George P. Whitaker
George Price Whitaker | |
|---|---|
| Member of the | |
| Succeeded by | John Ward Davis, Levi R. Mearns, William Richards, James Touchstone |
| Personal details | |
| Born | December 1803 near Reading, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Died | December 31, 1890 (aged 87) Cecil County, Maryland, U.S. |
| Resting place | St. Mark's Protestant Episcopal Chapel near Perryville, Maryland, U.S. |
| Political party | National Union |
| Spouses | Eliza Ann Simmons (died 1875)
|
| Children | 10, including Durham Furnaces |
George Price Whitaker (December 1803 – December 31, 1890) was an American politician and iron manufacturer of the
Early life
George Price Whitaker was born on December 30 or 31, 1803, near Reading, Pennsylvania, to Sarah (née Updegrove) and Joseph Whitaker of the Whitaker iron family. His father was a farmer. Whitaker attended local schools.[1][2][3][4] He had limited education and worked on a farm until around the age of 19.[2] He learned the business of iron manufacturing.[1] In 1827, he moved to Maryland.[2]
Career
Whitaker worked as a workman at Delaware Iron Works in
In 1845, he along with his brother Joseph, David Reeves and W. P. C. Whitaker built Havre de Grace Iron Works in Havre de Grace.[2][3] Soon after Reeves retired and the business was run as Joseph & George P. Whitaker.[2] In 1848, he along with partners purchased Durham Furnace in Bucks County, Pennsylvania. There they built two new furnaces. He also purchased an iron commission house in Philadelphia that year with his son-in-law Joseph Coudon under the firm Whitaker & Coudon. They operated the commission house until 1862. In 1855, Whitaker and his brother purchased an interest in the Crescent Iron Works in Wheeling, West Virginia. In 1861, at the outbreak of the Civil War, Whitaker dissolved the partnership with his brother, and he incorporated the company as George P. Whitaker Company. His brother took the properties in Pennsylvania and New Jersey and Whitaker took the properties in Delaware and Maryland. In that year, the Havre de Grace Iron Works were sold to McCullough Iron Company. In 1862, he sold out his portion of Durham Furnace to his brother Joseph. In 1863, Whitaker became the full owner of Crescent Iron Works. He ran it until 1868 when he sold it off. He purchased it again after the Panic of 1873 and ran it under the stock company The Whitaker Iron Company. He served as president of the company and his son Nelson E. served as secretary. Whitaker worked as the head of the company until his death.[1][2][3]
He served as director of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad. He owned over 6,000 acres (2,400 ha) in Cecil County, Maryland.[3] He also owned the Phoenix Iron Works in Phoenixville, Pennsylvania.[5]
Whitaker was a member of the National Union Party.[6] He served as a member of the Maryland House of Delegates, representing Cecil County in 1867.[1][7] He served with Alexander Evans, William Lindsey and Henry S. Magraw. The four delegates were known as "The Big Four" due to their physical size.[4][7]
Personal life
Whitaker married Eliza Ann Simmons. They had ten children, including Edmund S., Nelson E. and Caroline (married Joseph C. Naudaine). His wife died in 1875. He then married Mary Evans, widow of Amos A. Evans. He was vestryman of St. Ann's Episcopal Church.[1][4] His great nephew was Samuel W. Pennypacker.[5]
Whitaker died on December 31, 1890, at Principio Furnace in Cecil County.[1][3] He was buried at St. Mark's Protestant Episcopal Chapel near Perryville.[8]
References
- ^ Archive.org.
- ^ Archive.org.
- ^ Newspapers.com.
- ^ Newspapers.com.
- ^ Newspapers.com.
- Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b "Historical List, House of Delegates, Cecil County (1790-1974)". Maryland Manual On-Line. Maryland State Archives. February 1, 2000. Retrieved October 24, 2023.
- Newspapers.com.
