Plumas-Sierra County CA Archives Biographies.....Whiting, Fenton Berkley 1827 - 
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Author: Fariss & Smith (1882)

FENTON BERKLEY WHITING is a native of Virginia, and was born at Mountain View,
Farquier county, October 1, 1827. He is the fifth and only surviving son of
George Braxton and Frances Harrison Whiting. In 1831 his father removed to
Fredericksburg, Virginia, resided in Alexandria in 1832, and went to Washington
in 1834, where he received an appointment in the pension office, under President
Jackson. He died in Washington in May, 1835. Fenton was taken to Clark county,
Virginia, in 1837, by an elder brother, Francis H. Whiting, a bachelor farmer,
and with him he lived until he had reached the age of sixteen, when he was
apprenticed to a cabinet-maker, William Deahl, of Berryville, Virginia. Having
served out his time, he emigrated to St. Louis, Missouri, in February, 1848, and
worked two years as clerk in a wholesale furniture establishment. In April,
1850, he started overland for California, with the Patterson rangers of St.
Louis, arriving at Sacramento July 12, 1850. Mr. Whiting resided in that city
until December, being employed two months, and working at his trade three
months, and then left for the mines on the north fork of Feather river, with an
old school-mate, locating at Smith's bar, the traveled route then being by Onion
valley. He reached that point late in February, 1851, and found many people
there, caught in a heavy snow-storm. Being without funds, he engaged as clerk in
a hotel kept by McElvaney, Thomas, & Co., called the Miner's Retreat. When the
storms subsided in April he was intrusted with a stock of goods to start a
trading-post where now stands the town of Gibsonville, Sierra county. Exciting
reports of rich gold discoveries reaching that camp, he resigned his clerkship,
and packing his mule, started with several friends for the head-waters of the
middle fork of Feather river, and from there found his way over into Genesee
valley, where, on the fourth of July, 1851, he began sinking prospect holes at
Grizzly creek. Not meeting with any success, he went to a new camp called Rush
creek, and from there to Soda bar on the east branch. There he found a solitary
negro miner at work. He kept him company a few days, and returned to Onion
valley by following the dividing ridge lying between Indian and American
valleys, and discovered the body of water now known as Crystal lake. He mined on
the middle fork below Rich bar the remainder of the season, was elected district
recorder for mining claims, built a cabin, and spent the winter there. Early in
the spring of 1852 he removed to the east branch, and engaged in river mining as
a member of the Virginia company, meeting with indifferent success. He continued
in that locality until the winter of 1855-56, when he was employed by Singer &
Morrow, expressmen, as a messenger from Junction, Smith, and Rich bars to
Bidwell's bar. He became one of the proprietors of the business in the fall of
1857, with H. C. Everts, continuing at this occupation for several years. During
this time, with G. W. Morley and E. E. Meek, he formed Whiting & Co.'s "Feather
River Express." In 1860 Mr. Whiting took the first census of Plumas county. He
spent a few months in the Atlantic states in 1861, and after his return took up
his residence at Quincy in 1862. In March, 1866, he received from James H.
Yeates the appointment of under-sheriff, holding the place until December, when
Mr. Yeates surrended his office of sheriff to the successful contestant, S. J.
Clark. In the fall of 1867 Mr. Whiting was the democratic candidate for county
clerk, but was defeated at the election by John B. Overton, the republican
nominee. In January, 1868, he withdrew from the express business, and was
succeeded by Wells, Fargo, & Co. In April, 1868, he was again appointed
under-sheriff by Sheriff Yeates, and held the office until March, 1870, when,
having been elected county clerk the preceding fall, he resigned one office for
the other. Mr. Whiting was re-elected in 1871, in 1873, and in 1875. In 1877 he
was successfully opposed by William T. Byers, who, in March, 1878, appointed
Whiting his deputy. In the fall of 1879 Mr. Whiting was again elected county
clerk, and is the present incumbent. He was married June 23, 1863, to Martha
Jane Whiting, who was born in Aberdeen, Mississippi, July 17, 1843. Their union
has been blessed with six children: Richard Henry, born May 11, 1864; Fenton
Blakemore, May 7, 1866; Eugene C, March 26, 1868; Randolph V., November 30,
1870; Frank Moore, July 6, 1875; and Pearle, December 7, 1877, all of whom are
living. Mr. Whiting is a prominent member of the Odd Fellows, Masons, and other
fraternal societies of Plumas county.

Additional Comments:
Extracted from:

Illustrated History of Plumas, Lassen & Sierra Counties

San Francisco: Fariss & Smith
(1882)


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