Thomas White, leading citizen of Franklin, Ind., and member of the firm of Thompson, White & Co., proprietors of the starch works, was born in County Tipperary, Ireland, February 4, 1847. Our subject is the son of John and Mary (Duffy) White, both natives of Ireland. Parents left Ireland in 1850, emigrating to Cape Town, Africa, and in 1855, came to America, landing in Boston, Mass.; a month was next spent in New York, then a year in Cincinnati, Ohio, and in 1856, the family located in Bartholomew County, Ind., six miles north of Columbus. They came to Johnson County in 1858, but subsequently returned to Bartholomew County. In 1861, they located in Edinburg, Ind. The mother died in 1876, and the father in 1882. Our subject received a common school education, and in 1863, enlisted in Company M, Twenty-first Indiana Heavy Artillery, and served until January 22, 1866, veteranizing in the meantime. Returning to Edinburg, he entered the post office as clerk, in 1866, and continued there until 1869, and then began clerking for C. C. Winterburg, at Edinburg, at which he continued until 1870, when he began keeping books for the Edinburg Starch Company. November 1, 1880, he located in Franklin. Mr. White was married February 3, 1869, to Nannie Appleton, who was born in Johnson County, and to this union four children have been born, two of whom survive.