Tuscola County MI Archives Biographies.....White, Elijah S. 1834 - 
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Joy Fisher sdgenweb@yahoo.com March 16, 2007, 1:29 am

Author: Chapman Bros. (1892)

ELIJAH S. WHITE was born in Livingston County, N. Y., in the township of Nunda,
June 24, 1834. He is the son of Joseph and Drucilla (McKenney) White. His father
was born in Chenango County and his mother in Cayuga County, N. Y. By occupation
his father was a farmer, and our subject was reared to that calling in his
native State. He was given very limited educational opportunities, at first
going to a small country school where the instruction was questionable both in
method and fact. Later in life when he was independent he secured advantages for
himself and made up the deficiences of his early experiences to a large extent.
He began life for himself at the age of nineteen years.

  Elijah S. White earned his first money by engaging in farm labor for others
beside his father. He came to the State of Michigan with his father in June,
1855, and has ever since resided in this State. He is now the oldest settler in
the township, having come here long before it was organized. The country was
then an absolute wilderness. A few Indians and numerous wild animals were the
only things to break the stillness of the forests. He and his father were
obliged to cut a road for a distance of two miles in order to get to his place.
They were then obliged to go to Saginaw to do their trading, and even it was
more conspicuous for the Indians who were eager in their sale of honey,
cranberries, carnelians and moccasins, the bucks spending all their earnings at
the gambling table while the squaws patiently waited the return of their lords
and masters. They later secured mills and stores at nearer towns. He lived with
his father until long after reaching maturity and finally he assumed the
proprietorship of the place, relieving his father of all care of the management
of the farm. In 1865 he traded for the place, giving his father a life interest
in it, and in 1877 he purchased his life interest. The old gentleman died in
1880, in his ninetieth year. Our subject's mother died in 1885, in her
eighty-seventh year. His family are long-lived people, their life lease usually
being from seventy to ninety years.

  Mr. White was married August 9, 1863, to Nancy A. Smith, of Columbia Township,
Tuscola County. This marriage has been blessed by the advent of two
children-Mianda E. and Ralph T. The first named was born January 4, 1865; the
second child died at the age of fifteen months and twenty days. Our subject has
been engaged in farming ever since coming here, although he spent many winters
during the first years of his sojourn in this portion of the country in the
lumber camps of this State, but with that exception has given his whole
attention to his chosen calling. The township was organized in 1860, and in 1867
our subject was elected Supervisor, which office he held for fourteen years with
the exception of three terms. He has also held the offices of Township Treasurer
and Commissioner of Highways. In politics Mr. White is a Democrat and at one
time he and two others were the only voters of that ticket in the township.

  Our subject pays a great deal of attention to the breeding of horses and also
thorough-bred Yorkshire swine. He has moreover a fine grade of cattle. He takes
an interest in agricultural societies and is now Director of the Tuscola, Huron
and Sanilac Agricultural Society. He favors above all good educational
advantages and never missed but one school meeting in his experience in the
township.


Additional Comments:
Extracted from:

Portrait and Biographical Record of Genesee, Lapeer and Tuscola Counties,
Michigan, Containing Biographical Sketches of Prominent and Representative
Citizens, Together with Biographies of all the Governors of the State, and of
the Presidents of the United States

Chicago:
Chapman Bros.
1892


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