Christian County IL Archives Biographies.....White, John 
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File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by:
Stan Jacobs sajake@ezl.com December 1997

Biographical Sketch of John White - 
SANGAMON, CHRISTIAN Counties, Illinois

JOHN WHITE

	The subject of this brief biographical sketch is a native of Dickson
county, Tennessee.  He was born February 29th, 1828.  His father, Craig
White, was a native of the same state as was also his father before
him.  Craig White removed his family from Tennessee to Illinois in
1830.  He settled in the south-east part of Sangamon county, where he
engaged in farming and stock-raising.  He was an unusually active and
industrious man, and succeeded in amassing considerable wealth.  In
1860, he practically retired from active life.  He removed to Pana,
Christian county, where he remained until his death, which occurred
August 15th, 1878.  He married Sally Lane, who was born in North
Carolina.  She died November 6th, 1870.  John White is the fifth in a
family of eleven children, six boys and five girls.  Three of the
children have survived the parents.  John was but two years of age when
his parents came to Illinois.  His school days were exceedingly few, and
his opportunities for receiving an education very limited.  He was
compelled at an early age to become self-supporting, and help to provide
for the large family.  The lack of opportunities in his youth for study
has, to a considerable extent, been remedied and overcome by his habit
of close observation and fondness for reading acquired in his maturer
years; and now upon the current topics of the day he is as well posted
as those who make far larger pretensions.  His education has been of the
practical kind and not the ornamental.  He remained at home until he was
married.  In 1849 he purchased land in Locust Township, near the village
of Owaneco, in Christian county, and in the fall of 1850 moved there and
began improvements.  He remained there for eight years.  He sold out
then and purchased a half section in Sec. 10, T. 13, R. 4 W. to which he
added until he is now the possessor of as fine a body of improved land
as can be found in the county.  There he has resided up to the present
time, except one year, 1865, which he spent in the lumber business in
Pana, Ill.  The business of his life has been that of a practical
farmer, stock raiser and stock feeder.  He has also been engaged in
stock trading and shipping.  
	On the 5th of September, 1850, he married Elizabeth Hatchett, of
Sangamon county.  She was born in Virginia.  Her father, Harrison
Hatchett, removed to Illinois in 1832, when she was one year old.  Five
children have been born to John and Elizabeth White, four of whom are
living.  Their names are Fanny, wife of Dr. Drennan, of Pawnee.  Hiram,
a farmer living in this county.  Columbus, who is yet at home, an
intelligent, well-educated youth just verging into manhood, and Annie,
wife of George Setzer, of Sangamon county.  In politics Mr. White is a
sound democrat, and has stood by that party through evil as well as
through good report.  He is a man who has always enjoyed to the highest
extent the confidence and esteem of the community in which he resided. 
As evidence of this it may be mentioned that he has been elected to
positions of honor and trust and in all discharged the duties therein
involved in a manner creditable to himself and to his fellow-citizens. 
In 1861, he was elected Associate Justice of the county, and held the
office for one term, at the expiration of which he was re-elected and
served one year, when the county was reorganized under Township
organization.  In 1867 he was elected Sheriff of the county, and served
one term.  He afterwards represented his township in the Board of
Supervisors.  In his official capacity and as a servant of the people,
he looks after their interests the same as if it were his own private
business.  He is a plain-spoken, straightforward man, and leaves no one
in doubt as to his views or positions upon any question of public
policy.  When convinced that he is right, he is uncompromising and
immovable.  Firmness is one of the characteristics of the man.  In his
manners he is quiet and of rather a retiring disposition.


             Taken from "HISTORY OF CHIRISTIAN COUNTY, ILLINOIS".
             Published by Brink, McDonough & Co., Philadelphia.
                 Corresponding office. Edwardsville, Ill.
                                     1880


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