John Charles Whitehead was born October 18, 1865 in Franklin, Franklin County, Idaho. He was the 2nd of 11 children born to William Whitehead and Margaret Green.

John's father William died 2 April leaving John, age 17, and his older brother William to care for the family. Times were often difficult for them. one winter was long and cold with the snow very deep. Hay and feed for the animals was scarce. William and John worked for a week to earn money for a wagon bed of straw to feed the family cow. The straw had come from the top of a man's straw shed and was dusty and dark.

During his youth, John worked for several different people when his work at home was caught up. He and his brother William worked in the canyons to get lumber to build sheds and other buildings at their home and for others.

Beginning in 1884, John obtained a wagon and four horses. He started freighting supplies for stores and mining camps in Arco, Mackay, Challis and Salmon, Idaho. After delivering to the mines, he hauled back ore. With his earnings, he was able to buy three more horses. When the weather got bad late in the fall of 1884, he left the freight line, his horses and wagons in Blackfoot, Idaho and spent the winter at his home in Franklin, Idaho.

On Jan. 28, 1885 he married Johanna Durney, who was from Richmond, Cache County, Utah. John began the freight line again through the summer months while JoAnna stayed in Franklin. They homesteaded in 1888 in Cherryville, Idaho on a farm where their 8 children were born as follows:

Ethel May Dec. 11, 1885 born in Richmond
Bertha born Oct. 1, 1888 in Franklin
Edith born Oct. 2, 1890 in Franklin
John William born May 4, 1893 in Franklin
Sarah born Apr. 22, 1895 in Franklin
Margaret born July 7, 1898 in Franklin
James Leo born Nov. 28, 1901 in Franklin
Florence Ordella born Dec. 11, 1902 in Franklin

John cleared the land and built a house on the property. He built ditches to obtain water out of the creek and stables for wintering the cows. The family planted an orchard with cherry, plum, apple and apricot trees. They also grew goosebrries, currants and other fruits.

There were ten families living up the creek. They all joined together and built a big hall and used it for a school, church, dancing and other social events.

When the Cherryville branch of the Church was organized on 29 March 1891, John was chosen as presiding elder.

In 1893, John became a sheep rancher. He fed them at home in the winter and ran them on the range during the summer months. John built and ran a shearing corral up Cub River. He also had one at his home employing about ten men.

In 1901 John obtained lumber from the Sugar Creek area and built a new, large eight-room home on the 80 acres he had obtained through squatter's rights. When the enlarged Homestead Act came into effect, he took up 320 more acres joining his home. He also had the only sawmill running in the area at the time.

John reserved the rights for 35 head of cattle to graze up Crooked Canyon. He also had pasture land for 20 head of milk cows and 8 horses. He employed 2 men with his herd of sheep and at times 4 men on his farms. He ran a milk wagon from cherryville to Franklin for several years.

John worked hard on the farm and became ill in the fall of 1914, then continued to be sickly. He passed away Apr. 29, 1917 in Franklin. He was buried in Franklin May 2, l917. His youngest child Della was 15 years old, so most of his family was raised when he died.

I'm sure he was sorely missed by a numerous posterity.