Clarissa Alger

Brief Life History of Clarissa

When Clarissa Alger was born on 2 June 1830, in Chagrin Falls, Cuyahoga, Ohio, United States, her father, Samuel Alger, was 44 and her mother, Clarissa Hancock, was 39. She married Francis Tuft Whitney on 12 May 1850, in Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah, United States. They were the parents of at least 5 sons and 1 daughter. She lived in Iron City, Iron, Utah, United States in 1850. In 1870, at the age of 40, her occupation is listed as age 40, husband francis 65, children new sam 19, elijah 17, job 15. also father samuel 84, mother clarissa 79, spinner and carder, in Parowan, Iron, Utah, United States. She died on 20 March 1907, in Parowan, Iron, Utah, United States, at the age of 76, and was buried in Parowan Cemetery, Parowan, Iron, Utah, United States.

Photos and Memories (18)

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Family Time Line

Francis Tuft Whitney
1805–1883
Clarissa Alger
1830–1907
Marriage: 12 May 1850
New Samuel Whitney
1851–1926
Andrew Johnson Downey
1852–1924
Eli Alger Whitney
1852–1913
Abi Clarissa Whitney
1854–1854
Job Hall Whitney
1855–1922
Ira Blanchard Whitney
1856–1915

Sources (31)

  • Clarissa Whitney in household of Francis J Whitney, "United States Census, 1850"
  • Clarissa Alger Whitney, "Utah Death Certificates, 1904-1956"
  • Clarisa Whitney, "The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Record of Members (Worldwide), 1836-1970"

World Events (8)

1832 · The Black Hawk War

Convinced that a group of Native American tribes were hostile, The United States formed a frontier militia to stop them in their tracks. Even though Black Hawk was hoping to avoid bloodshed while trying to resettle on tribal land, U.S. officials opened fire on the Native Americans. Black Hawk then responded to this confrontation by successfully attacking the militia at the Battle of Stillman's Run and then left northward. After a few months the militia caught up with Black Hawk and his men and defeated them at the Battle of Wisconsin Heights. While being weakened by hunger, injuries and desertion, Black Hawk and the rest of the many native survivors retreated towards the Mississippi. Unfortunately, Black Hawk and other leaders were later captured when they surrendered to the US forces and were then imprisoned for a year.

1850

Historical Boundaries: 1850: Mexican Cession, United States 1850: Utah Territory, United States 1852: Iron, Utah Territory, United States 1896: Iron, Utah, United States

1851

Historical Boundaries: 1852: Iron, Utah Territory, United States 1896: Iron, Utah, United States

Name Meaning

English: from the Middle English personal name Alger. Pronounced with a soft g it is from Old French Alg(i)er, Aug(i)er (ancient Germanic Adalgari, composed of the elements adal ‘noble’ + gāri ‘spear’); see Auger . Pronounced with a hard g, it is a variant of Algar .

Scottish and English: in Scotland, Alger may be a variant of Algeo .

German: from a shortened form of the ancient Germanic personal name Adalgar (see 1 above).

Dictionary of American Family Names © Patrick Hanks 2003, 2006.

Possible Related Names

Story Highlight

CLARISSA ALGER WHITNEY by Ilene Hanks Kingsbury, great granddaughter dates and information edited by Marlene Mitchell Thayne, 1995

Clarissa Alger was the daughter of some of the earliest converts to the Church. Her mother, father, uncles and aunts, her grandfather and grandmother, all were baptized on the same day - November 16 …

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