[1] Prior to the War of 1812, the United States nominally owned the far reaches of the Northwest Territory — Michigan, Wisconsin and northern Illinois — but was too weak to effectively assert sovereignty in the region.

[3] In the lower Fox Valley, Whitney had several establishments developed, including a large frame building store in the vicinity of Fort Howard.

This store supplied the needs of settlers, traders, farmers and the growing government administrative staff of officials who were responsible for the region, then part of Michigan Territory.

About 20 miles upstream at Grand Kaukauna[a] he maintained a store on the south shore of the Fox (which runs east and west at that point), which served the needs of the Stockbridge Indians who had a settlement there.

[citation needed] In 1831 Whitney formed a company along with investors from Detroit and Mineral Point to build a shot tower on the lower Wisconsin, just north of the prime lead mining region.

[9] As the shot tower was beginning its operation, Whitney also built a store at Helena, which was to serve local workers but also other settlers in the area and travelers along the river.

[8] This store featured a full supply of the necessities for early settlers, including salt, stoves, ovens, meat, flour, pots, skillets, candles, guns, furniture, cows and calves, etc.

The wholesale supply routes for these goods were up the river via St. Louis, down from Green Bay via Fort Winnebago, and overland from Blue Mounds on freight wagons.

[11] Whitney acquired title to land on the east side of the Fox River across from Fort Howard and in 1829 laid out the town of Navarino.

[12] Whitney made many extended business trips back to New England, and in 1826 he returned with his new wife, Emmeline Stillman Henshaw.