Pvt Francis Tufts Whitney age 78
Blacksmith
Parents Joseph Whitney, Rebecca Stinchfield
settled in Phillips, Maine, later moved to Ohio.

1827 Married: Spears Landing, Shelby, Ohio,
Abigail Blanchard
17 February 1827
Treasures of Pioneer History

1840 Census Shelby, Ohio
Free White Persons -
Males - Under 5: 1
Males - 10 thru 14: 1
Males - 30 thru 39: 1
Females - Under 5: 1
Females - 5 thru 9: 2
Females - 10 thru 14: 1
Females - 30 thru 39: 1
Persons - Under 20: 6
Persons - 20 thru 49: 2
Total Free White Persons: 8

1845 Gospel
When the [LDS] Gospel was being preached in that state [Ohio], Francis heard the message and joined the Church. However, neither his wife Abigail Blanchard nor any of their ten children would join the Mormons, so it was with much grief that he left his famiiy July 18, 1845 to gather with the Saints.

1846 Nauvoo, Hancock, Illinois
Received temple endowment
Feb 6, 1846

1846-7
Mormon Battalion
Francis was in Council Bluffs, Iowa and when the Mormon Battalion was being mustered [July 1846] he joined that group of men in Battalion B [served from July 1846 to July 1847 during the Mexican-American War]. He was forty-one years of age.
After being honorably discharged from duties, it is believed he arrived in Great Salt Lake with the main body of the Battalion October 16, 1847.

1847-1850 Salt Lake City, Utah, Terr
Sometime, between 1847 and 1850, Francis lived in Salt Lake City working his trade as a blacksmith.

1848 Shelby County, Ohio
Sarah P Whitney, born September 17, 1848
to 1st wife Abigail Blanchard Whitney.

1849
Mormon Pioneer Overland Trail
Ezra T. Benson Company (1849)
Departure: 15 July 1849
Captain Ezra Taft Benson
The company began from outfitting post at Kanesville, Iowa. Company combined with George A. Smith company and traveled close together crossing the plains.
Number In Company 204
Arrival: 25-29 October 1849
Francis T Whitney

1849 Married: Salt Lake City, Utah Terr
Clarissa Alger
12 May 1849
Daughter of Samuel Alger; Clarissa Hancock.

1850 Salt Lake to Parowan, Utah
At the time of their marriage, Clarissa was twenty-five years his junior. In [January] 1850, with his bride of one year [he left] to help settle Parowan, and six weeks after arriving at their destination, Clarissa gave birth to a child whom they named New Samuel Whitney. He was called "New" all his life because he was the first white child born in Iron County, Utah.

1931
Leadership of Apostle George A Smith
Rooster of Pioneers to Parowan, Utah
Utah; Parowan Times, Jan 16, 1931, Page 1

1850 Census, Shelby County, Ohio
Francis Whitney 47,
Abigail Whitney 43,
Araminta Whitney 17,
Oscar G Whitney 10,
Francis Whitney 6,
Sarah Whitney 2
Oct 31, 1850

1856 Statehood Census Parowan, Iron, UT
Francis Whitney
Clarissa Whitney
New Whitney
Elijah Whitney
Job Whitney
Also listed, but most probably living in Ohio.
Abigail Whitney
Christiana Whitney
Rispah Whitney
Ernestine Whitney
Thomas Whitney
Alvah Whitney
Sarah Whitney
Oscar Whitney

1856 Married: Salt Lake City, Utah, Terr.
Harriet Watt Brookshaw
10 Aug 1856,

1859 Divorce: Shelby County, Ohio
divorce granted to his 1st wife,
Abigail Blanchard Whitney

1860 Census Parowan, Iron, Utah
Francis Whitney 55
Clarissa Whitney 30
New Sam Whitney 9
Elijah Whitney 7
Job Whitney 5
Ira B Whitney 3
Harriet Whitney 47
Ellen Whitney 13

Francis and Clarissa were active in Parowan religious and civic duties. Francis manufactured nails, cast handsome brass door handles, latches and other small articles. He also raised garden produce.

1865-66 Iron County, Utah
During the Black Hawk War Francis was selected to blow a horn as a warning to the citizens that the Indians were coming. Years later, his widow received a pension for this service as well as his service in the Mormon Battalion.
Black Hawk War of 1865-66

1870 Census Parowan, Iron, Utah
Francis Whitney 65
Clarissa Whitney 40
New Whitney 19
Eli Whitney 17
Job Whitney 15
Ira Whitney 13
--Also living with family
Samuel Alger 84, FIL
Clarissa Hancock Alger 79, MIL

c1870-1883
After about twenty years in Utah the urge came to him to see his family and friends in Ohio to try to bring them into the Church. He remained there fourteen years during which time his first wife, Abigail, died December 9, 1878 age of seventy.

Francis returned to Utah and the city of Parowan in 1883. He was then seventy-eight years of age. After a brief stay with his wife, Clarissa, he traveled to Huntington, Emery County to visit his sons, Job and Ira. Shortly after, he became ill and died in Huntington April 6, 1883 where he was buried.
Ilene Hanks Kingsbury [great granddaughter]
Vol. 4, p. 473

10 Children of Abigail Blanchard:
Alvah Whitney
Christiana B Whitney
Rispah Whitney
Araminta Whitney
Ernestine Whitney
Stephen Whitney
Oscar G. Whitney
Francis M. Whitney
Abigail Whitney
Sarah P. Whitney

1900 Census Parowan, Iron, utah
Clarissa Whitney 70, widow, 5 children, 4 living

5 Children of Clarissa Alger:
New Samuel Whitney,
Abi Clarissa Whitney,
Job Hall Whitney,
Elijah Alger Whitney,
Ira Blanchard Whitney

Mormon Battalion, Company B
Mormon Battalion Virtual Cemetery

Siblings:
Mehetable Whitney 1797-1860 OH
Thomas Whitney 1799-1884
Ephraim Stinchfield Whitney 1801-1883 IL
Alvah Whitney 1803-1875 OH
Moses Whitney
Johnson Whitney 1811-1839
Nathan Whitney 1812-1892
John Stinchfield Whitney 1814-aft 1880
Samuel Whitney 1818-1845
Respah Whitney 1821-aft 1900
Rebecca Whitney Baldwin 1821-aft1900
Joseph Gurr Whitney 1822-

GF Benjamin Whitney 1725-1797 ME
GM Mercy Hinckley Whitney 1734-1814 ME