Of Scots ancestry, Tom Whitmore was the youngest of seven children born in Lake County, Ohio to John, and his mother, Betsey Tisdel, both natives of Connecticut. John, a farmer relocated the family to Jo Davies County, IL and died at 58 years in 1854.
At 15 years old, Tom enlisted with the Union Army in 1864. With the war ebbing, he enlisted twice for active duty assignments totaling about 16 months. His units defended positions through guard duty in the areas of Nashville and Chattanooga, TN. Neither unit suffered a casualty but together lost around 70 due to disease. Young Tom performed ably. He rose from private to sergeant to 2nd Lieutenant by the time of discharge in Sept 1865.
At the end of the war, Tom returned to IL and attended school for two years in Chicago. In 1868, he relocated to Cass County, IA to become a merchant.
In 1880, Tom and his married family were en route to Sweetwater County, WY Territory, first settling in Rock Springs in July. Tom began work for the UPRR in the coal mines.
In 1888, Tom was elected sheriff of Sweetwater County for two terms. After another 2 years as deputy sheriff, he relocated to Green River to become a liquor merchant until 1915. During the time he held he was in business, he also served 10 years as Sweetwater Clerk of District Court.
Tom married Mary McClure in October, 1874 in Iowa. They had two daughters: Nellie and Lillian.
Contributing sources:
1. Nat'l Park Civil War Service Soldiers and Sailors System
2. History of Wyoming, I.S. Bartlett, Editor, 1918.
-submitted by Clint Black, Oct 2011
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Rock Springs Rocket, Mar 2, 1923
Tom Whitmore, Pioneer, and Last of Local G.A.R. Post, Answered Last Summons—Resident 43 Years

Mayor Harry G. Parker late yesterday authorized the Rocket to announce the issuance of a proclamation, calling upon the business houses of Rock Springs to close their places of business from 2 until 3 o’clock Saturday, the hour of the funeral of the late Tom Whitmore, as a mark of respect to the aged pioneer, who served his county so well during his 43 years residence.

Tom Whitmore, whose name is associated most prominently with the early history of Sweetwater county; who came to Rock Springs in 1880 via the Old Oregon Trail with an ox team, and who since that time has served his county well, six years as sheriff and 14 years as clerk of court, passed away yesterday morning at 2:15 o’clock, at the home of his daughter, Mrs. Walter Siegel, at Green River, cause of death being apoplexy, resulting from high blood pressure, with which Mr. Whitmore had been suffering for several months. Prior to midnight Wednesday his condition had not been regarded serious, but shortly after that time he suffered a severe attack from which he never rallied.

Passing of Pioneer

In the death of Tom Whitmore Sweetwater county loses another of its pioneers and few remaining civil war veterans. He had been a resident of this county for the past forty-three years, coming here over the old Oregon Trail from Iowa in 1890. He has been identified with the public and business life of the county during the entire period of his local residence and enjoyed perhaps the largest circle of friends and acquaintanceship of any man who has ever lived in Sweetwater county, and few indeed there are who did not call him by his first name. Altogether for two decades he served in the offices of the county, being elected to the office of sheriff for three terms and to that of clerk of the court for seven terms, which testifies to the esteem in which he was held by the citizens.

Last Member of Local G.A.R.

When a mere boy he enlisted in the army of the North and served during the last two years of the civil war with honor to himself and his country, retiring with the rank of lieutenant at the age of 18 years. He was a member of the John A. Campbell Post, G.A.R. of Sweetwater county, and on every occasion that organization appeared in public was to be seen in the gradually thinning ranks until he alone survived, since August, 1921, two other members dying in that month, H.F. Menough on the 8th and Felix Devlin on the 17th. With his death the John A. Campbell Post, G.A.R., passes out of existence.

Early Life Spent on the Farm

Tom Whitmore was born in Lake county, Ohio, in 1848, and removed with his parents to Jo Daviess county, Illinois, where he lived on a farm until 1864, when at the age of 16 years he answered his country’s call and enlisted in the Union army and became a member of Company 1, 162d Illinois Infantry. He afterward re-enlisted as a member of Company D 153d regiment of Illinois Volunteers, and served until the close of the war, being mustered out with the rank of lieutenant in July, 1865. After the war he returned to his old home in Illinois, where he engaged in farming.

Mr. Whitmore received a common school education in the public schools of Illinois and later attended school in Chicago for two years. In 1868 he removed to Cass county, Iowa, before the railroad lines were extended in that district, driving overland from Illinois. In Iowa he engaged in the general mercantile and grain business until 1880. In that year he started on his journey westward, with no particular destination in view. All his worldly possessions were drawn by ox team. When he arrived at Rock Springs, then a wild, frontier town with desolate surroundings, he at once became impressed with its future and decided to locate.

Worked for U.P. Eight Years

He entered the employ of the coal department of the Union Pacific Railroad company, by which name the Union Pacific Coal company was then known, In 1880, continuing with them for eight years. In 1888 he was elected sheriff of Sweetwater county, being re-elected for two more terms and then serving two additional years as deputy sheriff. After leaving the sheriff’s office he engaged in business in Green River, which he conducted successfully until 1915. In 1908 he was elected to the office of clerk of court and served faithfully and efficiently in that position for fourteen years, retiring the first of January last.

In Iowa in 1874, Mr. Whitmore was united in marriage to Miss Mary McClure and to them were born two children, Nellie, deceased wife of Hugo Gaensslen, and Lillian, who is now Mrs. Walter Siegel of Green River, who survives him, with several grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.

Mr. Whitmore was the youngest of a family of seven sons, the six older all preceding him in death at an advanced age.

Funeral Services Saturday

The body will remain in Green River until tomorrow (Saturday) when it will be brought to Rock Springs by the Rogan Mortuary, and funeral services will be held in the afternoon at 2 o’clock from the Episcopal church and interment made in the G.A.R. plot in Mountain View cemetery.
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Rock Springs Rocket, Mar 9, 1923
LAST SAD RITES FOR A PIONEER
Funeral for Late Tom Whitmore Held in Rock Springs Saturday Afternoon

The high esteem in which the late Tom Whitmore, beloved by all and a man of unusual attainments secured during forty-three years’ continuous residence in Sweetwater county, was manifested last Saturday afternoon, when the funeral services, held at the local Episcopal church, were attended by scores of friends, desirous of paying their last respects to the memory of departed. As a mark of respect the business houses of the city were closed from 2 until 3 o’clock, the funeral hour.

The Rock Springs and Green River Posts of the American Legion attended the services in a body, as also did the Women’s Relief Corps. The body lay in state at Green River from 10 a.m. until 1 p.m. when it was brought to this city. The services at the church were conducted the Rev. R.E. Abraham, and were impressive. Interment was in the Grand Army plot of Mountain View cemetery, in conformity with his request. The floral tributes ere beautiful and literally covered the bier.

The Legion hosts and W.R.C. escorted the body to the grave, where burial services were conducted, Hector Elias sounding taps as all that was mortal of Tom Whitmore was lowered to its final resting place.
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