Hines, H. K. "An Illustrated History of the State of Oregon." Chicago: Lewis Pub. Co. 1893. p. 318. SQUIRE S. WHITMAN an honored Oregon pioneer of 1850, now deceased, was born in Hart county, Kentucky, May 1, 1818. His ancestry was English, his grandfather, Thomas Whitman, having been born in London, England, and came to America, where he settled in Kentucky. He married Christina Brunk, and a son, Christopher, was born to them in Kentucky, and afterward became the father of our subject. His father married Miss Martha Lucas, a native of Hart county, Kentucky, and seven children were born to them, of whom our subject was the second. Squire Whitman was reared in Hart county until thirteen, when the family removed to Illinois and settled in Macon county, and here the father died, in 1831. The mother, however lived to be ninety-two years of age, and died in Warren county, at the home of her youngest son, John Whitman. Mr. Whitman, our subject, was married February 26, 1838, to Miss Elizabeth Davidson, a native of Barren county, Kentucky, born May 29, 1823, daughter of Elijah and Margaret (Murphy) Davidson. Mr. and Mrs. Whitman remained in Illinois until the birth of their fifth child, when they crossed the plains to Oregon, in 1850. They started with ox teams early in March and stopped at the Missouri river to wait until the grass began to grow. The journey was a favorable one, and they crossed the Cascades, August 30, making what was considered one of the quickest trips with oxen. The entire party, consisting of Mr. and Mrs. Whitman and family, Mr. Thomas Lucas and family, Mr. Elijah Davidson, Sr., and family, Elijah Davidson, Jr., and family, Mr. Cohhorn and family., Elijah Butler and family, and four wagon loads of men bound for the mines, kept well and met with good luck. On the last day of November Mr. and Mrs. Whitman located on a donation claim of 610 acres, situated on the present site of Monmouth. The State Normal School occupies a portion of the land, as Mr. Whitman contributed 200 acres to aid in founding that institution. In addition to his generous contribution to the Normal College, Mr. Whitman was largely instrumental in the founding of the Christian College, in which he took a great interest, as he and his wife were members of the church of that name. So useful did Mr. Whitman become in this work that he was made one of the first Trustees, and all his life took a deep interest in all the fortunes of that undertaking. Mr. Whitman built the little log cabin of the pioneer on his land. He had very little of this world's goods to place within its doors, but he and his faithful wife labored and toiled, working with what they had, and reared their family to maturity on the farm, and here the revered widow resides. In addition to his occupation as a farmer, Mr. Whitman was a blacksmith, and carried on his vocation in a little shop of his own building. This was the first smithy in the county, and here Mr. Whitman made the plows and other agricultural implements required by the farmers in his portion of the county. In this way Mr. Whitman contributed largely to the growth and development of his county. The death of our subject occurred May 22, 1892, when he was seventy-four years of age. The immediate cause of his decease was heart failure. Mr. Whitman was an upright man, a good neighbor, and a devoted husband and father. He platted and sold a portion of his original claim, leaving about 200 acres to his widow. In addition to the five children born in Illinois, four were added to the family after reaching Oregon. The following is a brief account of the family: The oldest child, Mary A., married Mr. John B. Murphy, who died, and she then married Mr. Charles Wood, reared a family of five children, and died February 2, 1870; John, the next child, died in his forty-fourth year; William A., resides in eastern Oregon; Martha J. became the wife of Mr. James Murphy, and resides in the State of Washington; Margaret, married Mr. Nicholas Clark and resides in California; Hezekiah D., the first child born in Oregon, now resides in eastern Oregon; Christopher C., died in his thirty-second year, was married and left a widow and one child; Hulda A., now resides in Monmouth, and Elijjah A., resides in Washington. In addition to rearing these children, Mr. Whitman, our subect, reared those of his oldest daughter. Mrs. Whitman was one of the worthy, kindhearted and benevolent pioneers of Oregon, and for many years gave valuable aid to the early settlers by administering to their wants and caring for them when they were sick. For these many acts of kindness she is greatly beloved. Although quite advanced in years, Mrs. Whitman retains her faculties, and is a good representative of the brave women who crossed the plains in 1850. ******************* Submitted to the Oregon Bios. Project in March 2007 by Diana Smith. Submitter has no additional information about the person(s) or family mentioned above.