My Genealogy Hound

Joseph Whitaker is one of Clay County’s most prosperous farmers and stockmen. His birth occurred in Crawford County, Penn., in 1838, he being the second of a family of ten children born to the marriage of John Whitaker and Euphemia Ann Johnson, originally from New York State. After their marriage in their native State, they immediately moved to Crawford County, Penn., where they bought land and were engaged in farming for about fifteen years, then purchasing land in Erie County, twenty miles from the city of Erie. Here the father is still living, but the mother died in 1882. Joseph Whitaker attended school until he was about nineteen years of age, and on the 6th of May, 1861, enlisted in Company D, First Pennsylvania Rifle Regiment, which was known in the field as the “Old Buck-tail Regiment.” He was in the First Army Corps, and was assigned to the Army of the Potomac, participating in the battles of Drainsville, the Peninsula Campaign, Second Bull Run, South Mountain, Antietam, Fredericksburg, Gettysburg, and was with Grant until the battle of Cold Harbor, which was the last combat in which he took part. He received his discharge on the 4th of July, 1864, and was mustered out at Harrisburg, but soon after re-enlisted in the service, joining the Ninety-eighth Pennsylvania Veteran Volunteers, and was sent to the front after Johnston, in North Carolina. When the latter surrendered, he returned to Washington, D. C., but was mustered out at Philadelphia. After returning home he went to Warren County, Penn., where he was engaged in the lumber business for some time, and operated two saw mills. In 1883 he sold out and came to Clay County, Ark., and bought eighty acres in what is now the village of Knobel, being occupied in sawing lumber for a mill company from Burlington, Iowa. There were no improvements whatever on his land, but Mr. Whitaker immediately erected a comfortable house and out-buildings, and cleared about twenty-five acres, which are under cultivation. He has a good young orchard. He has sold considerable of his land for town lots, and during his residence here has taken considerable interest in raising the grade of stock, and in December, 1888, imported two registered Durham cattle, a cow and a bull, which are the only registered animals in Clay County. He was married, in 1866, to Miss Elizabeth Searl, a native of England, and an estimable lady, who died in February, 1886, having borne the following children: Richard, in the employ of the Missouri Pacific Railroad, his headquarters being at Jefferson City, Mo., and Adelle, a young lady who manages her father’s household affairs.