From History of Walworth County Wisconsin, Vol. 1, by Albert Clayton Beckwith, 
publ. 1912 - Pages 700 - 701
 
WILLIAM H. WHITING.  One of the well remembered and highly esteemed citizens of 
Walworth county of a past generation, who performed exceptionally well his 
allotted task and then fell serenely into that sleep which wakes not to toil, 
leaving behind him a rich heritage, not only in material things but in a good 
reputation and an honored name, was William H. WHITING, than whom it would have 
been hard to have found a more genial, whole-souled, high-minded, public-
spirited man within the boundaries of this county; therefore, it is with 
pleasure that he is given specific mention in a volume of the province of the 
one at hand.
 
Mr. WHITING was born in Hudson, Columbia county, New York, August 15, 1813.  
His father died when the subject was an infant, and soon thereafter the mother 
moved to Albany, and there the subject grew to manhood and received his 
education, with the exception of short intervals spent at the academies of 
Hudson and Kingston, New York.  In 1829 he became a pupil of the engraving firm 
of RAWDON, CLARK & Company, of Albany, which city, with Philadelphia, was at 
that time the headquarters of bank-note engraving.  His father had also been an 
engraver, a pupil of the celebrated Gideon Fairmon, of Philadelphia.
 
On the 18th of August, 1834, Mr. WHITING was married in the city of Albany to 
Mary Jane CHRISTIAN, a native of that city.  Messrs. RAWDON, CLARK & Company, 
having taken in other partners, decided to move their establishment to New York 
City, and the firm name was changed to RAWDON, WRIGHT, HATCH & EDSON, and in 
the spring of 1836 Mr. WHITING followed them and continued in their employ 
until 1847; however, he had been admitted as a member of the firm several years 
previously.  In 1842 DeWitt C. HAYES and Mr. WHITING bought four hundred acres 
of land, in the southwestern part of Bloomfield township, Walworth county, 
Wisconsin, and in 1844 Mr. WHITING made his first visit here.  He had caused to 
be erected a small house on his land in 1843.  In the spring of 1847 he and his 
family came from New York to his farm here and began building the brick house 
where he made his country home.  There the family resided until 1851 and in 
August of that year Mr. WHITING returned to New York and became a member of the 
bank-note engraving firm of WELLSTOOD, HANKS, HAY & WHITING, and he remained a 
member of that firm until the American Bank Note Company was formed, and 
absorbed all the other firms.  As secretary of that company he remained with 
the same until 1861, then returned to Walworth county, Wisconsin, and resumed 
charge of his farm again and became very well established here.  He was elected 
one of the trustees of the American Bank Note Company, in which capacity he 
served for several years.  He was regarded as an expert in his line, and was 
one of the best known engravers in the United States.  His son Robert was born 
on his farm here, and here the death of the wife and mother occurred on 
November 28, 1879.
 
The death of William H. WHITING occurred July 9, 1886.
 
Mr. WHITING was a devoted churchman, and he was one of the stanch supporters of 
the little Episcopal church at Bloomfield township, in which he took a deep and 
abiding interest.  He was an able lay reader and he held services there and 
taught the Sunday school for many years.  He was the idol of a large circle of 
worshipers there and the especial friend and companion of the church of the 
neighborhood, to all of whom he was indeed a true and helpful friend throughout 
his life.

Submitted By:  Carol
(carolann612@charter.net)