{"id":4869,"date":"2020-04-24T09:08:59","date_gmt":"2020-04-24T13:08:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/fairhaventours.com\/?p=4869"},"modified":"2020-11-21T11:55:26","modified_gmt":"2020-11-21T16:55:26","slug":"william-h-whitfield-grave-site","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/fairhaventours.com\/william-h-whitfield-grave-site\/","title":{"rendered":"William H. Whitfield grave site"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Captain William H. Whitfield <\/span>(1804-1886)<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n A whaling captain, Whitfield commanded the ship John Howland <\/em>when its crew discovered five stranded Japanese fishermen, including 14 year old Manjiro Nakahama<\/strong><\/a>, on an island in the Pacific Ocean. Manjiro returned to Fairhaven with Whitfield and was the first Japanese person to live in America. Whitfield served as a Selectman in 1871, 1872 and 1873 and was a State Representative 1872 and 1873. One of two side-by-side houses owned by Capt. Whitfield on Cherry Street in the Oxford Village area was purchased in 2007 by a group of prominent Japanese people and on May 7, 2009 it was presented to the Town of Fairhaven to be used as a museum and cultural center, the Whitfield-Manjiro Friendship House<\/strong><\/a>. Japanese visitors to Fairhaven often visit the graves of Captain Whitfield and his family. Whitfield’s first wife Ruth and second wife Albertina are also buried here.<\/span><\/p>\n