BIOGRAPHY: Edward Whitehead; Walden, Orange co., New York

transcribed by W. David Samuelsen for USGenWeb Archives

***********************************************************************
Copyright.  All rights reserved.
http://www.usgwarchives.org/copyright.htm

http://www.usgwarchives.org/ny/nyfiles.htm
***********************************************************************

Portrait and Biographical Record of Rockland and Orange Counties New York
Containing Portraits and Biographical Sketches of Prominent and Representative
Citizens of the Counties.
Together with Biographies and Portraits of all the Presidents of the United
States.
New York and Chicago; Chapman Publishing Co., 1895

EDWARD WHITEHEAD, President of the Walden Knife Company, is a man who, by
perseverance, energy and keenness of judgment, has become one of Walden's much
esteemed citizens. His success cannot be a matter of wonder to his
acquaintances, who know that it has been won by unusual ability and careful
attention to his business interests, and the place which he occupies in
business circles is deservedly a prominent one.

The Walden Knife Company, of which our subject is now President, was organized
in Walden, N. Y., in 1870, as a co-operative company, and became an
incorporation in 1874, at which time William G. Gowdy was elected President,
and Edward Whitehead Secretary. The capital stock of the corporation is
$20,000. The present organization is as follows: Edward White-head, President,
Secretary and Treasurer; George Weller, Vice-President; and Samuel Andrews,
James M. Walker and John S. Taylor, Board of Directors. All of the interested
parties are residents of Walden.

At the present time the members of the Walden Knife Company have about
$100,000 invested in the business, and the establishment has a capacity of
$200,000 worth of goods annually, andin one year has been known to make that
amount. The company employs about two hundred and twenty-five hands, many of
whom are skilled workmen. They give employment to about twenty-five girls, and
their pay-roll amounts to from $2,000 to $2,500 per week. They make a
specialty of pocket-knives, and do some very fine work in this line of their
trade, selling to jobbers all over the United States.

Our subject is a native of Halifax, Yorkshire, England, where his birth
occurred November 5, 1845. At the age of three years he came to the United
States, in company with his parents, John and Sarah (Hill) Whitehead, the
former of whom was a spinner by trade, and was employed in woolen-mills. When
fifteen years of age he learned the cutlery trade.

At the time of the organization of the present company, our subject took
charge of the detail work. As has been said, it was at first a co-operative
company, and consisted of eighteen members, and ever since it became a stock
company, in 1874, Mr. Whitehead has had the management. The business has been
very successful, and he has steadily pushed forward, gaining in favor with the
company and all its patrons. He gives his entire time to the business, and is
the only one of the original company now interested.

October 14, 1874, occurred the marriage of our subject and Miss Ella C.
Barkley, who was born and reared in New York City. Mrs. Whitehead has in the
truest sense of the word been a help-mate to her husband, and is a woman much
be-loved by all those with whom she is associated. Mr. Whitehead is a
Republican in politics, and religiously he is a member of the Reformed Church.