T. Stewart White Page 659-660 T. Stewart White was born June 28, 1840, at Grand Haven, Michigan. He was the son of Capt. Thomas W. White, of Ashfield, Massachusetts, and Caroline Norton, of St. Alban, Vermont. He received the advantages offered by the public schools of that day. The panic of 1857 prevented him from obtaining a college education. He saw the advantage of constructing a ferry between the two banks of the river there and its operations were extensive. However, he was soon offered a position in the office of the county clerk and registrar, and two years later, having attained to the age of nineteen, he became bookkeeper for the bank which at this time had been established by W. M. Ferry & Son at Grand Haven, and soon after was promoted to the position of cashier, which he held for three years. In 1862, at the age of twenty-two, he enlisted in the Fourteenth Michigan Volunteers, under command of Col. Wm. M. Ferry, and was assigned to duty as adjutant or clerk to his commanding officer. He remained in the service until after the battle of Corinth, when he returned home and for a time was interested in a market at Grand Haven, but in 1863 entered the employ of Gray, Phelps & Company, Chicago, as receiving and shipping clerk. The year following, however, found him at his place as cashier of the Ferry & Sons Bank. Seeing the need of more out-of-door work Mr. White removed to Grand Rapids (1866), but returned to Grand Haven the next year and entered into partnership with Heber Squires, the firm entering upon a general lake contracting business. This lasted for ten years. During that time, however, Thomas Friant became connected with them and the firm name of White & Friant was then established. In 1868 Mr. White became associated with John M. Avery and the firm of White & Avery entered upon a general lumber interest. This firm was succeeded by Robinson, Lettellier & Company, and Lettellier & White: later becoming White, Friant & Lettellier, continuing up to 1892 in a general planing mill and lumber business. In 1877 the firm of White, Friant & Company was formed by connection with John Rugee of Milwaukee, for the prosecution of a general lumber business and this company was in 1885 incorporated as the White & Friant Lumber Company. T. Stewart White was president of the firm. The firm held large tracts of land in Michigan, Wisconsin and Minnesota, California, in the cypress lands of Louisiana, Florida and South Carolina. The company operated sawmills at Spring Lake for many years and also at Manistee and Menominee, Michigan, with a yearly production of about 50,000,000 feet of lumber. Besides his active interests in the lumbering trade, Mr. White found time to attend to the duties of a director in the City National Bank and Michigan Trust Company of Grand Rapids. He also was a director in the Grand Rapids Fire Insurance Company and for a while was president of that company. He was president of the Monitor Vapor Engine Company of Grand Rapids, manufacturers of marine engines, and was interested in the Michigan Vapor Stove Company, and the Sweeperette Company. He was a director in the Grand Rapids Packing and Provision Company. Politically, Mr. White was a Republican. He attended the Congregational church and was a member of the Peninsular Club. April 20, 1870, Mr. White married Mary E. Daniell, of Milwaukee, and as a result of the union has five sons - Stewart Edward, Thomas G., Norton Rugee, Rhoderick I., and Harwood A. - and one daughter who died in infancy. Mr. White died October 14, 1915, at Flint, Michigan, and is buried in Grand Rapids.

Transcriber: Gloria Paas
Created: 3 February 2003