Alfred P. White Founding Storekeeper • First Postmaster • Builder of District No. 1 School

Settlers began arriving in Minerva and the surrounding region in the early 1800s, carving out new lives in this beautiful, wild part of northern New York. Within just fifteen years, the settlement had grown enough to warrant township status, and Minerva was officially designated a town in 1817.
Alfred P. White and his wife, Huldah, moved from Granville, New York, to Minerva in 1815—two years before the town was formally established.
Early Life in Granville (1785–1815)Alfred was born in Granville on July 16, 1785, to Col. Elijah White Jr. and Elisabeth Arnold White. He was the ninth of eleven children. His father established a store in Granville in 1801, which remained in operation for nearly a century. A photograph of the store survives in a descendant’s family tree on Ancestry.com.
In 1815, Alfred married Huldah Symonds of Vermont. He was 30; she was 27. The newly married couple immediately set out for Minerva and began building a home and livelihood.
Arrival in Minerva (1815)Upon arriving, Alfred purchased a sawmill and gristmill from William Hill for $700. He also established a general store—becoming Minerva’s very first storekeeper, a natural extension of the business he had known since childhood.
He operated the sawmill, gristmill, and store until 1832, when all were sold to Edward Talbot.
We know Alfred was the first storekeeper because Bessie Talbot Sullivan, Edward Talbot’s granddaughter, loaned the Historical Society an account book dated 1827. The book references an earlier volume, confirming Alfred’s role as the original proprietor.
Connections Across Early Minerva Families
  • The Jones family arrived in 1804—eleven years before Alfred and Huldah.
  • Alfred and Huldah’s son William married Catherine Ravlin, daughter of Elder Ravlin.
  • Alfred, Huldah, James, and Polly Jones were all baptized in 1830 in the Minerva Baptist Church.
  • Knowlton children were enrolled in District 2 in 1829; Knowlton Road existed off 14th Road in the early 1900s.
  • The Cousins family joined the Baptist Church in 1831.
These interwoven threads reveal how deeply the White family was connected to Minerva’s founding network.
The Mills and Store: Locations Remembered
  • Sawmill: Upstream on the south side of Minerva Stream, later known as Irishtown
  • Gristmill: Downstream on the north side of Minerva Stream at the bottom of Mill Hill
  • Store: Near the junction of Irishtown Road and A.P. Morse Memorial Highway
According to Bessie (born 1887), the old store foundation was still visible in her childhood, placing its last remnants in the early 1900s.
Founder of Minerva’s First School (District No. 1)
In 1818, Alfred donated land along Irishtown Road for a schoolhouse. This school became District No. 1 and was known as the Alfred White School.
Town records suggest Alfred likely built the schoolhouse himself.
The school operated for 36 years, until 1854, when a new building opened in Olmstedville near the intersection of Trout Brook Road and County Route 29. That school took on the District 1 designation, becoming the Olmstedville Union School.
(The original school site was near the current home of Julie Dowling.)
Minerva’s First Postmaster (1827–1832)In 1827, Alfred became Minerva’s very first postmaster. It is believed he helped establish the postal system within the new settlement.
He held the position until 1832, when he and his family moved west.
The White FamilyWhile living in Minerva, Alfred and Huldah had six known children:
  • Almeda (born 1809 — six years before their marriage)
  • James (1820)
  • Charles (1823)
  • Lafayette (1825)
  • John (1830)
  • George (date unknown)
All the children attended the Alfred White School and later moved with their parents to Sherman, NY.
A local newspaper article suggests the possibility of additional children born after the move, but this is unverified.
After relocating, the family established a farm in Sherman, located about ten miles from French Creek.
Leaving Minerva for Sherman (1832)
In 1832, Alfred sold his store, sawmill, and gristmill to Edward Talbot. He and Huldah then joined a larger wave of Minerva families who left for Chautauqua County, including:
  • Elder Thomas Ravlin (pastor of the Baptist Church)
  • Charles Baker
  • Harry Cousins
  • The Knowltons
  • Jesse West
  • James and Polly Jones (relatives of Increase and Hannah Jones, early Minerva settlers)
Their shared departure suggests a community migration, not just a family decision.
Public Service and Community Leadership
During his seventeen years in Minerva, Alfred held a remarkable number of civic positions, including:
  • School Trustee
  • Commissioner of Highways (one of three)
  • Commissioner of Common Schools (one of three)
  • Town Clerk
  • Fence Viewer
  • Assessor
  • Overseer of the Poor
  • His record makes him one of Minerva’s most active early public servants.
Death and LegacyAlfred died on April 14, 1847, at age 62.
Huldah lived to be 88 and died in 1878.
Both are buried in French Creek, NY, as is their son George.
Alfred P. White will always be remembered as:
  • Minerva’s first storekeeper
  • Founder of its first school
  • Its first postmaster
  • A key early public servant
His contributions laid the groundwork for the community Minerva eventually became.
Sources
  1. Jones, Mabel.  “The Other Jones” p. 17
  2. White Family File – Town of Minerva Records
    1. Alfred White Bio
    2. Alfred White Census Records
    3. White Family Geneology
  3. The Chautauqua News
    1. December 16, 1869 – History of Minerva:  Source of Many Area Families
    2. March 5, 1970 – Area Jones Have Interesting History
    3. January 4, 1973 – More White Family History
  4. Minerva Schools Complete History – Town of Minerva Records
  5. Quarterlies