On June 26, 1920 the Mariposa Gazette reported that the Yosemite Valley railroad appointed Mr. William L. White to replace George F. Miller as general agent. Mr. White had been Passenger and Freight agent for the Salt Lake and Utah Railroad in Salt Lake City, Utah. He had experience with the Rock Island, Northern Pacific, and Southern Pacific lines prior to joining the Salt Lake and Utah railroad. In December 1920 the Merced County Sun divulged the resignation of O. W. Lehmer would be effective at the end of the month. The same paper reported that William White would be his successor. The same year that Mr. White took control of The Y.V.R.R. several minor changes were visible, the company herald changed from El Capitan to Vernal Fall, the public timetables carried the effective date, and the timetables started at Merced rather than El Portal. It can only speculate that other changes were introduced to the operation of the railroad. The first year of William Whites management the Federal Government reported the heaviest travel through El Portal into Yosemite since it became a National Park. The next several years saw the Y.V's revenue increase; the railroad was deeply involved in the transportation of materials to construct the Exchequer Dam and relocation of a major segment of the railroad. White also had some headaches during the early years as General Manager, the president of the Y.V.R.R., Frank S. Drum, disagreed with the evaluation of the railroad by the government, Frank Drum also demand the Merced Irrigation District pay a million dollars to relocate the railroad. It is my opinion that White was caught up in these arguments. Also, President Drum died during this time and Mr. White was then answering to the new president, Mr. William Letson. Passenger revenues softened in the mid 1920s because the new all year state highway from Merced to Yosemite Valley was open and many people drove to the park. However, all revenue was not bad, the new Yosemite Portland Cement company was quarrying in the Merced Canyon and the Yosemite Valley railroad was hauling the limestone to the new mill just outside of the city of Merced. The stock market crashed in 1929 and the Y.V.'s revenues were down because of passenger service slowed as well as the failure of the Yosemite Lumber Company. The entire nation as well as the worlds economy were in sad condition. The National Recovery act was being perused to help the lumber company. White was elected president of the National Short Line Railroad Association. He resigned from the Yosemite Valley Railroad Company to move to Washington D.C. to take up this new job.

Ray D. Toner succeeded W. L. White as general manager. Within two years Mr. Toner would be dead of heart failure and Mr. White returned to take over the reigns of the railroad again. It was not long after Whites return, December 1935, that the Y.V.R.R. was auctioned off in San Francisco for non-payment of it's bonded indebtedness. The railroad was reorganized as the Yosemite Valley Railway Company. The railroad's prospects looked fairly optimistic, the lumber company was in operation under the name of Yosemite Sugar Pine Lumber Company and the nations economic picture seemed to be improved. But, a very server flood in the late 1930's washed out several miles of track. roadbed and trestles. The cost to rebuild was quit heavy, but under the direction of chief engineer Joe Barnett the road was rebuilt. Things were improving when our nation was thrown into World War II. Passenger and freight fell dramatically. The lumber company was shut down. White resigned for the second time to take over the Central California Traction Company with offices in Stockton, California. However, Mr. White returned to Merced to testify at the abondonment hearings. "Bill" White worked up until a week of his death, at age 63 in 1952. Cause of death was cancer of the pancreas. According the William Gregg White*, Mr. Whites son, his father liked to joke that the YVRR may not be as long as other railroads - but just as wide. Also, White disliked executive cars from other railroads switched to the YV. for sight seeing tours. Switching was done because of reciprocal agreements. During the time the Klu Klux Klan (KKK) was popular in the Merced area, Bill White sent a memo, stating that if any Y. V. employes were members of the KKK, he could stop the office and draw his final pay check. This led to criticism of White. White obtained a permit to carry a concealed weapon and carried a gun because of threats from the KKK. Mr. White was appointed to the Merced City Council in February of 1943. Apparently he did not serve the City very long because he accepted a position with CCT in late June of 1943. Mr. White was a member of the Masonic Lodge, Past Exalted Ruler of the Merced Lodge of Elks, Past President Merced Rotary and Legionnaire. * William Gregg White was traffic manager for the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad until he entered trucking business. Also, W. G. White was a Lieutenant Colonel in the United States Army and served on General Eisenhower's staff as a railroad advisor.

Announcement of Mr. Whites return as General Manager after the death of Mr. Toner.