White Bluff Got its name from the white bluffs that run along nearby Turnbull Creek. In 1806, Fort White Bluffs was constructed and soon after White Bluff
Iron Forge was started. From these humble beginnings, a dynamic community has grown.
Arguably, two of the most influential people in the history of White Bluff are Col. William James and Mrs. Jeannie Woodworth. After his education at
Tracy Academy in nearby Charlotte, Col. James graduated from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point in 1872, and served in the Indian Wars, the
Spanish-American War and the Phillippines. When he returned to White Bluff, he was already a wealthy man from many investments made while he was in
military service. Add to this the large land holdings in White Bluff he inherited from his mother, and you have the makings of a powerful and influential
presence in town.
Although Jeannie Woodworth came ot White Bluff as an Episcopalian Missionary with her husband, E.S. Woodworth, by way of Chicago, IL in 1905,
she was no stranger to the area, having spent time in Cumberland Furnace as a child. Perhaps her most long-lasting contributions to White Bluff
came in the form of literacy reform. Mrs. Woodworth considered the widespread illiteracy to be appalling and set out to open a library and learning
center. With donations from the community, she opened Elizabeth House in 1914, named in honor of Col. James's mother, which provided books and taught
classes for adults and children until the mid-1950's. Mrs. Woodworth, along with Marshall Jarrett Howell and others, was also responsible for getting White Bluff
reincorporated in 1907.
The rest of the twentieth century saw many changes to White Bluff. A fire in 1946, which destroyed much of the town, helped underline the
need for a permanent water supply for the town. The push for this brought to the spotlight another man who would become
a very well-known and influential person, Zollie H. Bibb, Jr. His efforts in this endeavor, along with those of others like Mayor Basil Thompson,
culminated in the formation of the White Bluff Utility District in 1965. Beyond this accomplishment, Mr. Bibb, along with others, founded White Bluff's
first volunteer fire department. Bibb served as its chief for many years.
Bibb, along with fellow resident and businessman Calvin Larkins, also worked to bring business to White Bluff in the latter
part of the twentieth century. They constructed a large industrial site and through their efforts brought Nashville Wire Products to the area. An industrial board
was formed and recruitment of industry was started that even today provides jobs for the local community.
Through the efforts of the people discussed, as well as many others too numerous to mention in this short narrative, have had long-lasting results
for the town of White Bluff. The 2007 special census places White Bluff's population at 2,929, making it the second largest town in Dickson county.