Brief Life History of John O'kayne
When John O'kayne Whitaker was born on 18 February 1853, in Morgan, Indiana, United States, his father, John Aquilla Whitaker, was 35 and his mother, Margret W. Pruitt, was 34. He married Oniella Bishop in 1885, in Illinois, United States. They were the parents of at least 3 sons and 2 daughters. He lived in Chaves, New Mexico, United States in 1910 and Roswell, Chaves, New Mexico, United States in 1920. In 1870, at the age of 17, his occupation is listed as works on farm in Spring Point Township, Cumberland, Illinois, United States. He died on 22 May 1925, in New Mexico, United States, at the age of 72, and was buried in South Park Cemetery, Roswell, Chaves, New Mexico, United States.
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Family Time Line
Sources (8)
- John Whitcker in household of Margret Shake, "United States Census, 1880"
- John O Whitaker, "Find A Grave Index"
- John C. Whitaker in entry for Ora Ellen Whitaker, "Arizona Deaths, 1870-1951"
Spouse and Children
Parents and Siblings
World Events (8)
1856 · The Largest Map Company in the World
William Rand opened a small printing shop in Chicago. Doing most of the work himself for the first two years he decided to hire some help. Rand Hired Andrew McNally, an Irish Immigrant, to work in his shop. After doing business with the Chicago Tribune, Rand and McNally were hired to run the Tribune's entire printing operation. Years later, Rand and McNally established Rand McNally & Co after purchasing the Tribune's printing business. They focused mainly on printing tickets, complete railroad guides and timetables for the booming railroad industry around the city. What made the company successful was the detailed maps of roadways, along with directions to certain places. Rand McNally was the first major map publisher to embrace a system of numbered highways and erected many of the roadside highway signs that have been adopted by state and federal highway authorities. The company is still making and updating the world maps that are looked at every day.
1856 · The Town of Santa Claus
The town of Santa Fe was denied their application for a United States Postal Service as a town of Santa Fe, Indiana, was already established. Several meetings were held and the name was changed to Santa Claus, Indiana. The United States Postal Service granted their application. Due to the name, the post office in Santa Claus continues to receive thousands of letters to Santa Claus from children around the world each December.
1877 · The First Workers Strike
The country was in great economic distress in mid-1877, which caused many workers of the Railroad to come together and began the first national strike in the United States. Crowds gathered in Chicago in extreme number to be a part of the strike which was later named the Great Railroad Strike. Shortly after the strike began, the battle was fought between the authorities and many of the strikers. The conflict escalated to violence and quickly each side turned bloody.
Name Meaning
English (Yorkshire and Lancashire): habitational name from Whitacre in Warwickshire or High Whitaker in Lancashire, both of whose names derive from Old English hwīt ‘white’ + æcer ‘field’. The name may also be derived from Wheatacre in Norfolk or Whiteacre in Waltham (Kent), both of which derive from Old English hwǣte ‘wheat’ + æcer ‘field’. Compare Whittaker .
Dictionary of American Family Names © Patrick Hanks 2003, 2006.
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