Josiah Dwight Whitney was a son of Maj. Abel Whitney (1756-1807) and Clarissa Dwight (1762-1820). He married first Sarah Williston of Easthampton in 1818. He married second Clarissa James of Goshen in 1834.
(Member #47160345)

The Late Josiah D Whitney – No man now left among us represents the local business life and growth of the last century or the old-time business gentleman, as did Mr Josiah D Whitney of Northampton, who, as at were from mere weariness and waste of life, died on Friday morning at the rare old age of 83. The record of his career marshals three full generations, and traces Springfield and Northampton from out the narrow limits of the last century. Born in Westfield in 1786 (July 9), he spent the year 1794 with his uncle Thomas Dwight in Springfield, and in 1799 went into the long famous Dwight “corner store” as clerk. It ws then managed by Jonathan Dwight & Son afterwards by James and Henry Dwight, and again by James and Edmund Dwight; later Mr Benjamin Day was of the firm, and is the oldest of its members still living; and now Homer Foot & Co are their legitimate successors. But they have changed the location, for the “Dwight corner” was where the new savings bank building now stands. Mr Whitney remained here till 1807, when he took charge of a branch store in Northampton with James and Edmund Dwight as partners, and their association continued till 1826. During it – 1818-19 - he spend some time in England and Scotland as purchasing and general business agent of the grand circle of Dwight stores in the Connecticut valley. He was also one of the managers of the South Hadley canal and the Springfield bridge, both mainly built and owned by the Dwights and their friends. To him was assigned the raising of the money of building the bridge. After the Dwight stores broke up, he continued the business of a merchant and private banker in Northampton, until 1833 when he was chosen cashier of the Northampton bank and devoted himself to its interests. He held this office 17 years, or till 1850, when he was chosen president of the bank, but in another year (1851) he resigned that place and retired to the private life of home, where, rich in years and the respect of his fellow cititzens and the love of family, he has passed the long allotment of old age that became his. In 1839, Mr Whitney took a prominent part in the organization of the Edwards church in Northampton, and has ever been one of its main supports. His character was such as these brief memoranda of his life would indicate: wise, prudent, faithful, pious, he was a representative specimen of the New England village business gentlemen of a generation ago, a race which the times, we fear, have outgrown, and given us no equivalent for. Mr Whitney survived several of his children, but others remain to do his training and his name honor, conspicuous among them being Prof J D Whitney, the head of the California geological survey, and of the mining school of Cambridge, and Prof W D Whitney of Yale college and its scientific school. His first wife was a sister of Mr Samuel Williston of Easthampton, and his second, who was Miss James, from Goshen, becomes his widow.
(Springfield Republican, Saturday 6 Feb 1969, p3)