is buried on the Whitney Family lot at Hillside Cemetery.
* "Mr. Whitney was a man of intense mental and physical activity, and had unusual good business sense, no doubt greatly sharpened by his early experience as a peddler back in Vermont" ~ Quote by Fred A. Stare in "The Story of Columbus".

## Sources

* Butterfield, C. W. History of Columbia County, WI. Chicago: Western Historical Co., 1880, pp. 980-981.
* The Story of Columbus by Fred A. Stare.