WHITESTOWN, Ind. (WTHR) - Indiana's fastest growing community gathered for a historic unveiling of two markers and a mural.
Whitestown commemorated the man the town was named after along with one of his major contributions.
"Albert S. White was a judge, he was a senator, he was very influential. He was the president of the Indianapolis and Lafayette railroads and was on the inaugural train that came through with Lincoln," said President of Whitestown Historic Preservation Committee Susan Austin.
Descendants of Albert S. White traveled from New York and Washington D.C. to be present during the unveiling. But 15 years ago, they say they're weren't even sure if Whitestown, Indiana was named after their ancestor.
"Fifteen years ago, my father and grandmother were driving through this area and they saw the sign and so they stopped in and said, 'Wow, I wonder if there could be any relation to Albert S. White?' Just an absolute stab in the dark," said Marni Mintener Barron, the great-great-great-grandaughter of Albert S. White.
But today, with crowds gathering to take photos on their cellphone of a historical marker with a short biography of Albert S. White, Austin and the Minteners say White was a known abolitionist.
"He didn't just talk about it. He wrote the Emancipation Compensation Act, which was the role model for the Emancipation Proclamation," said Brad Mintener, the great-great-grandson of Albert S. White.
White is also known for his legacy of public service, which has been passed on for generations.
Marni works in D.C. on education consulting and her father Brad said he's spent "a life in public service. I helped start the Peace Corps."
With the unveiling of the historical markers along the Big Four Trail, which once connected Lafayette and Indianapolis by rail, the modern day footpath is now one that connects Whitestown's past and present.