C. A. WHITFORD PASSES AWAY

News of the death of C. A. Whitford, of Arlington, reached Blair last Thursday and the funeral was held Saturday, several Blair folks going over to pay their respects. Mr. Whitford was an early settler of Washington county and was for years one the of the leading farmers and fruit growers of that vicinity. He was a man of many friends and always took a great deal of interest in the things that would improve the condition of those who were on the farm. He was very active in instituting the old farmers’ institutes held at Arlington and was among those prominent in this movement years before the state took it up. He was always a good citizen and his death will be felt greatly. The Democrat wishes to join the family’s many friends in extending sympathy to the bereaved wife and children.

#2-April 5, 1912-Arlington Review Herald- Corydon Abbott Whitford

Territorial Pioneer of Washington County Dies at the age of 79 years

Last week we made brief mention of the death of C.A. Whitford, which occurred at his home on Fifth Street a little after 9 o’clock on Wednesday evening, March 27, 1912. The funeral was held Saturday March 30, and in spite of the high water and the bad condition of the roads quite a cortege of mourning friends followed the remains to Arlington cemetery where the remains were laid to rest, close to the home he established 56 years ago. Judge Magney of Omaha delivered the funeral oration and a choir consisting of Mesdames C.C. Marshall and J. A. Dixon and Messrs. J.A. Steele and Rev. R.A. Davies, rendered several very appropriate songs during the service. The display of flowers-the contribution of friends- was most beautiful, and testified to the tender affection each donor had for the departed neighbor and friend.

The pallbearers were: A. B. Newkirk, E. Wager, Henry Monke, C.M. Compton, J.A. Dixon, and Fred Lallman.

Besides the wife, one daughter, Mrs. J.E. Gelow of Hampton, Neb. and two sons W.A. and G.M. Whitford, both of this place, survive him.

Carlin Abbott Whitford was born in Wayne County, Ohio February 23, 1833, making him a little over one month over 79 years old at the time of his death. While yet a young man the Whitford family left Ohio and settled for a short time in Indiana before starting on the long overland trip for Nebraska. The family, as it left Indiana was composed of Mr. Whitford’s father and mother and his brothers and sisters. The trip was made overland and when about 50 miles east of Council Bluffs, the father was taken sick and died and it was indeed a sorrowful group that few days later crossed the Missouri river at Omaha, then only a hamlet. However, nothing daunted the travelers pushed on further west, until they arrived at a point about two miles east of the present site of Arlington. Here they decided to go no further and “squatted” on and afterwards purchased the land under the pre-emption laws, the deed being signed by James Buchanan, then president of the United States. In 1863 he was married to Miss Sarah E. Charles and they have since sailed life’s voyage together, happy and contented with such prosperity as perseverance, hard work and providence have deemed proper to bless them.

A few years after his marriage, Mr. Whitford moved to Colorado, where he settled down near Georgetown. He remained there several years, when he sold out his possessions there and moved back onto his old farm east of Arlington where he resided continuously until January, 1908, when he moved into Arlington, occupying a home on Fifth Street, where he has resided ever since.

Mr. Whitford occupied many positions of honor and trust in this county, and was one of the directors of the Nebraska exhibit made at the Tran-Mississippi exposition at Omaha in 1898.

His farm home occupied one of the most beautiful spots to be found anywhere in eastern Nebraska, and he early commenced the propagation of fruit on his farm, and for years before he left the farm he, each year harvested great crops of small fruit, as well as apples and peaches. This seemed to be the work he delighted in, and it was a bad year indeed, if he did not gather a bountiful harvest, which he shipped to all parts of the state.

Fifty-six years is a long time for one to have lived in Nebraska. In 1856, this state was no doubt very unattractive to the new comers, especially to those who had just arrived from the east. At that time Omaha was the nearest trading point and as a few loads of corn, oats or wheat would then glut the market, it was necessary to get there early if one desired to get anything like a fair price for his produce. The livery stables of Omaha were the principal buyers for corn and oats in early days and when they were supplied anyone who had not disposed of his load was compelled to sell to Tom Murry, or haul it back home with him. Murry was as thrifty in those days as he was later in life, and he would pay only about one-half what the livery stables paid for corn and oats. Mr. Whitford has many times made the trip to Omaha with a big load of corn, leaving home the evening before, so that he would be among the early ones to arrive in Omaha and thus escaped the penalty of being compelled to sell to Tom Murry.

Those were in pioneer days, but he lived long enough to see Washington County develop into one of the wealthiest counties in the state and Omaha grow to be a city of 150,000 inhabitants, honeycombed with railroads and where is located a market for everything that is produced or grown on a Nebraska farm. About four years ago he sold his farm and moved to Arlington, since which time he has lived in retirement, respected by all our people. For several years his heart has troubled him considerably and it was at times quite an effort for him to get around, but all the past winter every fine day he walked downtown to the post office, where he would chat with friends for a few moments and then return home. His last trip to town was made about two weeks before his death. It was at this time that he took to his bed from which he never arose, his condition becoming worse each day, until the final summons came on the evening of March 27.

“Green be the turf above thee, Pride of my youthful days: None knew thee but to love thee, Nor name thee but to praise.”

Note: From Arlington Cemetery records, b. 1833; died 27 March 1912.

Find a Grave Memorial# 52981774

Obituary courtesy of the Washington County Genealogical Society. Newspaper clippings on file at the Blair Public Library.