1949 - 1950: Profiles of Prominent Citizens

M.G. WHITE
Farmer,Teacher, Merchant, Contractor, and Garage Operator

Written March 17, 1950

A native of Wichita Falls, Texas, Mr. White was born in 1891. He came to Charlton County when seventeen years old with his father, the late John L. White and upon arrival here located at Homeland one mile and a half north of Folkston.

The subject of the sketch finished high school at Folkston after which he attended a business college in Jacksonville for several years. He then came back to Folkston and taught in the Charlton County school system for four years. After relinquishing this vocation, Mr. White organized and ran a bakery in Folkston for some time. After selling this enterprise he entered the construction field, specializing in road contracts.

During his tenure in the construction business he built the road from Racepond to Waycross, then from Waycross to Waresboro and from Manor to Waycross and Argyle to Manor, all under contract with the State Highway Department.

Giving up construction work, Mr. White bought the old Coleraine tract of land and he and his family lived for a number of years on the banks of the St. Marys River at old Muscogee Bluff, the actual spot where the treaty of peace between the Creek Nation of Indians and the federal government was signed. While living at Coleraine Mr. White was scoutmaster of the local Boy Scout troop and one of his cherished memories of his long scout service is that no boy ever had an accident while a member of his troop.

In 1932, while still living at Coleraine, he became superintendent of the Folkston Methodist Church Sunday School. With the exception of one year Mr. White has held this important church position since 1932, a period of seventeen years. During the years when Folkston had an active Chamber of Commerce, he served as its president for several terms.

In 1933 Mr. White sold the Coleraine tract to D.L. Hebard of the Hebard Cypress Co., and moved his family in to Folkston. Since that time he has been an active, loyal booster for the city. Soon after coming here he acquired the Ford dealership in connection with Louie Roberts and a farm one mile southwest of the city limits. He later sold the Ford business and devoted his entire time to the farm and cattle raising. In 1944 he bought the mercantile business, adjacent to the Post Office, of W.R. Allen, Sr., but in three months he had resold to Mr. Allen and bought the large mercantile business of Theo Dinkins. After operating this business for quite some time, Mr. White sold it to Harry and Scott Johnson. This concern has expanded until they now have the large hardware store across the street from the original mercantile business.

After World War Two ended, Harold, Mr. White’s son and a member of the US Navy, returned home and together they established a garage business in the first block north of Main Street on US Highway One and 301. In addition to a first class general garage they are dealers for International trucks and tractors, all kind of farm equipment and Kaizer-Frazer automobiles under the firm name of M.G. White and Son.

In 1916 Mr. White was married to Miss Charlotte Cushing, a former teacher in the Folkston schools and three children were born: John, a deceased veteran of World War Two; Harold, who is connected with his father in the garage business and George, a student at Emory College in Atlanta. The entire family are devout members of the Methodist Church and are among the community’s most highly respected citizens.

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