Document text
Redfield, Georgia B.
Roswell, New ilexioo
M. UtITFLAU
114.18-48
Words
3nbjeolfinletor i;itory
Sour*. of Information:
Mrs. Flora killer (gangb•
ter °fit. whiteman) Ros-
well, V. LI,
Opened First ixelusive Grooery 1tors in Roswell.
Whieh lias eontinued Upending half a QenturY.
Now Owned by A. L.'i;hiteman, on of k. whiteman.
••••••••••••NOM
L. Wiiteman, is :laid by old-timers to have been more widely
known, and, beoause of his interestinc 2ersonzIlity and experience
gained by extensive world-wie trnvols, to have poseed more
friends thar, any other pioneer settler of Roswell.
He was ever ready to impart to others from hie larto store of
experience, any informatin, either for their pisainue, in enter-
taining his frtendu, or the financial or educational benefit of
his fellow -man.
kr. Whiteman, of Wm:tan-Jewish descent, was born in Germany,
near Berlin, in 1817. Re was married to km. Levey ho was of the
name ruationa.lity of kr. Olitemar, and also was bfxr. in, Germany near
44(
2erlin in 1852. They were married in hew zork ir 18ftr.
Of the ix ehildren born to the union: Joe, Louis, Uharlie,
L., Oarrie, and Flora, Inly thre4; are living: Louis, who liver
in ,;an Frans4neo, Laiifornja, L., who liven IL Lonwell is mar-
ried and has a on and ;:lichter, and elora, whr is 2-rs. flora
nob- widcolecl, and livinf in Loswell.
r.Whitetnex when trenty-one ye&t.T of age', while -aking hie
second tour of the worla, was tken captive 1K: '0outh ;.;ea Islanders.
i;efore hir escape fror ca:dtivity, hv lcarned much of the en,otAse
and characteristics of the people of that country which did not
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oompare favorably vith other foreign oountriee visited by him.
Mr. Whiteman had the distillation and Maar of beoomirg a
oharter member of the greatest national fraternal organization
the iasonie Lodge of New York City.
In 1078 Mr. Whiteman and hie family moved to tliite uaks, iew
kexioo and ,41a engaged in the mercantile bueineso, at that place
until he re-movel to hoswell in 1889 where he eztablished the X,
Whiteman Crooery business, in the utors built by him at what is
now 119 ,cr. Main street, in whieh the i4mwell .4ted kaapany operates
at the prerent time. Uere he continued in busineci for everteen
yeas.o, until h&c death nt eirhtywnine years of are. Ilia store be,-
Onim the favorite rendezvous of the young mon of the town, as well
as prominent business men and hie brother lodge -men who enjoyed
his stories) of adventure and information of reeourcee and business
notivitiee of foreirn oountrie
'.everal years before the gold -rush to Awake in the late 90's
Mr. ilhiteman had talked to the younrer men in hoewell of the great
opportunitiee for making fortune, they micht :Aldo where he had
divoovered :old when he had viaited that c.untry some tenty year
before it was diocovered by oth4L-e.
titb the (;xoeption of Louis Aliteman, who went to California
before the Ahiteman family moved to hoswell, all of the ohildren
were eduov,ted and t be valuable men and women oitizens1HP.44t
Roswell.
A, dhj iv manager and owner or hi:: father's( old grow
oery business, whioh m now oerated under the name of -ohiteman
*other's tore, ocniluotlng a sucoesf:ful business with patronage
largely from families A' te pioneer settlers and ranohwmen in the
POOOs Valley.
Mr. X. Whitemante death occurred in Roswell in 1906 and
hrs. Mary Whiteman's, his wife, in 1931.
Urs, Whiteman WAS known and loved as Mother Whiteman. bhe
was never ha;vier than during the first hard years of settlement
in the new wild country of ,r‘;outheast Lew Mexisso, when she hos.
pitably opened her doors to all new comers. The young people
of Roewell in the early dayf: enjoyed all the privileiges and
Tleaaures of her h: -me, with her own boys and sir's, who were
popular during their school life and with their aohoolmates and
later in the social life of the eity.
The whiteman faiWy stand high in the affeetionate regard
of the Roewell people.
Mr M. Whiteman and his life Uary (Levey) Whiteman will al.
ways to remembered and honored among those who contributed most
to the 4;evelopment and .i,rotreue of Roswell and to the best in.'
terests ot thf people of boutheavt New Mexico.