Founding Families | Ebenezer West | Waite West | Increase Jones | Hannah Jones | William Hill | Elizabeth Hill
Edward Talbot | Sarah "Sally" Talbot | Absalom P Morse | Lydia Morse | Alfred P White | Huldah White
Robert Shaw | Jane Talbot Shaw
Edward Talbot | Sarah "Sally" Talbot | Absalom P Morse | Lydia Morse | Alfred P White | Huldah White
Robert Shaw | Jane Talbot Shaw
Huldah Symonds White
The Life Between the Records
Born into a New Nation
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Huldah Symonds was born somewhere in Vermont around 1788. Like many women of her era, her life was largely undocumented. Few records were created — and fewer survive — from the years before she married Minerva founder Alfred P. White.
She entered the world just after the Revolutionary War. The Treaty of Paris was recent history. The Constitution had barely been ratified. State boundaries were still being negotiated. Communities were forming and dissolving along the edges of the wilderness. Vermont itself was not yet a state when Huldah was born. It had declared independence in 1777 and remained a republic until 1791. The world that shaped her valued independence, endurance, and self-reliance. Marriage and Move to MinervaHuldah and Alfred were married in Granville, New York, sometime before 1809. Alfred came from a well-established family; his father, like his grandfather before him, had been a ship’s captain and later operated a store in Granville.
By 1809, Huldah and Alfred had two children — Almeda and William. In 1815, with the children about six years old, Alfred purchased the saw and gristmill in Minerva and moved the family north. Huldah did not arrive in isolation. Hannah Jones, likely known to her from Granville, was already living there. Nearby were Sarah Talbot, Lydia Tallman White, and Elizabeth Hill. The settlement was not yet legally incorporated, but it was functioning and growing. |
Huldah Symonds White◆ 1788 Born in Vermont ◆ Before 1809 Marries Alfred P. White ◆ 1809 Almeda and William born ◆ 1815 Family moves to Minerva ◆ 1817 Minerva chartered ◆ 1820 to 1830 Five more children born ◆ 1830 Baptized into the Baptist Church ◆ 1832 Moves west to French Creek ◆ 1847 Alfred dies ◆ 1868 Huldah dies |
Building a Life in a Growing Settlement
Huldah and Alfred built their home near what is now the intersection of Irishtown Road and A.P. Morse Memorial Highway. Alfred’s mills thrived, and he established a store nearby. Like many women of the time, Huldah likely assisted in the family enterprise.
More children followed: James (1820), Charles (1823), Lafayette (1825), and John (1830). George’s birth date remains uncertain.
Minerva received its charter in 1817. Between 1810 and 1830, the population nearly tripled. For fifteen years, the White family was part of that growth.
More children followed: James (1820), Charles (1823), Lafayette (1825), and John (1830). George’s birth date remains uncertain.
Minerva received its charter in 1817. Between 1810 and 1830, the population nearly tripled. For fifteen years, the White family was part of that growth.
Faith and Family Ties
In 1824, Elder Thomas Ravlin arrived in Minerva with his daughter Catherine Elizabeth and assumed leadership of the Baptist Church. Catherine was close in age to William White, and the two eventually married.
Records show that Huldah and Alfred were baptized into the Baptist Church in 1830. Whether prompted by revival influence, deepening faith, or family connections, their baptism marked a turning point.
Records show that Huldah and Alfred were baptized into the Baptist Church in 1830. Whether prompted by revival influence, deepening faith, or family connections, their baptism marked a turning point.
Westward Again
In 1832, Alfred sold his property to Edward Talbot. Huldah once again prepared to relocate — this time to Chautauqua County in western New York.
William and Almeda were now in their early twenties. The remaining children ranged from two to twelve. The move meant uprooting a household and leaving behind nearly two decades in Minerva.
They were not alone. Members of the Ravlin, West, Knowlton, Cousins, Baker, Jones, and Hawley families also headed west. The Whites and Hawleys settled in French Creek.
William and Almeda were now in their early twenties. The remaining children ranged from two to twelve. The move meant uprooting a household and leaving behind nearly two decades in Minerva.
They were not alone. Members of the Ravlin, West, Knowlton, Cousins, Baker, Jones, and Hawley families also headed west. The Whites and Hawleys settled in French Creek.
A Life Spanning Eras
By the time the Whites arrived in western New York, the region was part of what would later be called the “Burned-over District,” known for intense religious revival. There is little indication, however, that Alfred and Huldah were deeply involved in that fervor. Their faith appears steady and rooted in community.
Alfred died in 1847 at the age of sixty-two. Huldah lived another twenty-one years, residing first with her son James and later with her daughter Almeda and son-in-law Philo Hawley.
Her life stretched from the fragile years of the young republic to the aftermath of the Civil War.
Huldah and Alfred are buried side by side in the French Creek Cemetery. Their family remains in the area — a quiet continuation of the journey that began in Vermont, passed through Granville and Minerva, and settled in western New York.
Alfred died in 1847 at the age of sixty-two. Huldah lived another twenty-one years, residing first with her son James and later with her daughter Almeda and son-in-law Philo Hawley.
Her life stretched from the fragile years of the young republic to the aftermath of the Civil War.
Huldah and Alfred are buried side by side in the French Creek Cemetery. Their family remains in the area — a quiet continuation of the journey that began in Vermont, passed through Granville and Minerva, and settled in western New York.
