Transcribed from "History of North Washington, an illustrated history
of Stevens, Ferry, Okanogan and Chelan counties", published by Western
Historical Publishing Co., 1904.
EDWARD F. WHITE. The men
who make history are the men who do things, and in this worthy class it
is proper to mention the subject of this article, who has led an active
life in various places and is now one of the industrious and substantial
citizens of Okanogan county. He resides at Molson, and does a general
blacksmithing business, while also he has a homestead near by which is
being improved and cultivated.
Edward F. White was born in Lawrence, St.
Lawrence county, New York, on January 7, 1862, the son of Edward and Mary
(Hurley) White, natives of Ireland, and now deceased. The father
came here at the age of twenty-two, and died when seventy-eight.
Our subject was well educated, especially along commercial lines, and also
learned the blacksmith trade before reaching his majority. Then he
went to Michigan and in 1883 came to the state of Washington, locating
at Vancouver, where he followed his trade. He assisted to install
the machinery in one of the large mills there and later we find him at
Northport, erecting the smelter. Sometime previous to this he was
in the Carriboo and Fraser river district, and in fact has been in almost
all of the prominent mines in British Columbia and Washington. Mr.
White has traveled from coast to coast in the U. S. twelve times.
He is a man of broad experience and was one of the first pioneers in Grand
Forks, where he followed blacksmithing and undertaking, and, as Mr. White
remarks, his sign of undertaking and blacksmithing, was rather out of the
ordinary. On April, 1900, Mr. White came to Molson and established
a shop, and also located a homestead one-half mile east of the town.
His farm is rich bunch grass land, and is improved with a house, outbuildings,
fences and so forth. He has plenty of spring water, and also a fine
lake near by. His ranch is known as the Blacksmith Snowball Ranch.
He handles, in addition to this other enterprises, a band of cattle.
Mr. White is a member of the A. F. & A. M. and the I. 0. 0. F. He is
an active Republican, and was deputy sheriff for Clarke county, Washington,
for one term.
Mr. White is interested in mines in this state
and in British Columbia. He and George Beaver discovered, about seven
miles west of Molson, and after investigation, located one hundred and
sixty acres of coal land. He predicts it is of a good quality and
although the vein is but eight inches across at the top, it widens very
rapidly and indications are that there is a good deposit of coal on this
land. Mr. White has made his present holdings entirely by his own
efforts, and although he has met with many reverses during his life he
is now a man of prosperity and means.