Notable people · Business
Thomas H. White
Massachusetts-born sewing-machine maker who founded the White Sewing Machine Company in Cleveland (1876 per Wikipedia); his sons later built White Motor Company (1906). He died in Cleveland and is buried at Lake View Cemetery.
At a glance
- Born
- 1836-04-26
- Died
- 1914-06-22
- Known as
- Business
- Organizations
- White Sewing Machine Company, White Motor Company
Life story
Thomas H. White was born in Phillipston, Massachusetts, in 1836, the oldest of eight children, with only basic schooling and a talent for machines.
He invented a hand-operated single-thread sewing machine sold as the New England Sewing Machine. He moved to Cleveland in 1866 and founded White Manufacturing, then formed White Sewing Machine Company in 1876 with William Grout.
He served on Cleveland City Council in 1875-76 and later made roller skates, bicycles and machine screws. His sons started White Motor Company in 1906.
He set up the Thomas H. White Charitable Trust in 1913, supported Mary McLeod Bethune's school and left it an endowment. He died in Cleveland in 1914 and is buried at Lake View.
Timeline
- 1836-04-26: Born in Phillipston, Massachusetts (Phillipston, MA) source
- 1858-11-02: Marries Almira Greenleaf (MA) source
- 1866: Moves to Cleveland; founds White Manufacturing (Cleveland, OH) source
- 1875: Serves on Cleveland City Council (to 1876) (Cleveland, OH) source
- 1876: Forms White Sewing Machine Company (Cleveland, OH) source
- 1906: White Motor Company begins (Cleveland, OH) source
- 1913: Charitable Trust created (Cleveland, OH) source
- 1914-06-22: Dies in Cleveland; buried at Lake View (Cleveland, OH) source
What Thomas is known for
- Founded White Sewing Machine Company, Cleveland
- Family founded White Motor Company, 1906
- Established the Thomas H. White Charitable Trust (1913)
- White Sewing Machine Company, 1876
- White Motor Company (family, 1906)
Honors and things named for them
- White Hall, Bethune-Cookman University (1915)
Family
- wife: Almira L. Greenleaf
- son: Windsor T. White
Places in Ohio to see
- Lake View Cemetery (grave)
12316 Euclid Ave, Cleveland, Cuyahoga County ZIP 44106 · Cleveland · Cuyahoga County
Ohio places
Where Thomas H. White was born, lived, worked and is remembered, with the ZIP code, town and county pages for each.
- Worked: Cleveland, Cuyahoga County ZIP 44114 · Cleveland · Cuyahoga County
- Buried: Cleveland (Lake View Cemetery), Cuyahoga County (12316 Euclid Ave) ZIP 44106 · Cleveland · Cuyahoga County
Further reading
Sources
Confidence. Medium: the main facts were confirmed, but some details (often an address or ZIP code) were not.
- Thomas H. White (Wikipedia, pointer) dates, Cleveland, companies, Lake View burial