Grundy-Will County IL Archives Biographies.....Whipple, Levi March 7, 1846 - ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/il/ilfiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Deb Haines ddhaines@gmail.com February 20, 2006, 4:16 am Author: WW Stevens, 1907 Levi Whipple, member of the firm of Whipple & Barr, grain merchants of Plainfield, was born near Morris, Grundy County, Ill., March 7, 1846. His father, William Whipple, a native of Watertown, Jefferson County, N. Y., born in November, 1808, spent the first fourteen years of his life there and then went to Detroit, Mich. For six years he worked as a clerk in that city. Coming from there to Illinois he engaged in the grocery business in Marseilles, also sold groceries through the surrounding country with team and wagon. He then settled in Grundy County, renting a farm near Morris, but after two years bought another farm near by, and on the latter place he made his home for thirty years. From there he moved to Buffalo, Ind. His last days were spent in Ford County, Ill., where he died at eighty-seven years. In politics he was first a Whig and later a Republican. While he never had any educational advantages he became a well-informed man and kept posted concerning current events of importance. He was a member of a pioneer family of New England that traced its ancestry to Germany. His wife, who bore the maiden name of Basheba Gibson, was born in Vermont and died in Illinois in 1862, when forty-five years of age. She was a woman of exemplary character and sincere Christian faith. She left four children, of whom Levi was second in order of birth. Until twenty-five years of age our subject remained at home assisting his father in the cultivation of the farm. At the time of his marriage he settled on one of his father’s farms, which he later purchased, making it his home until 1882. He then rented the property and moved to Morris, Ill., where he carried on a livery business for two years. Afterward he became interested in the lumber business. In 1890 he came to Plainfield and formed a partnership with C. V. Barr, renting an elevator at Plainfield and one at Caton Farm. The latter burned down in 1892, but was immediately rebuilt by the proprietors. Later they bought the elevator at Plainfield and have since operated both, Mr. Whipple managing that at Caton Farm, while Mr. Barr has charge of the one at Plainfield. The Caton Farm elevator has a capacity of between seventy-five and eighty thousand bushels, it being one of the largest elevators in the county. By the marriage of Mr. Whipple to Miss Harriet A. Stone three children were born, Winnifred, Lester H. and Chester L. In his political views Mr. Whipple is a Republican and takes an active part in assisting those of his friends who are candidates for office, but has never sought political positions for himself. He was a charter member of the Knights of Pythias lodge at Plainfield and is still connected with it. He is also a member of the Modern Woodmen of America. In the forwarding of worthy enterprises he has taken an interest, contributing to the same as able, and he has for years assisted in the maintenance of the Congregational Church with which his wife is identified. As a substantial business man no one stands higher in his community than Mr. Whipple. He has great capacity for business, and the success of his enterprises comes from his energetic management of the same. Having given much time and thought to the grain business he is familiar with all its details, and manages his elevator in such a way as to reap the greatest possible results therefrom. He is very progressive and public-spirited, and is always in favor of movements that are likely to benefit his locality, though the demands upon his time made by his business interests prevent him from actively identifying himself with public affairs. Source: "Genealogical and Biographical Record of Will County, Illinois", 1900, Biographical Publishing Company, Chicago, Pages 385-386 Levi B. Whipple Levi B. Whipple, now retired from active business life, was for seventeen years engaged in the grain, coal and lumber trade at Plainfield and in all commercial relations sustained an unassailable reputation. He wrought along modern business lines, never overreaching another in any trade transaction but so conducting his interests that his perseverance, energy and enterprise brought to him a large measure of prosperity. He was born near Morris in Grundy county, Illinois, in 1846. His father, William Whipple, who died about six years ago at the age of eighty-one, came to Illinois in 1832 from Watertown, Jefferson county, New York. He was a pioneer settler of this state and purchased canal land. He followed merchandising for about twelve years and then turned his attention to farming in 1844. His wife, who bore the maiden name of Miss Gibson, was a native of Vermont and in the early ‘30s came to Illinois, probably about 1834, at which time she became a resident of Grundy county. She died at the age of forty-five years. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Whipple were born two daughters, one of whom has passed away, Mrs. Henry Decker, who died about two years ago at her home near Morris, Illinois. The other is Mrs. Thomas Turner, of Ford county. Levi B. Whipple was reared in Grundy county, Illinois, attended the common schools and for a time was engaged in the lumber business at Morris in this state. In fact he remained a resident of Grundy county until 1890, when he removed to Plainfield, where until a very recent date he was entensively engaged in the grain business. For seventeen years he was the senior partner of the firm of Whipple & Barr but recently sold out to Mr. Barr, who is still conducting the business. The firm dealt in grain, coal and lumber and built three elevators—one at Plainfield, one at Caton Farm and one at Frontenac, Illinois. The business of the house constantly increased and in course of years reached an extensive figure. By judicious use of his capital Mr. Whipple became a prosperous business man and is now enabled to rest from further commercial cares and responsibilities. Mr. Whipple married Miss H. A. Stone, of Grundy county, Illinois, formerly of Rochester, Monroe county, New York. She came with her parents, Charles and Amanda Stone, to Illinois in 1860 when thirteen years of age. They took up their abode in Grundy county, where the father was extensively engaged in raising, feeding and shipping stock, making extensive shipments to the eastern markets. He was a very successful stockman and was widely known in business circles. He died in California at the age of fifty-nine years, passing away in 1879, while his wife survived until 1883 and died at the age of sixty-four years. Mrs. Whipple was one of their family of ten daughters, of whom five are now living, namely: Mrs. C. V. Barr, of Will county; Mrs. Whipple; and three who reside elsewhere in Illinois. Unto our subject and his wife have been born three children but Winnie died in 1905 at the age of thirty-three years. The sons are: Lester, who is engaged in the hardware business at Plainfield; and Chester, who for five years was connected with the grain business in Plainfield and is still with Mr. Barr. Politically Mr. Whipple has always been a stalwart republican and stanchly endorses the principles of the party. Socially he is connected with the Knights of Pythias of Plainfield, having been the organizer of the lodge in 1894. He served as one of its officers for years and has been representative to the grand lodge. He is likewise connected with the Modern Woodmen of America and the Benevolent & Protective Order of Elks of Plainfield, while in his religious views he is liberal. In business life he has made a most creditable record, his history standing in exemplification of the fact that success is not a matter of genius, as held by many, but is rather the outcome of clear judgment and experience supplemented by unfaltering industry. Source: "Past and Present of Will County, Illinois" by W.W. Stevens, 1907, The S. J. Clarke Publishing Company, Chicago, Pages 837-838 File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/il/grundy/bios/whipple171nbs.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.net/ilfiles/ File size: 8.5 Kb