Our Arklahoma Heritage: William Wasington White was a land speculator who helped develop Haskell Coutny

William Washington White was born on December 13, 1822, in Greene County, Georgia, to Nancy Allen and Colman White.

He grew up in the antebellum South before moving westward in search of opportunity, eventually becoming one of the early pioneers who helped shape the communities along the Arkansas-Oklahoma border.

White married his first wife, Elizabeth Montgomery, on January 8, 1846. Elizabeth, born on March 14, 1826, in Saline County, Arkansas, was the daughter of Mary Clanton and Thomas Montgomery. The couple raised a large family together, including Nancy Jane, Thomas Coleman, Mary C., John Andrew, Margaret Ann, Louise Eliza, Sarah Agnes, Thursa Ellen, and George W. White.

Elizabeth died on February 1, 1877, in Haskell, Saline County, Arkansas, and was laid to rest in the small White Cemetery on private property there.

After Elizabeths death, White married his second wife, Permelia A. Shaw, on December 7, 1879. Permelia was born on December 30, 1838, in Georgia to Hiram Mangrel Shaw and Mary Elizabeth Arnold.

She had previously been married to John Latham Croxton, with whom she had children including Andrew Jackson Croxton and John Joseph Croxton.

Permelia survived White and died on February 10, 1922, in Haskell, Saline County, Arkansas.

She rests beside him in Mount Harmony Cemetery. White himself passed away on March 20, 1909, at the age of 86 and was buried in Mount Harmony Cemetery in Haskell, Saline County, Arkansas.

White was a veteran of the Civil War, though specific details of his enlistment, unit, or battles remain limited in available records.

Many men of his generation from Georgia and Arkansas border regions participated in Confederate forces during the conflict, often in local or state units tied to home defense or western theaters.

His veteran status is noted on his memorial, reflecting service that aligned with the experiences of countless Southern pioneers who later resettled in the Indian Territory and Arkansas frontier.

Whites life as a settler spanned the turbulent years of westward expansion, the Civil War era, and the transition from Indian Territory to Oklahoma statehood.

He and his family were among the early non-Native families to establish roots in the region that became Haskell County, Oklahoma.

Alongside Thomas Montgomery, another key pioneer, White contributed to the agricultural and community foundations in the Choctaw Nation lands.

Their efforts helped pave the way for later railroad development, timber operations, and the formal organization of Haskell County in 1907.

Families like the Whites and Montgomerys represented the blend of Arkansas and Oklahoma heritage that defined the River Valley area, with movement across the border common for farming, trade, and family ties.