White County was established in 1806 and named after John White, one of the first settlers of the area. The county seat is Sparta and it has many historic structures such as the residential Main Street historic district that contains popular domestic styles of the early twentieth century. Throughout its history, White County has had valuable natural resources in coal and timber. As a result of its abundance of coal, many mines and towns were established in the county and employed many of the residents. The lumber industry has also been important for the county and was in great demand during World War I when the federal government and Allied nations ordered gun stocks made out of walnut.