Butte County
Biographies
EMMONS WHITE
EMMONS WHITE.--That adverse conditions build up the strong and break down the weak has found convincing evidence in the life of Emmons White, whose dauntless spirit has surmounted many obstacles, and drawn helpful lessons from disheartening circumstances. His reputation as one of the most substantial citizens of Butte County rests upon a solid foundation of actual merit, upon honesty of purpose and never-failing devotion to the best interests of his community. He was born at Mason, Ingham County, Mich., June 9, 1849, grew to young manhood there and attended the Normal School at Ypsilanti, Mich., graduating in 1869. During vacations, to meet his current expenses, he engaged in teaching school.
His parents, Emmons and Elmira (Smith) White, were both born in the Green Mountain State, where they were united in marriage. They went to Lansing, Mich., when the city had but three houses. Mr. White cleared a farm the hardwood timber country, near which sprung up the town of Mason. He had a yoke of oxen and a cow, and, in passing through an Indian village, which they found deserted, they put their cattle in one of the wigwams over night; Mrs. White was fearful during the night that they would be massacred. On arriving at Mason they found all the Indians making sugar from the hard maple trees. Mr. White built the third house in Mason, having taken up a quarter section in the woods, in which he had to clear a space large enough to build his house; he also, constructed a dam, and a sawmill, the latter being the first mill in that section of country. In their house in the timber country their children were all born, except the eldest, who was born in Ohio, where the parents stopped about a year on their way to Michigan. The sons and daughters are: Franklin, died in 1905 at Mason, Mich.; Adaline, married LaFayette Jones, and died in her native state; Mary Jane, came to California in 1867 with her mother, taught school in Butte and Plumas counties, and died unmarried, in Chico. She erected a two-story frame building in front of the old brick school house. Lorinda, married Albert Butler and lives in Mason, Mich.; Emmons, of this review, and the youngest that grew up; and Ella, died aged sixteen years.
The father came to California about 1851; he was a wagon-maker by trade, and engaged at that trade in Chico where he had a wagon and blacksmithing shop, owning the property at the right of the Chico Hotel. He had come to this state by water, and after some time his wife and daughter came to join him, making the trip via the Isthmus in 1867. The father died in Chico at the age of sixty-one, after which the mother made her home with her son, our subject, and died at his ranch hone in 1898, aged eighty-three years.
As soon as he was graduated from school, Emmons White, Jr. started for California in 1869, and upon his arrival joined the family circle in Butte County, where a happy reunion took place. He had bought a ticket through to San Francisco, from Michigan, but on arriving at Sacramento he told the conductor that he would go to Chico, where his folks were then located. The conductor took up his ticket and gave him a pass to the western metropolis. Mr. White explained that in all probability he would not want to use the pass very soon, thereupon the conductor told him that it would be good for ninety-nine years. Mr. White has it still, never caring to part with it, and keeping it as a relic of earlier days. He also has a cane of manzanita wood, eight square dressed, made by his father the second year he was in California. He arrived at Oroville and took stage to Chico. It had been ten years since father and son had met and the former hardly recognized the son, and the latter had no recollection of his father.
His sister, who had been teaching school, had secured a school for her brother. Hence soon after his arrival he began teaching at Durham, and for two years taught the children in that district; later he taught in Paradise and Webster districts. The first winter he taught near Durham, from the schoolhouse windows could be heard the driving of the spikes in the building of the Oregon and California Railroad. During vacation periods Mr. White clerked for Mr. Blood, who kept groceries and sold ice that was brought down from the mountains from Truckee.
While engaged in teaching Mr. White was united in marriage with Miss Anna Ware at Paradise; she was then one of his pupils. The first winter after their marriage they moved to Chico and, together with Prof. C. G. Warren as principal, Mr. White’s sister, his wife and himself as teachers, and Mrs. Dr. Thomas in the primary department, comprised the staff of the Chico school. Mr. White soon began to farm and leased the Johnson ranch of four hundred acres for a year, later he moved up Butte Creek a mile and leased land owned by Ex-Governor Perkins, the firm then being Perkins and Wise, merchants at Oroville. In 1873 he came to the Nelson section of the county and leased twelve hundred acres from George W. Gridley, then known as the Gridley Grant, but which later became the property of Leland Stanford. Here Mr. White remained twelve years and so successful was he that he was able to purchase land of his own, investing in five hundred acres of his present ranch, in 1883, but continued to farm at Nelson for one season. Later he added one hundred acres of the Cyrus Moring tract. It become necessary to ditch and build levees, and he put at least eighteen thousand dollars into the latter and became in debt by doing so. He mortgaged the land and when the panic of 1893 came, went “broke” and was forced to deed his property over to a San Francisco bank that held the mortgage. He fell into gracious hands, however, the adjuster for the bank, August Munter, giving him a perfectly square deal. He was later enabled to buy back the land and has succeeded in getting it all paid for and has laid by a competency besides. He has raised large crops and while prices have ranged widely, in the main he has done fairly well: his 1917 crop, a bumper one, and at high prices, was very gratifying. In 1918 Mr. White bought one hundred ninety-six acres of creek bottom land from the Stanford Grant.
Mr. and Mrs. White have had seven children, four now living: Walter H., a conductor on the Southern Pacific, lives at Dunsmuir. He married Faris Myers, a granddaughter of Major Biggs, and they have two children, Elizabeth and Anna. Edwin Earl is at home and manages the farming interests. Lila Winnifred married Fred Lucas and lives in Groveland; he is in the employ of the Hetch-Ketchy Water Company of San Francisco. They have two children, Frederick Emmons and Edwin H. Lois Mildred taught in Durham three years, then became the wife of Roy Rice and they live at Colusa. She is the mother of one daughter, Marie. All the improvements seen on the White ranch have been made by Mr. and Mrs. White, who have worked hand in hand to make a cheerful home. Besides their farming operations they have a band of four hundred high grade Shropshire sheep which adds to the annual income. Mr. White is a Mason, holding membership in Emanuel Lodge, No. 318, at Biggs, of which both his sons are also members. He has served to the best of his ability as a school trustee of the Nelson district for many years, and has also been prominent in business affairs.
Mrs. White’s parents were John and Hannah (Parker) Ware, born at Syracuse, N. Y. Mr. Ware came to California in 1852 with oxteams, and after becoming established, in 1857, he returned East and brought back his wife and children coming via Panama. He mined for a time and died leaving a widow and six children: Edwin, Henry, Sarah, Anna, Ellen and William. Mrs. White was a girl of seven when she was brought to California and has since made this state her home.
Transcribed
by Joyce Rugeroni.
Source: "History of
Butte County, Cal.," by George C. Mansfield, Pages 687-689, Historic Record Co, Los Angeles, CA, 1918.
© 2008 Joyce Rugeroni.
Golden Nugget Library's Butte County Biographies