William H. Whitfield, one of the leading citizens and
substantial farmers of Gillespie township, Macoupin County, owning a fine
farm of 160 acres, situated in section 27, was born September 10, 1832, near
the city of Raleigh, North Carolina, and is a son of Travis W. and Elizabeth
(Stephens) Whitfield.
Our subject belongs to a family of distinction
in the South, both of his grandfathers having served in the Revolutionary
War and both the Whitfields and Stephenses being for many years prominent
planters and slave owners.
Travis W. Whitfield, father of William
H., was born in South Carolina and his life was passed in the Carolinas,
Tennessee and Illinois, his death taking place in Macoupin County in 1870 at
the age of 60 years. He had followed the trades of shoemaker and carpenter.
In politics he was a Democrat. He married Elizabeth Stephens, who was born
in Virginia, and the six children born to them were the following: William
H., of this sketch; Airs. Margaret A. Collins, of Kansas; John T., of
Macoupin County; Mrs. Mary Clarkston, of Atwater, Montgomery County,
Illinois; Mrs. Martha Vaughn, of Virden, Macoupin County; and Mrs. Sallie
Stubblefield, of Kansas.
William H. Whitfield was still a small boy
when his parents removed to Tennessee, whence they came to Illinois in 1847.
Macoupin County has been Mr. Whitfield's home ever since. In 1864 he removed
to his present valuable farm in Gillespie township, which he has operated
most successfully, making his leading farming crops, wheat, corn, oats and
hay and has engaged extensively in stock raising and feeding, and has raised
all his own horses. In addition he has operated a threshing machine for 35
years and purchased one of the first steam threshers ever made use of in
Gillespie township. Mr. Whitfield has been one of the most progressive
agriculturists of his section and his farm indicates that its management has
been done with careful and systematic methods.
In 1860, Mr.
Whitfield married Mourning Clark, who was born April 30, 1840, in Macoupin
County, Illinois, and is a daughter of Randall and Lucy (Gray) Clark, the
former a native of South Carolina, and the latter, of Virginia. Their four
children are: Henrietta, wife of John Luttenberger, residing in St. Louis,
Missouri; William M., now operating his father's farm, who married Mary
Snyder who at death left three children — Henrietta, Mary and Maude; James
L., of Honey Point township, who married Clara Coffee and has seven children
— Flora, William, Harry, Edith, Lucilla, James and "Baby;" and J. Thomas, of
Gillespie township, who married Cora Vanatta and has two children — Everett
and Esther.
In politics Mr. Whitfield is a supporter of the
Republican party and he has, on various occasions, been called upon to
accept local offices. He has been township supervisor, has been justice of
the peace for a long period and has shown his interest in educational
matters by serving as school director. During his term as highway
commissioner many needed improvements were made and others inaugurated. He
is a man very highly esteemed in Gillespie township and a worthy
representative of one of the old families of the county.
Extracted 2018 May 08 by Norma Hass from Biographical Sketches of Leading Citizens of Macoupin County, Illinois, published in 1904, pages 453-455.
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