HISTORIAN’S REPORT to the TOWN BOARD

18 SEPTEMBER 2012

It is upsetting that again this month, in the passing of Dick Frarey, the Town lost another who had served the townspeople for many years. We send our sympathy to the Frarey family.

Sharon finished copying information from Lenora Fredericksen’s family scrapbook and is now working on Veda Warner’s. What she does will be put in appropriate files so we can easily access the information.

THE WHITNEY FAMILY of SENECA CASTLE AREA

The Whitney family originated in early, 1086, England. The branch of the Whitney family that interests us is that of John who was born in England then settled and died in Watertown, Mass. He was followed by his son, Benjamin born 1643; whose son, Jonathan was born 1681. The line continues with Jonathan (2), son of Jonathan (1) , born 1704. It is Captain Jonathan (3) born 1737, who came to Seneca as one of our early pioneers.

Captain Jonathan married Esther Parkhurst in November, 1760. Soon after their marriage they removed to Conway, Mass. He served in the French and Indian War. In the American Revolution he became a commissioned officer on May 3, 1776. In 1789 He went with his son, Joel to Ontario County, New York, and settled on the “Old Castle” farm near Geneva, which at the time was part of the Town of Seneca. It was located in the area of Pre-Emption Rd. and County Road Four. He put in 4-5 acres of wheat, cut a stack of hay, and erected a log house eighteen feet square. After four months in the forest it was the fall of the year and he returned to Conway. No mention is made of his son, Joel.

In March , 1790/1 Jonathan and his family left Conway, Mass. to go to the farm he had prepared for them. They traveled by ox teams for seventeen days enduring many hardships and privations during the perilous trip. They arrived in Geneva in the morning, when their stock of provisions were exausted, and but one loaf of bread remained in the village. Colonel Reed, however supplied them with a scanty breakfast, though the best possible.

Captain Whitney was one of twenty persons who purchased township No. 10, first range, his share being six lots, or one thousand one hundred and fifty-two acres, and he subsequently became the proprietor of six additional lots.

His family, in addition to his wife, consisted of 5 boys: Nathan, Joel, Jonas, Ami and Parkhurst and 4 girls: Abigail, Esther, Experience, and Ruth, who died young.

Captain Whitney died 22 August 1792, at age 55 years and almost 1 month.

Town Historian,

Jane Wolfe