Solomon White

Solomon White was Mayor of the City of Windsor in 1890.

Prior to his being Mayor, White was elected to the Ontario Legislature for Essex North in 1878 and maintained this position until 1886. After acting as Mayor of Windsor in 1890, White again held a position with the Essex North Riding from 1890 to 1894. In 1900, White ran against (and was ultimately defeated by) Liberal candidate R. J. Sutherland. White’s political views occasionally differed from other figures (sometimes even within his own party), namely his views on Ontario’s French schools. White (who was fluent in French) was of the opinion that French should be the main language of instruction in French schools, while other Conservatives felt that English should be the primary language used for instruction.

White was born October 8, 1836 to Joseph White and Angelique Fortier and was the eldest of his six siblings. He studied law in his youth and was called to the bar in 1865, becoming a well-known lawyer in Windsor. Beyond his political and legal career, White demonstrated an interest in agriculture: he owned a farm of about 500 acres located near the Detroit River and acted as president for the agricultural society of Essex North. White was also president of the Windsor Driving Park Association.

White passed away November 11, 1911.

Sources:

Commemorative Biographical Record of the County of Essex Ontario. (1905). Toronto:  J.H. Beers & Co.

Paul Dembski, P. E. (n.d.). White, Solomon. Dictionary of Canadian Biography.

Solomon White, MP: Parliamentary History. (n.d.). Legislative Assembly of Ontario.