White, William Edgar [1]
White, William Edgar
19 Jan. 1861–29 Mar. 1935
See also: White Furniture Company [2]
William Edgar White, furniture manufacturer [3], was born in Mebane, the son of Stephen Alexander and Mary Jane Woods White. He received his education at the Bingham Military Academy [4], located near his home, before working as a telegraph [5]operator for the Southern Railway [6] until 1881. With his brother, David A., and a capital investment of $420, he then established the White Furniture Company [2], of which he was president until his death over half a century later. The company made furniture of the highest quality and earned an international reputation.
As a Republican [7] White was active in local political affairs and a member of the school board; he was a director of the State Fair [8] and helped organize the Mebane tobacco market. A member of the Presbyterian church [9], he was involved in its work. White never married. The White Furniture Company ceased operations in 1994.
References:
Greensboro Daily News, 31 Mar. 1935 (portrait).
Raleigh News and Observer, 30 Mar. 1936.
Who Was Who in America, vol. 1 (1943).
Additional Resources:
Vincent, William Murray. "William E. White." Historic Alamance County: An Illustrated History. Historical Publishing Network. 2009. 70-71. http://books.google.com/books?id=qL3RkMTRx1YC&lpg=PA70&pg=PA70#v=onepage&q&f=false [10] (accessed March 8, 2013).
Image Credits:
"William E. White." Greensboro Daily News, March 31, 1935. D-7.
1 January 1996 | Powell, William S.