Son of Alexander Whaley. He served in the New York Militia during the War of 1812. He died
1832 in New York.
Thomas Whaley had a son also named Thomas. He was born in 1823. It is believed that this
son was also a gunsmith but probably by trade. This later Thomas came
to California in 1849. In partnership with George Wardle he established a store on
Montgomery Street, San Francisco where he sold his own stock of hardware produced by his
New York family. Very soon he could buy out Wardle.
When a fire destroyed his business, he relocated to San Diego Old Town in 1851
(his house became the Whaley House Museum - 2476 San Diego Avenue, San Diego)
but returned to San Francisco in 1859 where he was appointed Commissary Storekeeper of
the U.S. Army.
Letting his family in San Francisco he went to Alaska and established stores at
Sitka, Alasca Territory before America takeover in 1867. In the same year Thomas Whaley
was elected councilman of Sitka. However, in 1868 already he returned to San Francisco and shortly
after he reestablished in San Diego where he lived until his dead in 1890.
|
