Thomas Whaley was a prominent San Diego pioneer. Born in New York city, he migrated to San Francisco at the tail-end of the Gold Rush. He and his family moved to San Diego in 1851. He build a grand brick house, unusual for the area, and opened shop about a half mile away from the central square of Old Town (then, just "town") but the distance proved too far for customers to travel. He was never commercially successful and family tragedies later wracked his nerves to the point of illness. Still, Whaley's civic-mindedness marks him as one of the most significant Founding Fathers of the San Diego area.
Thomas Whaley was a prominent San Diego pioneer. Born in New York city, he migrated to San Francisco at the tail-end of the Gold Rush. He and his family moved to San Diego in 1851. He build a grand brick house, unusual for the area, and opened shop about a half mile away from the central square of Old Town (then, just "town") but the distance proved too far for customers to travel. He was never commercially successful and family tragedies later wracked his nerves to the point of illness. Still, Whaley's civic-mindedness marks him as one of the most significant Founding Fathers of the San Diego area.
Bio by: K. Raudive
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