However, just a mere year after they met, she died on March 31, 1833. [5], While he was abroad in France in 1832, he married a French girl, Herminie Antoinette Pillet. When Whitney returned to the United States in 1844, he realized the benefits from such an undertaking, and spent a great deal of money trying to get the Congress to take up the project. Asa Whitney family tree The voyage to China usually took around 100 days, and newer ships could make the trip in as short as 79 days. His trip back was also very long and tedious. For five generations in New England, Whitneys had engaged in farming or manufacturing. [8][9], Although Whitney’s plan fell through, word began spreading of the idea of a transcontinental railroad. Asa Whitney (1797–1872) Asa Whitney (canal commissioner) (1791–1874) Benson Whitney (born 1956) Charlotte Anita Whitney (1867–1955) Schooled in the commercial world, consulted by the shrewd­ est business men of his time, Whitney was a man of action as well as vision. After the dispute died down, many other nations began to trade with China, and Whitney became one of a few Americans who helped with the exportation of teas, spices, and other goods. She was buried in New Rochelle, very close to where Asa had planned to start a family with her. After leaving college, he made a voyage to the Mediterranean for his health, and subsequently went to Rio Janeiro as supercargo. Amy Blodgett.He married 153. Please enable JavaScript in your browser's settings to use this part of Geni. WHITNEY, Asa, manufacturer, born in Townsend, Massachusetts, 1 December, 1791; died in Philadelphia, 4 June, 1874. Asa married Catharine Leggett on 7 Oct 1797 in Norwalk CT. (Catharine Leggett was born on 26 Jun 1778 in Norwalk CT and died on 3 Dec 1813 in New York City NY.) His plan was mainly focused on trade with China, and connecting the two countries for increased culture, immigration, and commerce. In English, the usual pronunciation is / ˈ eɪ s ə / or / ˈ eɪ z ə /.. Asa (אסא): derived from the Hebrew language, as the name appears in the Old Testament to designate the third King of Judah, who reigned for forty years.It became a popular American name because of the influence of the Puritans in the 17th century. Whitney, was born 26 Feb 1742/3, Preston, CT,, baptized 7 Oct 1744, Preston, CT (son of "widow Whitney"), and died 10 Aug 1803, Pittsfield, MA.. Asa married firstly, 5 Aug 1762, Preston, CT, Sarah Barnes, "both of Preston". This may have been a miscarriage or an unsuccessful childbirth. Asa Whitney, manufacturer, born in Townsend, MA, 1 Dec 1791; died in Philadelphia, 4 Jun 1874. Asa is a given name in several parts of the world. He arrived in China during the Opium Wars, which was a dispute between the British and the Chinese. She married Levi Whitney on 19 December 1764, in Shrewsbury, Worcester, Massachusetts Bay Colony, British Colonial America. He continued trying to create the railroad, taking surveys and examining potential routes. People & Events: Asa Whitney (1791-1874) and Early Plans for a Transcontinental Railroad. Asa Whitney in Iowa Asa Whitney was no idle dreamer. It would greatly shorten the long trip. He began as a clerk, working for a huge importer of French goods. His plan inspired many young, ambitious engineers, one of which being Theodore Judah, a man who helped make the dream of a transcontinental railroad into a reality. July 1 1767 - Townsend, Middlesex, Massachusetts, Levi Whitney, Rebecca Whitney (born Clark), Amos Whitney, Sarah "sally" Whitney, Sibyl Smith (born Whitney), Aaron Whitney, Sewel Whitney, Rebecca Wallace (born Whitney), July 1 1767 - Townsend, Middlesex, Massachusetts, United States, Dec 27 1851 - Townsend, Middlesex, Massachusetts, USA, Sarah "Sally" Whitney, Sibil Whitney, Aaron Whitney, Sewel Whitney, Polly Whitney, Asa Whitney, Samuel Whitney, Sewell Whitney, Rebecca Whitney, Sarah "sally" Whitney, Levi Whitney, Joel Whitney, 1767 - Townsend, Middlesex, Massachusetts, New England, Asa Whitney, Polly French, Samuel Whitney, Rebecca Hartwell, Joel Whitney, Levi Whitney, Sewell Whitney, Dec 27 1851 - Townsend, Middlesex, Massachusetts, United States, ...itney, Sarah Whitney, Sally Whitney, Sybil Smith (born Whitney), Aaron Whitney, Sewell Whitney, Sewell Whitney, Rebecca Whitney, Asa Whitney, Levy Whitney, Rebecca Whitney (born Clarke), Amos Whitney, Sarah Whitney, Sibyl Whitney, Aaron Whitney, Rebecca Whitney, Sewell Whitney, Amos Whitney, Sarah Whitney, Sibyl Whitney, Aaron Whitney, Rebecca Whitney, Whitney, July 1 1767 - Townsend, Middlesex County, Massachusetts, Amos Whitney, Sarah Whitney, Sybil Smith (born Whitney), Aaron Whitney, Sewel Whitney, Rebecca Whitney, Amos Whitney, Sarah Whitney, Sibyl Whitney, Aaron Whitney, Sewall Whitney, Rebecca Whitney. She was buried next to Asa’s first wife. In 1849, he published A Project for a Railroad to the Pacific. Master to Ebenezer Whitney 15 May 1798 in New York City NY. He wrote A Project for a Railroad to the Pacific, a memorial to the United States Congress, in 1849. He was promoted, and, by 1832, he was a successful dry-goods merchant. [5], He went to New York in his late teens to chase his dream of being a merchant. He spent a great amount of time and money to try to promote his plan, and he explored a lot of the routes that he considered. He bought property in upstate New York and began working on a memorial to Congress about his plan for a railroad. However, from a young age, Asa Whitney showed no interest in agriculture and wanted to be a merchant. He is distantly related to Eli Whitney, the inventor of the cotton gin. He married again to Sarah Jay Munro. [5] However, no matter how hard he tried, his plan was never accepted, and he stopped campaigning in 1851. [4], Asa Whitney was born on March 14, 1797 in North Groton, Connecticut. [1], He was one of the first backers of an American transcontinental railway. Joshua Whitney and 305. For the manufacturer of railroad wheels, railroad engineer and Erie Canal commissioner, see, Margaret L. Brown, "Asa Whitney and His Pacific Railroad Publicity Campaign,", "Asa Whitney: Father of Pacific Railroads", https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/38919770/asa-whitney, "Asa Whitney and the Machine in the Garden". Asa Whitney (1797–1872) Asa Whitney (canal commissioner) (1791–1874) Benson Whitney (born 1956) Charlotte Anita Whitney (1867–1955) 358-360. When he arrived back in the United States, he was full of inspiration and drive and he got straight to work. Whitney was only given $10,000 for his property. Samuel was born Feb. 27, 1794. Asa Whitney: Asa Whitney was born on March 14, 1797 in Connecticut, and he decided at a young age to buck the family tradition of farming in order to become a merchant. Asa Whitney (1797–1872) was a highly successful dry-goods merchant and transcontinental railroad promoter. Asa Whitney was born on March 14, 1797 in North Groton, Connecticut. Tag: Asa Whitney (page 1 of 1) April 10, 2008. Asa Whitney (1797–1872), American merchant and railroad visionary Asa Whitney (canal commissioner) (1791–1874), American inventor, politician and manufacturer Ashley Whitney (born 1979), American freestyle swimmer Geni requires JavaScript! For five generations, the Whitney family had been farmers. Son of Levi Whitney and Rebecca Whitney He wanted to build a railroad across the United States. Asa Whitney (1791-1874) and Early Plans for a Transcontinental Railroad Born to a family of of prominent farmers and manufacturers (Eli Whitney, inventor of … Brother of Sybil Smith and Aaron Whitney, https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/125050795/asa-whitney. For years he continued to write revised memorials and take expeditions through what was then known as Indian Territory to support his cause. Thomas Whitney, 62, of St. Petersburg, FL, formerly of Harrisburg, transitioned into eternal life on Wednesday, June 26, 2013. New York City was the first capital of the United States after the Constitution was ratified in 1788. On June 18, 1842, he set sail to China on his ship, the Oscar. He was son of Asa and Mary (Hammond) Whitney, and was born in Boston, 17 June, 1819. [5], This article is about the New York City merchant. 152.Asa Whitney, born February 16, 1742/43 in Preston, CT; died August 10, 1803 in Pittsfield, MA.He was the son of 304. The Oscar was loaded down with a lot of goods which resulted in the ship moving very slowly. He was born on a farm at North Groton, Connecticut, in 1797, but made his way to New York before he was twenty. [5], On the way back from China, Asa Whitney began devising a plan that would make the trip to China much easier. 1838. When Levi Whitney was born on 5 December 1739, in Shrewsbury, Middlesex, Massachusetts Bay Colony, British Colonial America, his father, Daniel Whitney, was 29 and his mother, Thankful Allen, was 25. However, he did not mourn for long. A Lecture on the Railroad to the Pacific (1850) by Calvin Colton, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Asa_Whitney&oldid=997111994, Businesspeople from New Rochelle, New York, Wikipedia articles with SNAC-ID identifiers, Wikipedia articles with WORLDCATID identifiers, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 30 December 2020, at 01:52. A trip to China in 1842-44 impressed upon Whitney the need for a transcontinental railroad from the Atlantic to the Pacific.[2][3]. Asa Whitney passed away on 13 Nov 1781 in Halifax, Windham County, VT . He is distantly related to Eli Whitney, the inventor of the cotton gin. Born to a family of of prominent farmers and manufacturers (Eli Whitney, inventor of the cotton gin, was a distant cousin), young Asa Whitney displayed ambition in business.In his teens he went to New York to work his way up the mercantile ladder. [5] In 1852, Whitney married Mrs. Catherine (Moore) Campbell of Wilmington, N.C. She outlived her husband by six years and is buried beside him in Rock Creek Cemetery, Washington, D.C.[6][7], After his wife died, his property in New York faced foreclosure and was put up for auction. Mother Mary Wallis . She died in 1775. However, Whitney’s trip took 153 days, a record slowness for the year. Father of Asa Whitney and Joel Whitney Asa Whitney was born 17 December 1754 in Biddeford, York County, Maine to Nathan Whitney (1706-1804) and Elizabeth Bailey (1710-) and died 17 December 1806 in Gorham, Cumberland County, Maine of unspecified causes. Hepsebeth Watrous October 23, 1776 in Salisbury, CT. Whitney became very angry during this trip and he was apt to having rages and temper tantrums. His parents were Sarah Mitchell and Shubael Whitney. Matthias and his wife Alice were the parents of the following children: Mary Whitney, born April 19, 1743 Asa Whitney, born February 19, 1745, resided in Windsor county, Connecticut Sources ↑ Frederick Clifton Pierce, The Descendants of John Whitney, Who Came from London, England, to Watertown, Massachusetts, in 1635, (Chicago: 1895), pp. They were the parents of at least 4 sons and 2 daughters. He married Patience Weston (1751-1784) … However, from a young age, Asa Whitney showed no interest in agriculture and wanted to be a merchant. He married Rebecca Clark on 19 December 1764, in Shrewsbury, Worcester, Massachusetts Bay Colony, British Colonial America. Historical Person Search Search Search Results Results Maria D. Whitney (1818 - 1883) Try FREE for 14 days Try FREE for 14 days How do we create a person’s profile? Father Asa Whitney . Genealogy profile for Asa Whitney Asa Whitney (1825 - 1888) - Genealogy Genealogy for Asa Whitney (1825 - 1888) family tree on Geni, with over 200 million profiles of ancestors and living relatives. He married first Polly Wallace and later married Kezia Gage. The surname Whitney was first found in Herefordshirewhere Harold de Whitney held the Lordship of Whitney from St. Guthlac's Church. -ASA HAMMOND WHITNEY died in Vicksburg, Miss., 8 October, 1858, aged 39. Born in Brookfield, MA on 30 Mar 1773 to Nathaniel Whitney and Abigail Josling Marstop?. Asa 5 Whitney (Joshua 4, William 3, Joshua 2, John 1), son of Joshua 4 and Anna (?Blodgett?) His plan was detailed and impressive, but he was denied. They were fifth cousins. For five generations, the Whitney family had been farmers. He sold the rest of his land and drew his interests toward China. By the time he left China, he had enough money to retire. Later Whitney's dream was realized through the efforts of Theodore Judah. Asa Whitney: Birthdate: July 01, 1767: Birthplace: Townsend, MA, United States: Death: December 27, 1851 (84) Immediate Family: Son of Levi Whitney and Rebecca Whitney Husband of Mary Whitney Father of Asa Whitney and Joel Whitney Brother of Sybil Smith Half brother of Aaron Whitney. While Melville was writing Moby Dick, a New England merchant born in Massachusetts, named Asa Whitney, was lobbying Congress to pass legislation to promote the building of a transcontinental railroad. She died on November 12, 1840. They were fifth cousins. Matthias was born May 26, 1720, in Groton, Middlesex county, Massachusetts, the son of Cornelius Whitney and Sarah Shepard. Asa Whitney Graves (1) was born in Feb. 1820 in Killingly, Windham Co., CT, died 31 March 1904 in Danielson Borough, Killingly, CT, at the age of 84, and was buried in New Westfield Cem., Killingly. More Genealogy Tools His parents were Sarah Mitchell and Shubael Whitney. He wanted to create a route that went way up north to the Puget Sound. We collect and match historical records that Ancestry users have contributed to their family trees to create each person’s profile. His profits began piling up. He first married Lucy T. Gould, daughter of George William Gould and Hannah Tufts. Praying for a Grant of Land to Enable Him to Construct a Railroad from Lake Michigan to the Pacific Ocean. He died in 1872, three years after the golden spike was laid, of typhoid fever. Husband of Mary Whitney His time in China lasted a year and four months, and he headed back home on April 2, 1844. When Rebecca Clark was born in 1736, in Sherborn, Middlesex, Massachusetts, United States, her father, Samuel Clarke, was 30 and her mother, Sarah Taylor, was 27. Asa Whitney was born in Townsend, Massachusetts, on December 1, 1791, the son of Asa Whitney and Mary Wallis. As a boy, he worked in his father's blacksmith shop, and he spent much of his adult life working with machinery. He was born in Jersey City, NJ, son of the late Timothy and Lurnetta Whitney, a graduate of the former John Harris High School and Penn State Univ. Born in 1797 and died in 7 Sep 1872 Washington, District of Columbia Asa Whitney He was the eldest child born, on March 14, 1797, to Sarah Mitchell and Shubael Whitney, near Lantern Hill in North Groton, Connecticut. He mourned for a short time, and even kept a lock of her hair after she had died. People on the East coast could take the train to the West coast, and then take a ship from there to China. Asa married Catharine Leggett on 7 Oct 1797 in Norwalk CT. (Catharine Leggett was born on 26 Jun 1778 in Norwalk CT and died on 3 Dec 1813 in New York City NY.) Asa Whitney, born August 17, 1776 in Norwalk, Fairfield County, Connecticut; died December 08, 1812 in New York City, New York, New York; married Catharine Leggett October 07, 1797 in Norwalk, Fairfield County, Connecticut; born June 26, 1778; died December 31, 1813 in New York City, New York, New York. Master to Ebenezer Whitney 15 May 1798 in New York City NY. Managed by: Lavinia Klein: Last Updated: today Moby Dick and the Problem of Slavery. In the end, Whitney lived to see his dream realized in 1869 with the opening of the Union Pacific. 1848. [8], Asa Whitney lived long enough to see his dream become a reality; he was alive when the first transcontinental railroad was completed. He believed that the railroad would open trade to all of Asia, and unite the continents. Whitney, born in Massachusetts in 1765, the man who invented the cotton gin; Asa Whitney from New York, an early backer of transcontinental railroads; Josiah Whitney, the geologist from Massachusetts after whom Mount Whitney is named; David Whitney from … Biography . Within days of doubling the cape, Asa Whitney was afflicted with boils.