LaSalle County Louisiana Archives Biographies.....Whatley, James M. 
**********************************************
Copyright.  All rights reserved.
http://usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm
http://usgwarchives.net/la/lafiles.htm
**********************************************

File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by:
Mike Miller http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00004.html#0000912 September 24, 2006, 10:44 am

Author: Henry E Chambers

James M. Whatley.  To James M. Whatley of Jena and Eden, belongs the 
distinction of being the wealthiest man of his parish, and fortunate is it for 
this district that a man of his character has been so favored for he has always 
considered his possessions in the light of a public trust, and been generous in 
his public-spirited labors for the benefit of all.  Perhaps the most salient 
trait of his character is his abiding faith in the natural resources of what he 
deems one of the best-favored parts of the country, if not of the world, and he 
has always been particularly interested in its timberland.  Practically 
everything of moment at Jena owes its existence to his energy, foresight and 
generosity, and the results of his enterprise are to be seen on every side 
throughout the parish.  Many public honors have been accorded him, and he could 
have any office within the gift of his fellow citizens did he care to accept 
nomination.  Yet with it all he is one of the most unassuming of men, open and 
frank, and one who makes friends wherever he goes.

The Whatley family is an old one in the annals of this part of the state.  It 
was in 1813 that William Whatley, a local Methodist minister of Georgia, loaded 
his household possessions in a couple of wagons, and with his family on foot, 
set out for the Southwest, purposing to find in Louisiana a home for his loved 
ones, and a field in which to work for the Master.  After hardships that would 
daunt the utmost intrepid traveler of today, the little party reached Franklin 
Parish, but conditions not exactly suiting them, removal was later made to 
Catahoula Parish, now included in La Salle Parish, and they located on the fork 
of Clear and Trout creeks.  This homestead is now owned by Mr. Whatley and his 
brother Phinias.

As soon as he had selected his home, William Whatley began to provide for the 
religious instruction of the few families in his neighborhood.  He organized 
the first Methodist society west of the Mississippi, and the church is located 
three miles west of Eden.  Not only was he a preacher and farmer, but he was a 
surveyor as well, and made his surveys by the moon and stars, and did his work 
so accurately that his services were often called on.  The first trail, a 
bridle one, from Catahoula Parish to Natchez. Mississippi, was surveyed by 
him.  This sturdy old pioneer was a fighting man as well as minister of peace.  
The old rifle he brought with him from Georgia accompanied him to New Orleans 
and was carried by him in the historic battle of that city when the American 
troops under the masterly leadership of General Jackson met and utterly 
defeated the vastly superior number of British troops.

When he was sixty-three years old William Whatley laid down the burden of life, 
and entered upon the rewards he had so earnestly striven to deserve.  He and 
his wife, who bore the maiden name of Wiggins, had five sons: Uriah, who was 
born in Georgia; and William, Enoch, Phinias and Samuel.  Of these sons Uriah 
and Enoch were also Methodist clergymen, and Enoch, for a few years, was in 
Texas, but later returned to Louisiana.

Phinias Whatley, father of James M. Whatley of this review, lived to reach the 
age of seventy.  For many years he took a prominent part in the affairs of his 
parish, and was one of the most eloquent of the local orators.  His was a 
striking presence for his hair turned gray when he was only twenty-five, and 
his youthful face and figure contrasted vividly with the whitening locks.  His 
interests were many and valuable.  Not only did he hold many offices, but he 
was extensively engaged in merchandising at Eden, he owned a large estate, 
raised stock extensively, and his sawmills and cotton gins were kept in almost 
constant operation.  Before the day of railroads it was his custom to drive his 
stock to the Natchez markets, or those at Alexandria, Louisiana.

Phinias Whatley married Elizabeth Tovery, a native of Virginia who lived to be 
eighty.  They had eleven children born to them, four of whom are living: Sarah, 
who is the wife of J. M. Turnley; Phinias W.; J. M., whose name heads this 
review, and a married daughter.  Those dead are: W. R., Uriah, Samuel, Enoch, 
Mary E., the wife of W. H. Turnley, Benjamin and Robert.

James M. Whatley was born on the homestead of his father, on November 13th, 
1860, and like all of the children of his father, was brought up to hard work.  
He remained with his parents as long as they lived, and was thirty-five years 
old before he married and founded a home of his own.  His educational 
advantages were few, and were confined to those afforded by the local schools.  
However, he did not require as much training from books as do so many for he 
was born with a natural trend for business, and began his connection with the 
world of affairs when only fourteen years old.  At that time he and his 
brother, Phinias W., then sixteen, opened a store at Eden, under the name of P. 
W. & J. M. Whatley, and continued a partnership in this venture for twenty 
years, then dissolved the firm, and each went into merchandising on his own 
account.  So well did these youthful merchants understand their business that 
they proved formidable competitors to their father who had stores at Eden and 
Summerville.  The brothers also bought, in partnership, the homestead from 
their father, and they still own it.  The residence now standing on this 
valuable property is not the original one.  That was destroyed by fire as was 
also its successor.  From his youth up Mr. Whatley has bought and sold 
timberland, his purchases aggregating some 50,000 acres, and he now owns 3,500 
acres.  When the railroad was being built through this section he was so 
favorable to its construction that he did everything to encourage the 
enterprise, including the turning over of his house to be used as headquarters 
by the engineers engaged in building it.  In fact not only has he lent 
encouragement to every local enterprise, but at one time or another, has owned 
practically all of the land on which the town now stands.  He was one of the 
organizers of the town of Jena, and of its bank, and served the latter as 
president for some years, and is still on its directorate.  The different 
industries of the parish have had in him a firm supporter, and he has owned and 
operated cotton gins and gristmills.  For years he served on the police jury of 
the parish, and during a portion of the time was president of the board.  
Reared in the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, he early united with it and is 
one of the most liberal supporters of it, and one of the trustees of the local 
body.  In politics he is a democrat.

James M. Whatley was married to Lillie Marshall, a daughter of Rev. E. W. 
Yancey, the latter a native of Virginia.  Mr. and Mrs. Whatley became the 
parents of the following children: Kathleen, who is the wife of John Waggoner 
of Olla, Louisiana; Errall, who is engaged in farming near Brownsville, in the 
Rio Grande Valley, Texas; J. Floyd, who is at home, is his father's assistant; 
Ayliffe L., who is attending college at Ruston, Louisiana; Lillie Yancey, who 
is at home; Henry Grady, who is at home at Woodrow; Lamar, at home; Elizabeth 
Abigail; Kathleen, who is a graduate of Mansfield College; Floyd, who is at 
Ruston College, was in the Students Army Training Camp during the World war.  
Although Mr. Whatley is so wealthy a man he has reared his children very 
sensibly, and taught them to make themselves useful at whatever employment his 
numerous interests afford.  All of them have been trained in such a manner as 
to make them useful citizens, and each one of them can earn his own living 
independent of parental assistance.  This was the rule followed by Phinias 
Whatley, and his son deemed it so excellent a one that he adopted it with his 
own children, with most satisfactory results.

Additional Comments:
A History of Louisiana, (vol. 2), pp. 394-395, by Henry E. Chambers.  Published 
by The American Historical Society, Inc., Chicago and New York, 1925

File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/la/lasalle/bios/whatley19gbs.txt

This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/lafiles/

File size: 8.7 Kb