In today’s blog we look at the untimely death of Monterey’s founding father, T.J.
Whittaker. With the help of local historian Dale Welch, this quick look at Monterey’s
murderous beginnings will have you begging for more city folklore! Let’s get started.
I couldn’t do this one on my own.
In fact, it didn’t even seem wise to try.
So, rather than attempt a fragmented, second-hand telling of the chilling demise of one of Monterey’s early notable figures, T.J. Whittaker, I asked Monterey historian Dale Welch to share his version of the story.
I have edited and abridged a bit for brevity, but Dale’s writing and the story speak for themselves.
I hope you enjoy the sad tale and sincerely appreciate the insight, levity, and quality writing Dale brought to this blog and the value he adds to Monterey through his vault of historical knowledge and willingness to share it.
By Dale Welch:
Standing Stone 11
Standing Stone to Monterey
Thomas Jefferson “T.J.” Whittaker was born Dec.18, 1818, near the Standing Stone (which also serves as the previous name of the community where Monterey now sits), just a few years after his parents, John and Deliah Jackson Whittaker found their way to the area. The Whittakers were one of the first families to move to Standing Stone after a treaty with local Native Americans, who had used the area as common hunting grounds. After growing up in Standing Stone, T.J. fell in love with Nancy Dillard Clark, daughter of James B. and Mary Jane Clark. The couple wed on May 21, 1842, and soon started raising what would become a large family while living in Standing Stone.
In 1853, T.J.’s father moved to Madison County, AL., selling his two-room dog trot-style home to the younger Whittaker and Nancy during the move. Sadly, the couple lost their daughter Deliah during this time making her the first person buried in what is now Whittaker Cemetery. From an early age, T.J. had been an avid outdoorsman and in 1857, while hunting northwest of his home, he discovered a large vein of coal (located just off present-day Cates Rd.). T.J. began using its offerings for heating his home, but his discovery of coal did not go unnoticed. The Cumberland Mountain Coal Co, a group of 10 investors, purchased all of T.J.’s land, except for the site of his home, and founded a new company town on the site named “Monterey.”
Tragedy Strikes
OnFriday, Nov. 30, 1900, the 81-year-old Whittaker had been to the blacksmith’s shop just below the railroad depot on S. Holly St. to get horseshoes repaired on his mule. After spending most of the afternoon in town, he headed back home around 4 p.m. When he got near the Standing Stone monument, within a block of home, Whittaker ran into his grandson, Jackie, who was threatening a man named Cooper with a knife. Jackie,
Cooper, and others had been drinking from a jug of whiskey at the railroad switch tracks when Jackie suddenly pulled the knife on Cooper. Seeing the commotion, T.J. tried to get Jackie to leave the scene and calm down. Seeing there was no use trying to argue with a
drunk man, he continued his journey, leading the mule homeward. He had madeit some 200 yards when Jackie overtook him, and jerked his mule away, knocking T.J. to the ground. After getting back to his feet, T.J. grabbed a stick to defend himself. In a rage, Jackie cut his grandfather’s neck below the left ear. The three-inch wound left Whittaker dead on the ground roughly where today’s Tee-Ball field is located. Jackie then ran into the Whittaker home to get his .44 caliber pistol. Afterward, he returned to the street, daring anyone to get in his way, even firing two shots at one of the womenthat had come to attend to Mr. Whittaker, Running past Mr. Fleming’s sawmill, Jackie then came upon Constable (and later, Putnam County Sheriff) Alex Weeks. Using both hands, Whitaker took aim at the constable, but his pistol misfired. Constable Weeks fired two shots, hitting Jackie in the hand and hip. The 21-year-old Jackie was arrested and taken to jail. The old pioneer, T.J. Whittaker was laid to rest in Whittaker Cemetery near his home.
