White - Israel Harrison
Source: AW Bowen History (1913) of Montgomery County, Indiana p 1101
The true western spirit of progress and enterprise is strikingly exemplified in the lives of such men as Israel Harrison White, one of Montgomery county's honored native sons, whose energetic nature and laudable ambition have enabled him to conquer many
adverse circumstances and advance steadily.
He has met and overcome obstacles that would have discouraged many men of less
determination and won for himself not only a comfortable competency, together with one of the very choice farms of Scott Township, but also a prominent place among the enterprising men of this favored section of the great Wabash Valley country, and
now in the mellow autumn period of his life this venerable citizen can look backward over the long stretch of weary years without
regret or compunction.
Such a man is a credit to any community. His life forcibly illustrates what energy and consecutive effort can accomplish when directed and controlled by correct principles and high moral resolves, and no man is worthier of mention in a volume of the province of the one in hand and of the material success he has achieved and the esteem
in which he is held.
Mr. White was born in Sec 9, Scott Twp, Montgomery Co, March 17, 1839.
He is a son of William S. and Amy WATKINS White. The father was born in Green County, Ohio not far from the city of Dayton on March 6, 1817, being a son of
Benjamin and ____BLAIR White.
(Note from typist:
1850 Census Clark Twp #408
Benjamin White 55 Farmer Pa; Mary 55 Ky;
Charlotte 21 Ohio; Mary 20 Ohio; Benjamin F 18 Ind; Thomas B 16 Ind.)
About 1833 the family came to Montgomery County, Indiana when William S. White was 16 years old and here Benjamin White bought a farm about two miles SE of Ladoga. There they established their permanent home, developed a good farm and became well known. They worked hard, clearing the land of its virgin growth of timber and finally had one of the choice farms of the township.
Their family consisted of 12 children: Mrs. Eliza KELSEY, William, John, James, Mrs. Hannah IMEL, Mrs. Elmira ELROD, Mrs. Charlotte SMITH, Benjamin F, Thomas and two
who died in infancy unnamed.
Benjamin White, father of this family was the owner of half a section of land.
He was a carpenter by trade as was his sons. He and his family were members of the Methodist Episcopal church and he was a licensed exhorter and class leader in the church in the earlier years.
When William S. White was about 19 he married Amy WATKINS, daughter of George and Rebecca KELLY Watkins. She was born near Dayton, Ohio and her people moved here at the same time the White family came, a number of them coming together.
The Watkins family settled in Section 3, Scott Twp and there made their home until 1864. There were also 12 children in this family: Mrs. Betsy HARRISON; Mrs. Amy White, Atchison, Mrs. Jane CUSTER, Mrs. Sarah MILLS, William, Russell, Mrs. Rebecca Ann BARNETT, Daniel K and 3 other children who died young.
The Watkins family were also active workers in the Methodist Episcopal church here in the early days. George Watkins was a soldier in the War of 1812. William S. White, father of Israel H. White, had nothing of this world's good at the time of his marriage but his wife and a knowledge of the carpenter's trade. He went in debt for $100 worth of tools and started out on his career in Ladoga.
Their dining room table was a dry goods box. He was an earnest, hard worker and finally succeeded. He bought 80 acres of land in the NE ΒΌ Sec 9 in Scott Twp.
Not a tree had been cleared from the land. He went to work with a will, cleared the ground and developed a good farm, establishing a comfortable home there. He prospered and bought more land until he became the owner of about 450
acres of good land. He gave up carpenter work years before, although he was a very able man at framing with heavy timbers, bridge work, etc. and many of the old barns are still storm proof by reason of the substantial and skillful way he built them.
He, too was the father of 12 children, as had been his father and his wife's father. They
were: Mrs. Mary Rebecca GARMAN, deceased; Israel H, subject of this sketch; Benjamin F, who died during the Civil War while in the service of the Union; Mrs. Elizabeth MERCER of Ladoga; Sarah Hubbard, deceased; Elmira deceased; George W. of Lebanon; Josephine, deceased; Mrs. Susan KELSEY of Scott Township; Fredonia Alice is deceased; John B, deceased but his widow lives in New Market; Emma Caroline is deceased.
The mother of the above named children died April 24, 1896 when past 84.
The father's death occurred May 12, 1898 age 82 years.
Israel H. White grew to manhood on the home farm and he received his education in the common schools of this community. He learned the carpenter's trade under his father who required of the boy the same strict accountability that he did of his other employees and paid him the same wages for the same work. Our subject also engaged in farming and in 1873 he purchased the place where he now lives.
The following fall the panic came on and made hard sledding for him, but he held on and in due course of time prospered through his close application and good management and he now owns a valuable, productive and well improved farm a mile long in Section 4, Scott Township, consisting of 163 acres.
Mr. White was married Jan 5,1 881 to Elizabeth Dorothy ELLINGTON, daughter of James M. and Eliza J. SEE Ellington. She was born in Nicholas County, Kentucky, Sept 30, 1852. When she was seven, her parents removed to North Salem, Hendricks County, Indiana where her father continued his trade of blacksmith. While living in Kentucky he had for years employed a negro slave, however he was opposed to slavery, being very pronounced in his views against the system. He and his wife spent the rest of their lives at North Salem and there Mrs. White grew to womanhood and was educated, remaining until her marriage to Mr. White.
To this union 5 children were born, 4 living, one Fannie May dying nearly 3 years of age; Mable Estelle is the wife of Perry R. HIMES and lives in Sec 10, Scott Twp and has four children; Norma; Audrey; Elizabeth and Amy; Lolita Belle, second child of
our subject is the wife of Earl LEE; they live in Peoria Ill and have two daughters, Florence Elizabeth and Mabel Cordelia the third child William Ashby White is at home and is assisting his father with the work on the farm; Ina Cordelia, the youngest child is attending school at New Market. Israel H. White is a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church and his wife to the Christian Church. He became a member of the Independent order of Odd Fellows many years ago.