The History of the Yakima Valley, Washington, Comprising Yakima, Kittitas and Benton Counties, The S.J. Clarke Publishing Co., 1919, Volume II, page 507 CHARLES F. WHIPPEY. Charles F. Whippey, who now owns a valuable apple orchard of fifteen acres, one and a quarter miles east of Zillah, his whole tract comprising twenty acres, has had a most interesting career as a navigator of racing yachts. Many were the races in which he participated and many are the victories that stand to his credit. A native of Nantucket, Massachusetts, he was born March 28, 1862, and is a son of Henry C. and Hannah M. (Bates) Whippey, also natives of that state. The father was a son of Frederick Whippey, who was also born in Nantucket and was descended from a long line of American ancestors, the original one of whom came from Wales in the third ship after the Mayflower. The father and grandfather of our subject were carpenters, the former making his home in New York for many years, where he was engaged in contracting and building. Charles F. Whippey received a public school education in New York and at the age of sixteen years went to sea. Many and interesting were his experiences in that connection, as for twenty years he led the life of a sailor, of which period twelve years were spent as captain or as captain and part owner. He was principally engaged in the West Indies and South American trade and three times he was shipwrecked, losing one of his ships in the heavy gales of 1898. He was navigator for John O'Brien, the famous shipowner on the Atlantic. Captain Whippey was engaged at that time in "gun running," that is carrying guns and ammunition to Cuba before the Cuban war in order to furnish the natives with weapons to throw off their oppressors. His boat was taken over by the Spanish government but subsequently, through the efforts of the British consul, released, all of the crew testifying that they were Nova Scotia men. Before their release was effected, however, they were cast into a Spanish prison. During one of the shipwrecks on the Atlantic coast which Captain Whipey experienced he was picked up unconscious, his leg and ribs having been broken. He went through the yellow fever epidemic, as he was running at that time out of Mobile, Alabama. His captain died with the fever and Mr. Whippey was made captain for the first time, this being in the early '80s. From that time until he gave up his seafaring life he held that rank. For several years he was navigator of private yachts belonging to capitalists and during this period won twenty-six out of twenty-eight yacht races on the Atlantic. Among these was one memorable race against Charlie Barr, the famous yacht racer. It was in the fall of 1899 that Captain Whippey arrived in Yakima county, Washington, and here he acquired title to twenty acres of land one and a quarter miles east of Zillah, the tract being covered with a dense growth of sagebrush. Although he had never been on a farm before and knew nothing, of orcharding he undertook this new enterprise with courage and soon his indomitable spirit won out. He at first planted a few cantaloupes and potatoes, gradually clearing his ranch and also working for wages. Fifteen acres of the tract are now in bearing orchard, which is largely set out in apples, and today he receives a most gratifying income from his ranch, the remainder of which is planted to alfalfa. In 1898 Captain Whippey was united in marriage to Miss Marie Nicola, a native of Switzerland, and to this union has been born a daughter, Dorothy, who married Charles V. Weddle, who served in the United States army during the World war and received his honorable discharge in February, 1919. Captain Whippey is prominent in fraternal circles, having held all of the chairs in the subordinate lodge of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. He also belongs to the encampment of that organization. In politics he is independent, preferring to follow his own judgment instead of party dictation. In the progress and development of Yakima county he is deeply interested and is ever ready to lend his aid and cooperation to measures which are undertaken on behalf of the general good. He has closely studied the subject of orcharding and, following progressive methods, has succeeded in more than ordinary measure. All who know him speak of him in terms of high regard, as he is a man of character who faithfully discharges all of life's obligations. ******************************** Submitted to the Washington Bios Project in December 2007 by Jeffrey L. Elmer. Submitter has no additional information about the subject of this article.