Henry Murphee "Cricket" White (Sr.) was born in Pensacola on December 11, 1888, the son of Henry Somersett White and Ella Honora Murphree. Henry Sr. was from Mississippi and upon reaching manhood he worked as a printer until he was able to learn the business. He then moved to Pensacola in 1873 and went into partnership with George W. Turton. This partnership was traded for one with Mr. C. Hawkes Dorr (1853-1923), and finally another with Thomas Campbell Watson. He eventually bought out Watson and became the sole proprietor of “Henry S. White Printery.” As his business expanded he reorganized and renamed his establishment “White’s Printing Company.” It was into this home that Henry Jr. and his sister May Claire were born and raised. Sadly, Henry and Ella had already lost two little daughters one day apart in September 1882 from Pensacola's Yellow Fever epidemic. In the meantime, young Henry was busy studying under Professor Henry Clay Armstrong Jr. at the Pensacola Classical School at 1004 North Palafox Street.
After his education was complete, he entered the printing business under the tutelage of his father. Now a successful partner in the family business, he soon met and was betrothed to Miss Ida Martin of Bagdad, the daughter of William Todd Martin and Minnie Lee Metcalf. The young couple married in 1914 and moved in with his parents at 919 North Baylen Street in Pensacola. His parents occupied this home since c1905 and would live there until their death. Four years later, Henry and Ida moved into a house down from his parents at 904 North Baylen Street. There, Ida would give birth to seven children by the names of Ida Honora (Pensacola High Class of 1932), Roland Martin (PHS Class of 1938), Euzede Celeste (PHS Class of 1936), Henry Murphee Jr. (PHS Class of 1938), Sara Jean (PHS Class of 1941), Priscilla Brevard (PHS Class of 1943), and Thomas Leonard White. Fortunately, the family's printing company was profitable enough to support the entire White family from their office at #9 West Romana Street. But, dark clouds were on the horizon for the nation and especially for the White's. On December 30, 1926, Henry Murphree was at his father's side when he passed away at his home at 919 North Baylen. They buried him in St. John's Cemetery where he was joined by Ella in 1940. Then Henry and Ida would lose their own home at #904 around 1934 during the Great Depression. They were forced to move to 601 11th Avenue in East Pensacola Heights where they resided for most of the remaining life. Henry would pass away on May 14, 1974 and was buried in Bayview Cemetery where he was reunited with Ida in 1986.
Ironically, their home on North Baylen Street was the same property that saw several of Pensacola's "Kings of Commerce" come and go. It was originally built in 1900 for William F. Creary, President of the Gulf Machine Works. In 1905, Ebenezer Hubbard Skinner, the son of the huge land owner and lumber manufacturer Emory Fiske Skinner, lived on the property. Ebenzer "Eben" was the postmaster of Pensacola in 1889. His father is said to have found a loop hole in the law, whereupon you could claim whatever land you could see from a boat. Legend says he put a rowboat in a wagon and claimed all the land he wanted. But his mill on Scenic Highway was damaged by a hurricane and was subsequently bought by James G. Pace plus 100,000 acres of timber. Pace rebuilt the mill in the community that bears his name in Santa Rosa County. Strangely, James Pace lived at 904 North Baylen in 1907 before moving to Pace. By 1913, Arthur H. Baker, who was President of the Baker Patent Cup & Gutter Company was living there until they moved to Jacksonville. The renowned James Walter Kehoe, attorney and former prosecutor lived on the property just prior to occupancy by Henry M. White. Kehoe's father was a former Confederate soldier with Hamlet's Company of Georgia Infantry who relocated his family to Pensacola in 1883 as a building contractor. When the old soldier died, his children had him buried in St. Michael’s Cemetery. They then had their mother disinterred from her grave in Milton on March 23, 1907 and removed to St. Michael’s to rest in peace beside her beloved husband.

Ella Honora Murphree White

Henry Murphree White (Sr.)

Ida Martin White with son Henry Murphree Jr.
and his little brother Thomas c1932

Ida Martin White of Bagdad

1898 Advertisement of Henry Somerset White's Printing Company

#904 North Baylen Street, home of Henry Murphree and Ida Martin White

904 North Baylen, home of Henry Murphree White 2019

904 North Baylen, home of Henry Murphree White 2019

919 North Baylen, home of Henry's parents 2019