WHITEHEAD BIOGRAPHIES, Henry County, Missouri
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WHITEHEAD, James K. - b: 1832 Tioga Co, PA
source: 1883 History of Henry Missouri , National Historical Co. - page: 623
residence: Deepwater Twp

James K. Whitehead. Among the pioneer merchants of Montrose is the subject of 
this sketch. Mr. Whitehead is a native of Tioga County, Pennsylvania, and was 
born April 1, 1832. His father, Dr. Harmon Whitehead, was born in Pennsylvania in 
1802, and his mother, whose maiden name was Harriet Kinney, was born in the 
same state in 1807 and is still living. J. K. Whitehead moved with his parents to 
Illinois in 1837 and located in Peru, LaSalle County, where his youth was spent 
on a farm and in attending the public schools, where he received a good education 
in the common English branches. Dr. Whitehead died in 1849, and as James was 
the oldest of four sons, the care of the family devolved upon him, and he took 
charge of the farm and business and carried it on very successfully. After 
reaching his majority he attended the Lombard University in Knox County for one 
term. He was married in Peru November 3, 1857, to Miss Sarah J. Brookie, of 
Glasgow, Kentucky, and a daughter of Dr. John Brookie, a druggist of St. Louis. 
After his marriage Mr. Whitehead continued his farming operations and opened 
out a new farm in Bureau County which he conducted for about ten years. In 1863 
he returned to Peru, and was engaged in handling grain and agricultural 
implements for other parties until 1871, when he settled in Montrose, Henry 
County, where he embarked in mercantile pursuits under the firm name of W. H. 
Chamberlain & Co., hardware, implements and grain dealers. This firm commenced 
business in March, 1871, and continued about one and a half years, when they met 
with a misfortune and were burned out. After this loss Mr. Whitehead started in 
the same occupation alone. He erected a business house in the spring of 1874 and 
remained in business until June 13, 1882, when he was again burned out He is an 
energetic, enterprising and ambitious man, and during the past season erected a 
good two-story brick business house, 25x72 feet, where, in connection with his 
son, he is now carrying on the same line of trade. He has a good stock of heavy 
and shelf hardware, stoves, tin, sheet iron and copper ware and farm implements, 
and is very successful. He was appointed postmaster of Montrose and took charge 
of the office in June, 1875, and has since that time discharged the duties of the 
office in a satisfactory manner. Mr. and Mrs. Whitehead have three children: 
Howard L. (a partner in the firm), Edwin J. and Edith A. Mr. W. and his family are 
members of the First Presbyterian Church. He belongs to the Masonic fraternity.

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