Whittier

Whittier city (1990 pop. 77,671), Los Angeles co., S Calif.; in an oil area; inc. 1898. Mainly residential, it has food processing and plants that manufacture transportation equipment; machinery; clay, steel, paper, metal, and rubber products; elevators; consumer goods; electronic and electromedical equipment; and furniture. Several companies have their administrative headquarters there. Founded by Quakers in 1887, it was the hometown of President Richard M. Nixon . The city is the seat of Whittier College. A state historical park in Whittier contains the mansion of the last Mexican governor of California, Pío de Jesus Pico.

Whittier, John Greenleaf (1807–92), American Quaker poet, associated with the anti-slavery movement. Verses from some of his poems have become well known as hymns, among them ‘Dear Lord and Father of mankind’ and ‘Immortal love, for ever full’.

Whittier, John Greenleaf (1807–92), American poet. He became an ardent Abolitionist; his poems on slavery were collected as Voices of Freedom (1846). He was a regular contributor to the Atlantic Monthly, which he helped to found. He wrote in many genres; his first book, Legends of New-England in Prose and Verse (1831), was followed by many volumes of verse on political and rural themes, by verse narratives, sonnets, and ballads.