See other formats

Full text of "History of the Yakima Valley, Washington; comprising Yakima, Kittitas, and Benton Counties .."

G£M 



JjlARLtS r, 30Ut. 



Ul 



HISTORY 



of the 



Yakima Valley 

Washington 



Coiiijyrisiiig 



Yakima, Kittitas and Benton 
Counties 



Illustrated 



VOLUME II 



THE S. J. CLARKE PUBLISHING CO. 
1919 



1369773 




STEINWEG 



BIOGRAPHICAL 



W. L. STEIXWEG. 

Honored and respected by all, there is no man who occupies a more enviable 
position in the financial and business circles of Yakima than \V. L. Steinweg, the 
president of the First National Bank of North Yakima. This is due not alone to 
the success which he has achieved but also to the straightforward business policy 
which he has ever followed and to his active and resultant efiforts to cooperate in 
the upbuilding of the community in which he has made his home. He was born in 
Baltimore, Maryland, September 30, 1852, and is a son of Charles and Henrietta 
Steinweg, who, leaving the Atlantic coast in 18SS made their way to San Francisco, 
California. The father was a wagon maker and wheelwright by trade and he and 
his wife continued to make their home at the Golden Gate until they were called 
to their final rest. 

W. L. Steinweg was but three years of age at the time of the removal of his 
parents to San Francisco and his education ' was acquired in its public schools. He 
afterward removed to Bellingham Bay, Washington, and occupied the position of 
secretary to the superintendent of the mines of the Bellingham Bay Coal Company. 
Later he had charge of the property of that corporation for a number of years 
after the mines were abandoned. He came to Yakima in 1886 to accept the position 
of cashier of the bank with which he is now identified and through the intervening 
period, covering more than three decades, he has been a most prominent factor in 
the successful management and conduct of what is today recognized as one of the 
strongest financial instituions of this section of the state. It was organized as the 
First National Bank of Yakima in the old town of Yakima, and upon the founding of 
North Yakima in 1885 was reorganized as the First National Bank of North Yakima 
and removed to the new town. It was originally founded as a private bank by 
Judge Whitson. In 1886 the officers were: J. R. Lewis, president, who was at one 
time circuit judge and is now deceased: and A. W. Engle, cashier. The latter was 
formerly of Seattle and later of EUensburg and ultimately of Yakima. Washington, 
and was the first state bank examiner. He now resides in Seattle. The vice-presi- 
dent of the institution was Edward Whitson and the directors, in addtion to the 
officers, were Charles and J. H. Carpenter, who were pioneer settlers and have now 
passed awaj'. In the year 1886 W. L. Steinweg became cashier and thus entered 
into active relations with the management and control of the bank. Following the 
retirement of the first president, Edward Whitson served as chief executive officer 
of the institution and was succeeded by W. M. Ladd, while on the 14th of January, 
1908, Mr. Steinweg was elected to the presidency and on the 10th of July, 1912, C. R. 
Donovan became cashier as the successor to A. B. Cline. The old building occupied 
by the bank was removed to the corner of Second and East Yakima streets and in 
1888 the present brick building was erected. It was fifty by one hundred feet and 
since that time a room has been added, making the bank fifty by one hundred and 
twenty-five feet and two stories in height. The upper floor is used for offices. The 
bank is today capitalized for one hundred thousand dollars and has surplus and 
undivided profits of almost one hundred and eighty-two thousand dollars, while its 
deposits have reached three and a quarter million dollars. The bank is a member 
of the Federal Reserve system and is the oldest and largest bank in central Wash- 
ington. The policy which has been maintained is one which has ever borne the 
closest investigation and scrutiny. The officers have recognized the fact that the 
(1) 



6 HISTORY OF YAKIMA VALLEY 

bank is most worthy of patronage that most carefully safeguards the interests of 
depositors and its course has at all times been above suspicion. Moreover, it has 
done much through judicious loans to advance business enterprise and prosperity in 
this section of the state and results achieved have been most satisfactory. Thirty- 
two years' connection with the bank makes the institution a monument to the enter- 
prise and ability of W. L. Steinweg. 

In the year 1876 Mr. Steinweg was united in marriage to Miss Susanna Engle, 
of Xew Jersey, who passed away in 1895. Eleven years later, or in 1906, he mar- 
ried Ida H. Sharkey, of North Yakima. The children of the first marriage were 
William Engle and George Woolman, both of whom have passed away. 

Fraternally Mr. Steinweg is connected with Masonry, belonging to Yakima 
Lodge, Xo. 22, A. F. & A. M., and to the Rose Croix. In politics he is a republican, 
while his religious faith is that of the Christian Science church. He is a man of 
progressive citizenship and the place which he occupies as a factor in the upbuilding 
and development of Yakima can scarcely be overestimated. 



JOHN E. SHANNON. 

John E. Shannon, of Yakima, prominently and successfully identified with the 
agricultural and horticultural interests of the valley, was born in Coshocton, Ohio, 
•August 14, 1860, a son of Isaac N. and Cassandra (Endsley) Shannon. The parents 
were natives of Ohio, where they spent their entire lives. There the father followed 
the occupation of farming. He was a son of Isaac Shannon, Sr., and his grandfather 
was born on the Shannon river in Ireland. He came to the L'nited States prior 
to the Revolutionary war. One of the representatives of this family was numbered 
among the signers of the Declaration of Independence. The grandfather of John 
E. Shannon took up a homestead in Ohio and thereon resided until his death. The 
family has ever been noted for patriotic loyalty as well as progressiveness in busi- 
ness. Several of the uncles of John E. Shannon of this review served as soldiers 
of the Civil war. 

In the public schools of Ohio, John E. Shannon acquired his education and 
when not busy with his textbooks assisted in the work of the home farm. When his 
schooldays were over he concentrated his efiforts and attention upon farm work 
in that state until 1880, when he removed westward to Colorado, where he resided 
until 1884, being there engaged in civil engineering. Between the years 1884 and 
1893 he resided in Wyoming, where he also practiced the profession of civil engi- 
neering, being actively engaged on irrigation and railway projects. With his re- 
moval to the far northwest in 1893 he purchased a home in Yakima and engaged 
in loaning money. In 1895 he purchased forty acres of land two and three- 
quarters of a mile west of Yakima and at once began its improvement. He planted 
an orchard there and afterward sold a part of that place but later purchased other 
land and now has seventy-eight acres in all, of which thirty-eight acres is planted to 
fruit trees, including apples, pears, peaches, apricots and plums. He also engages to 
some extent in the raising of hay and grain and his business interests have been 
most wisely and carefully conducted, his course at all times being characterized by 
unwearied industry and unfaltering determination. He has his own cold storage and 
packing plant and in addition to raising he also buys fruit and is one of the big 
fruit producers and shippers of this section of the state. He became a charter mem- 
ber of the Yakima County Horticultural L'nion and was one of the. organizers of 
the Yakima Valley Fruit Growers' .Association but in recent years has conducted 
his business independently of such organizations. His long experience has enabled 
him to speak with authority upon the subject of fruit raising in the Yakima valley. 
He has closely studied every phase of the business and that his ideas are practical 
and progressive is at once indicated in the success which has come to him. 

On the 22d of December, 1887, Mr. Shannon was united in marriage to Miss 
Faith Luckey, of Iowa, by whom he has had three children, namely: Clinton, who 
is married and is a fruit grower of Yakima county: Harold E., at home; and Fern, 
who is deceased. 



HISTORY OF YAKIMA VALLEY 7 

Mr, Shannon and his family are members of the Methodist church and are 
people of prominence in Yakima, occupying an enviable social position. Mr. Shannon 
has built a beautiful home on his ranch and its hospitality is greatly enjoyed by 
all who know them. In politics he has ever been a republican but never an office 
seeker, although he served for three terms as county engineer of Johnson county, 
Wyoming. Since coming to the west he has preferred to concentrate his entire 
efforts and attention upon his business interests, and the development of his orchards 
has placed him among the most successful and prominent fruit raisers of this 
section of the state. 



HOX. RALPH KAUFFMAN. 

Hon. Ralph KaufFman, a distinguished member of the bar of Ellensburg whose 
extensive practice connects him with much of the important litigation heard in the 
courts of his district, is also identified with ranching interests in this state and, 
moreover, has been a most helpful factor in the war activities which have so recently 
engaged the attention of the country. Mr. KaufTman is a native of Pennsylvania. 
He was born in Mechanicsvillc, that state, on the 14th of October, 1860, a son of 
Isaac B. and Sybil A. (Merklin) KaufFman. The family was established in Pennsyl- 
vania during early colonial days. The mother's people were French and settled in 
Pennsylvania in 1711. When the Revolutionary war was inagurated representatives 
of the name valiantly espoused the cause of the colonies and assisted in winning 
.'American independence. Isaac B. Kaufifman was a lieutenant of the Xinth Pennsyl- 
vania Cavalry during the Civil war and was killed while defending the interests of 
the L'nion at the front. His widow always remained true to his memory, never 
marrying again, and she passed away in Pennsylvania in 1909. She had but two 
children, the younger being Isaac, a banker of Pennsylvania, who died in 1905. 
In both the paternal and maternal lines are found many names that figure promi- 
nently upon the pages of history. Mr. Kaufifman of this review is a cousin of Regi- 
nald Wright KaufFman, the poet, and. also of James Lee KaufTman, professor of 
.'American law in the Imperial University at Tokio, Japan. 

After completing a public school education Ralph Kaufifman passed the en- 
trance examination for West Point and was named an alternate but did not have 
the opportunity of becoming a student at the military school. Determining upon 
the practice of law as a life work, he then entered the University of Pennsylvania, 
in which he completed a law course in 1886. He was president of his class there and 
was not only a most thorough student but also a popular representative of the school. 
In the same year he came to the northwest, making his way to Portland, Oregon, 
and there he assisted in organizing a loan and trust company. In 1887 he came 
to Ellensburg as a representative of that company and the following year he or- 
ganized the Ellensburg Xational Bank, of which he remained the cashier until 
1^90. He then resumed tlie active practice of law in connection with Mitchell 
Gilliam, who later removed to King county, Washington. Mr. Kauffman continued 
in active law practice alone from that time until 1895, when he entered into partner- 
ship with J. E. Frost, with whom he was associated for a decade. Mr. Kauffman 
was then appointed state tax commissioner. He practiced law alone until 1907 
and in March of that year he was appoined judge of the superior court, to which 
office he was elected in 1908 and re-elected in 1912. He was again a candidate for the 
office in the fall of 1916, but on that date was defeated. He then resumed the private 
practice of law. in wliich he has since continued, and his clientage is now extensive 
and of a distinctively representative character. Few men are . more thoroughly 
informed concerning the principles of jurisprudence or are more accurate in the 
application of these principles to the points in litigation. For two terms Mr. KaufF- 
man served as city attorney, nor have his business activities been confined to pro- 
fessional lines alone, for he has large holdings of ranch lands in this part of the 
state, owning two hundred and fifty acres under irrigation. He was one of the pro- 
jectors of the Cascade irrigation canal and he has been a close student of the water 



8 HISTORY OF YAKIMA VALLEY 

problems of the northwest and of all that has to do with the substantial develop- 
ment of this section of the country. 

Moreover, Mr. Kauffman has been a prominent factor in public life as a trustee 
of the State Xornial. in which position he served for several years, and as a school 
director. His political endorsement has always been given to the republican party 
and he is actuated in all that he does by a marked devotion to the general good. 

Mr. Kauflfman was married November 24, 1888, to Miss Lida D. Stayman, a 
daughter of Milton C. and Mary Jane (Bailey) Stayman. of Winchester, Virginia. 
The children of this marriage are: Dorothy, the wife of Lieutenant Howard L. 
Lewis of the United States army; and Charlotte, the wife of Lieutenant Harold A. 
Mallum also of the United States army. 

The religious faith of the family is indicated by the membership of Mr. and 
Mrs. Kauffman in Grace Episcopal church, in which he is serving as senior warden. 
He has been most helpful along the lines of war activities. He was chairman of 
the Kittitas County Legal -Advisory Board to advise and aid in the draft registra- 
tion and he is chairman of the Kittitas County Chapter of the American Red Cross, 
having served in that capacity since its organization. His activities in behalf of 
war work have been far-reaching and resultant and his public-spirited citizenship 
stands as one of the pre-eminent traits of his character, his devotion to the public 
good being manifest in his law practice, in his official service and in every relation 
where his activities have touched the general interests of society. 



HOX HEXRY JOSEPH SXIVELY. 

Hon. Henry Joseph Snively is a distinguished member of the Y'akima bar and one 
of the recognized leaders of the democratic party in the state. In fact, through 
his political activity and his incumbency in office he has done much to shape the 
afifairs of the state, his influence always being on the side of progress, development 
and improvement. What he has accomplished represents the fit utilization of the 
innate powers and talents with which nature endowed him. He has recognized and 
readily utilized the opportunities which have come his way and his popularity as a 
man and the faith reposed in him by his fellow townsmen have been indicated by the 
fact that on various occasions he has been the only nominee on the democratic 
ticket elected to office. 

Mr. Snively is a native of Virginia. He was born on the 17th of .August, 1856, 
and is a son of Ambrose and Elizabeth (Harritt) Snively. The father is a native 
of Germany but came to the L'nited States with his parents when but six weeks 
old. Reared to manhood in Virginia, he there engaged in contracting and building, 
which he followed at various places in the Old Dominion. He now makes his 
home in Grafton, West Virginia. 

Reared in the south. Hon. Henry Joseph Snively of this review was graduated 
from the University of West Virginia with the class of 1877 and then entered upon 
his law course at the University of Virginia where he took the degree of Bachelor 
of Law in 1879. He afterward practiced lavv' in West Virginia for seven years and in 
1886 he arrived in North Yakima, where he has since followed his profession. He is 
recognized as one of the distinguished and eminent members of the bar of central 
Washington. As a lawyer he is sound, clear-minded and well trained, felicitous and 
clear in argument, thoroughly in earnest, full of the vigor of conviction, never 
abusive of his adversaries and imbued with the highest courtesy and yet a foe worthy 
of the steel of the most able opponent. He has other interests outside of his pro- 
fession, for in 1912 he established and now owns the Kennewick flouring mill and his 
investments include large stock ranches in Yakima and Benton counties. In all 
business affairs he has displayed sound judgment and keen discrimination, carrying 
forward to successful completion whatever he has undertaken. 

In politics Mr. Snively has been a most active democrat, one of the party 
leaders in the state. He was nominated' for the office of district attorney for the 
district comprising Yakima and Kittitas counties in 1886 and was elected by a large 
majority against the Hon. C. B. Graves, who was later judge of the district court. 




HON. HENRY J. SNIVELY 



HISTORY OF YAKIMA VALLEY 11 

In 1S88 Mr. Snively was reelected over Walter M. Milroy and on each occasion was 
the only successful democratic nominee on the ticket. While serving as district 
attorney he was appointed by Governor Semple a member of the code commission 
to formulate a code for the laws of the territory and did active and valuable work in 
that connection. This code was later revised by W. Lair Hill and is known as 
the Hill code. In 1S9U Mr. Snively was the democratic candidate for attorney general 
of Washington, but with the others of his ticket was defeated. In 1891 he was 
elected to represent his district in the state legislature, being the only democrat 
to receive a majority at that election. In 1892 he was elected a delegate to the 
national democratic convention held at Chicago and at the request of the national 
campaign manager seconded the nomination of Grover Cleveland for the presi- 
dency. In -August. 1892, his party made him its standard bearer in the state elec- 
tion and as candidate for governor of Washington he ran live thousand votes ahead 
of his ticket but was defeated by a few hundred votes by the republican candidate, 
John H. McGraw. In 1897 Mr. Snively was appointed by Governor John R. Rogers 
a member of the state board of control, having the management of all the state 
institutions except the University and the Agricultural College, in which capacity 
he served for four j'ears. Since 1900 he has concentrated his efforts and attention 
upon the practice of law, but does not cease to feel the deepest concern in those 
questions of public import which affect the welfare, the sociological and the economic 
development, of the state. 

Mr. Snively was married in 1881 to Miss Elizabeth H. Martin, of Grafton, West 
Virginia, a daughter of Luther and Anna M. (Harrison) Martin. The father, who 
was a lumberman, was born in West Virginia, while the mother's birth occurred in 
the District of Columbia. She was a descendant of the James River Harrisons. Mrs. 
Snively was born in Virginia in 1858 and was graduated from the Pittsburgh Female 
College. To Mr. and Mrs. Snively have been born three children, Janie M., born 
in Grafton, West Virginia, January 12, 1883, is the wife of Dr. Edmond S. West, of 
Yakima; Jessie H., born in Grafton, July 30, 1885. is the wife of Dr. A. F. Campbell, 
of Yakima, and has two children, W. F. and Henry J. Henry J. Snively, Jr., the young- 
est of the family, was born in North Yakima, January 25, 1900, and is now manager of 
his father's stock farm. The family attend the Episcopal church and in social circles 
of the city occupy a very prominent position. The famil_v residence was built in 
1888 by Colonel Hewlett and later was remodeled, being one of the finest homes 
of the state. 

Mrs. Snively takes a very prominent interest in church work and in the lead- 
ing social movements of the city and both Mr. and Mrs. Snively exert much in- 
fluence over public thought and he has left the impress of his individuality upon 
many movements and measures which have had to do with shaping the policy and 
progress of the commonwealth. 



GEORGE DOXALD. 



It was the consensus of public opinion that the death of George Donald "marked 
the passing of one of the best known and most substantial citizens of Yakima." 
He was prominently known in business circles as a bank president, rancher and 
railroad and ditch builder and through the extent and breadth of his activities and 
interests contributed in most marked measure to the development, upbuilding and 
progress of Yakima and central Washington. He had been closely associated with 
the management of the Yakima National Bank since 1892 and aided in its organiza- 
tion four years prior to that time. He was liorn in Canada in 1859, a son of John 
and Jane Donald, who were natives of Scotland but who crossed the Atlantic to 
Canada when young people. The father died in the year 1870, but the mother sur- 
vives and is now living in Yakima. 

George Donald was indebted to the public school system of his native country 
for the educational opportunities which he enjoyed. He was a youth of nineteen years 
when he crossed the border into the United States, becoming a resident of Chicago 
in 1878, at which time he was employed by the Grand Trunk Railway Company. 



12 HISTORY OF YAKIMA \ALLEY 

In 1881 he started westward by stage from Bismarck. South Dakota, and after travel- 
ing eleven days and nine nights finally reached Montana, where he was witli the 
Northern Pacific Railway Company, following the building of its line to Yakima in 
1884. He was afterward engaged in railway contracting and was closely identified 
with the development of railway systems in the west to the time of his demise. 
He built the Lewiston extension, also the Farmington branch, two coal roads on 
the western slope, and he built the North Yakima & VaUley Railroad, making his 
home all during this period in Yakima. He also built the Zillah. Moxee, White Swan, 
Naches and Cowiche branches and in fact all the branch lines in the Yakima valley. 
He likewise built the first large irrigation ditch in the valley in 1889. known as the 
Kiona canal, and was later connected with the construction of the Sunnyside canal 
besides furthering many other irrigation projects. He developed several ranches 
and thus contributed in marked measure to the progress and upbuilding of his sec- 
tion of the state. 

Mr. Donald's connection with the banking interests of Yakima dated from May 
1888, when he became one of the organizers of the Yakima National Bank, of which 
H. S. Rowe was elected president, A. B. Weed vice president and Mr. Donald the 
cashier. The bank was located on Yakima avenue, between First and Second 
streets. In 1892 Mr. Donald was elected to the presidency and Mr. Weed and Mr. 
Rowe retired. J. D. Cornett then served as cashier from 1892 until 1908, or for a 
period of sixteen years, when he was succeeded by Frank Bartholet, who has since 
occupied that position. L. L. Thorp is vice president of the bank, and George E. 
Stacy and Edwin D. Clark assistant cashiers. The directors of the bank were 
George Donald. J. D. Cornett, L. L. Thorp, W. I. Lince, C. F. Myer. P. A. Bounds. 
Mary M. Donald, Frank Bartholet and A. H. Sinclair. In 1894 the bank's statement 
showed deposits of one hundred and eighteen thousand five hundred and eighty-two 
dollars. Ten years later, or in March, 1904, the deposits had increased to six hundred 
and two thousand nine hundred and fifty-one dollars and the bank's statement of 
1917 shows deposits amounting to two million, three hundred and forty-two thousand 
four hundred and forty-six dollars. The bank was originally capitalized for fifty 
thousand dollars but this was increased to one hundred thousand dollars in 1917 
and the institution has a surplus of more than one hundred thousand dollars, while 
its capital and surplus amounts to two hundred and seventy-five thousand dollars. 
The bank has been continuously under the same management. In 1903 the present 
building at First street and Yakima avenue was completed — a two-stroy structure 
seventy-five by one hundred and thirty feet, the building including the hardware 
store which adjoins the bank. President of the institution for more than a quarter 
of a century, Mr. Donald was the chief factor in establishing its policy, directing 
its activities and promoting its success. 

On the 17th of September. 1885, Mr. Donald was united in marriage to Miss 
Clara Burch and to them was born a son, George, now living in Tacoma, where he 
is employed in a bank. On the 14th of September, 1904, Mr. Donald wedded Miss 
Mary Di'tmars and they had four children: Jessie Mary, now twelve years of age; 
Jean, ten; Allen, eight; and Remsen, two. 

Fraternally Mr. Donald was connected with the Masons and attained the Knight 
Templar degree. He was also a member of the Benevolent Protective Order of 
Elks and he was one of the organizers of the Yakima Commercial Club, of which 
he twice served as president. A republican in politics, he was a delegate to the 
national convention at Chicago in 1904 and he put forth every possible effort not 
only to promote the success of his party but to advance the welfare and progress of 
the community in which he lived. He was keenly interested in war activities and the 
governor appointed him a member of the State Council of Defense, making him 
chairman of the transportation department. He rendered valuable aid in that con- 
nection and suggestions which he made in his official capacity pertaining to the uni- 
fication of the railroads of the northwest were considered and to some extent acted 
upon by the highest authority. All through the period of the war he was alert to 
the issues of the times and he was one of the first Yakima citizens to take an active 
part in organizing the war drives, giving himself unsparingly to the work of the 
State Council of Defense. He was also greatly interested in the campaign to mduce 
thrift among the American people and was county chairman for the War Savmgs 



HISTORY OF YAKIMA VALLEY 13 

Stamps drive and organized the campaign to put the war stamps into every home. 
His own personal subscriptions to the Liberty Loan and stamp drives were very 
large. All who knew Mr. Donald bear testimony to his sterHng worth and pro- 
gressiveness in business and his many admirable qualities. He did not have the 
extended circle of friends that many claim, but his friends were very close to him 
and at all times he held friendship inviolable. His demise occurred on the 4th of 
March, 1919. 



ALEXANDER E. McCREDY. 

Alexander E. McCredy, a banker and capitalist of VVapato and a most progressive 
and representative business man of the Yakima valley, comes to this district from 
Yamhill county, Oregon, where he was born on the 3d of May, 1868. He is a son 
of William A. and Elizabeth B. (Beanian) McCredy, the former a native of Ohio, 
while the latter was born in Missouri. 

A public school education, acquired by Alexander E. McCredy in his native 
state, was supplemented by collegiate training at McMinnville, Oregon, and by a 
course in a business college at Portland, Oregon. He then became identified with 
live stock interests of Klickitat county, where he remained from 1880 until 1893. 
In the latter year he removed to the Yakima valley and here turned his attention to 
the sheep and cattle industry. In 1902 he was appointed by Secretary of the In- 
terior Hitchcock as Indian post trader at Simcoe, which was later named VVapato 
and at which point a postoffice was established with Mrs. McCredy as postmistress. 
In 1905 Mr. McCredy laid out the townsite of Wapato. since which time he has 
been closely associated with the development and progress of the district. On the 
9th of April, 1906, he established the Wapato State Bank, which was nationalized on 
the 19th of May, 1908, as the First National Bank. He has remained at the head 
of the institution as president since its inception, bending his efforts to administrative 
direction and executive control. This is but one feature of his business, however, 
for he is identified with many activities. It was Mr. McCredy who established tli'c 
Post Traders Store, now conducted under the name of the Hub Mercantile Com- 
pany and of which he remained treasurer until 1916. His efforts in behalf of Wapato 
have been far-reaching and beneficial. He began the development of the townsite on 
an eighty-acre tract by a special act of congress and later another eighty acres was 
added the following year. Mr. McCredy purchased the land and organized the 
Wapato Development Company, of which he has since been the secretary and 
treasurer. Good lots were sold at from one hundred to five hundred dollars and 
some of these lots that brought five hundred dollars in the beginning have ad- 
vanced in price to fifteen hundred dollars. He became one of the organizers of the 
Yakima Trust Company and figures prominently in financial as well as in real estate 
and commercial circles. .A considerable portion of his landed possessions he is 
carefully cultivating, and his home at Wapato is one of the most beautiful in the 
valley. 

In 1900 Mr. McCredy was married to Miss -Mice Barge, a native of Illinois but a 
resident of Yakima at the time of her marriage. She is a daughter of Professor B. 
F. Barge, who was the first president of the State Normal School at Ellensburg. 

Mr. McCredy is a charter member of Wapato Lodge, A. F. & A. M., and has 
taken the Scottish Rite degrees, while of Afifi Temple of the Mystic Shrine he is a 
life member. He has also passed through the York Rite, being identified with 
Yakima Chapter, No. 21, R. A. M., and Yakima Commandery, No. 13, K. T., going 
up in the first classes in each organization. He is likewise a life member of the Elks 
Lodge No. 318 of Yakima and he belongs to the Yakima Country Club. His political 
endorsement is given to the republican party. His activities have covered a wide 
scope. Opportunities which others have passed heedlessly by he has recognized 
and developed and his labors have been a most potent force in bringing about desired 
results. Any one meeting Mr. McCredy face to face would know at once that he 
is an individual embodying all the elements of what in this country we term a 
"square" man — one in whom to have confidence, a dependable man in any relation 



14 HISTORY OF YAKIMA VALLEY 

and any emergency. His quietude of deportment, his easy dignity, his frankness 
and cordiality, with a total absence of anything sinister or anything to conceal, 
foretoken a man who is ready to meet any obligation of life with the confidence and 
courage that come of conscious personal ability, right conception of things and an 
habitual regard for what is best in the exercise of human activity. 



CHARLES R. DONOVAN. 

For almost a quarter of a century Charles R. Donovan has been identified with 
financial interests in Yakima, first in connection with public service and later as a 
representative of banking interests. In July, 1900, he entered into relations with the 
First National Bank, of which he is now the cashier. Mr. Donovan is of Canadian 
birth. He was born in Chatham, Ontario, on the 4th of May, 1869, and is a son of 
James and Sarah Donovan. In 1889 the parents removed with their family to 
Tacoma, Washington. The father died October 31, 1918, and had engaged in the 
bakery business in the east but was living retired at the time of his death. His widow 
is still a resident of Tacoma. 

' Charles R. Donovan acquired a public school education in his native country 
and supplemented it by a course in a collegiate institute. He afterward pursued a 
commercial course in Tacoma and thus acquainted himself with modern business 
methods. In 1892 he removed to North Yakima and was with the Prosser Falls and 
Priest Rapids Irrigation Company until 1894. From 1895 until 1900 he acceptably 
and creditably filled the position of deputy county treasurer and it was his record in 
that connection that secured him a position in the First National Bank, which he 
entered in July, 1900. Steadily working his way upward in that institution, .he was 
elected its cashier on the 10th of July, 1912, and has since served in that capacity. 
He is alert, energetic and progressive and is doing much to further the success of the 
bank. 

On the 3d of May. 1899. Mr. Donovan was married to Miss Anna M. Ditter, a 
daughter of Henry and Katherine Ditter. Their children are: Mary; Anna; Agnes; 
Katherine, deceased; Ursula; Charles J.; and Alfred. The religious faith of the fam- 
ily is that of the Catholic church and Mr. Donovan is identified with the Knights of 
Columbus, the Catholic Order of Foresters and the Knights of The Maccabees. In 
politics he maintains an independent course, voting according to the dictates of his 
judgment with little regard to party ties. He has served as city treasurer of Yakima 
for ten years, filling the position until the cotnmission form of government was 
adopted, and his military service covers connection with the Washington National 
Guard. He is a typical resident of the northwest, ever watchful of opportunities 
pointing to progress along the lines of benefit for the individual and for the com 
munity. 



JOHN S. GABBARD. 



While one of the more recent arrivals in Cowiche, John S. Gabbard has already 
made for himself a creditable place as a successful ranchman. He was born in 
Owsley county, Kentucky. November 24, 1887, a son of Michael and Mary A. (Man- 
gan) Gabbard, the former a native of Kentucky, while the latter was born in Jones- 
borough, Ireland. The father was a son of Isaac Gabbard, who was a pioneer set- 
tler of Kentucky and who had five sons who served in the Union army. The family 
came of German ancestry and has figured very prominently in connection with public 
events in Kentucky. Michael Gabbard devoted his life to general agricultural pur- 
suits in Kentucky and after reaching manhood he wedded Mary A. Mangan, a 
daughter of Hugh and Ann (McKinley) Mangan. The McKinleys came from Jones- 
borough. Ireland, and the father of President McKinley came from the same place. 
Hugh Mangan, the grandfather of Mr. Gabbard of this review, started for California 
in 1849, attracted by the discovery of gold on the Pacific slope, but was never heard 



HISTORY OF YAKIMA VALLEY IS 

frnm again. His daughter, Mrs. Gabbard, is still living and now makes her home 
with her son in Yakima count}'. 

John S. Gabbard obtained a public school education in his native state and con- 
tinued to devote his attention to farming in Kentucky until October, 1917, when he 
came to the northwest and purchased forty-one acres of land on Naches Heights. 
He is here engaged in raising hay, potatoes, wheat and corn and is meeting with 
good success in "the cultivation of his fields. He is also engaged in raising hogs. 

On the 28th of April, 1911, Mr. Gabbard was married to Miss Laura B. Ever- 
sole, a native of Kentucky and a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. John C. Eversole, who 
were farming people of that state. Mr. and Mrs. Gabbard have become parents of 
three children: Hugh Mangan, Beulah Marie and Robert Emmett. 

The religious faith of the fatnily is that of the Methodist church and to its teach- 
ings they loyally adhere, doing all in their power to promote the growth of the 
church and extend its influence. In politics Mr. Gabbard is a republican and keeps 
well informed on the questions and issues of the day but does not seek nor desire 
public office. His aspirations are in other directions. He has already made for 
himself a creditable position among the ranchmen of the Cowiche district and the 
qualities which he has displayed in the conduct of his business aiifairs argue well for 
the future. 



F. A. WILLIAMS. 



F. A. Williams, a banker and capitalist residing at Toppenish, was born in Wa- 
basha county. Minnesota, in 1860. a son of Zachariah and Ann (Elsey) Williams, both 
of whom were natives of England, whence they came to the new world when young 
people. They were pioneer settlers of Minnesota, removing with ox teams to that 
state about the year 1840. and for a considerable period they were closely identified 
with the development and upbuilding of Wabasha county. The father has now passed 
away, but the mother is still living in Spokane at the advanced age of eighty-eight 
years. She is a most wonderfully preserved woman for one of her age, her intel- 
lectual faculties remaining unimpaired and she keeps in close touch with the hap- 
penings of the day. 

F. A. Williams acquired a public school education in his native state and started 
upon his business career as an employe in a mercantile establishment. The year 
1884 witnessed his arrival in Washington, at which time he located in Ellensburg 
and there embarked in business, organizing the Williams-Smithson Company, a hard- 
ware concern. In later years he has extended his activities into various other fields. 
He came to Toppenish in 1898 and on the 1st of -August of that year organized the 
Toppenish Trading Company, which was incorporated in 1908. In the latter year 
they removed to a new location, having a building one hundred and forty by one 
hundred and ten feet. It is two stories and basement in height and theirs is the old- 
est mercantile establishment of the city. Mr. Williams started the business under a 
government license, his being the only store allowed in Toppenish at that time. He 
has always conducted a department store, carrying all lines of merchandise, and as 
the years have passed on the trade of the house has constantly grown. At the time 
the Imsincss was started Mr. Williams did inost of the shipping of the produce 
raised in this section. Land was leased to white people for the first time in the 3'ear 
in which Mr. Williams took up his abode in Toppenish. He became the pioneer 
merchant of the town and with the development and upbuilding of the city has been 
continuously identified throughout all the intervening years. With the settlement of 
the district his trade steadily grew until it has now assumed most gratifying and 
extensive proportions. Mr. Williams remains the president of the company, with 
Z. Y. Coleman as vice-president and general manager and William McGowan as 
secretary and treasurer. The name of Mr. Williams has long been synonymous 
with most progressive mercantile interests yet he has not confined his attention to 
this field of activity alone. He has been the president of the first National Bank 
of Toppenisli since it was organized and he is also a director of the First X'ational 
Bank of Zillah. He is likewise a director of the Traders' State Bank of Toppenish 



16 HISTORY OF YAKIMA VALLEY 

and is tlioroughly familiar with every phase of the banking business and with many 
problems that are continually arising in connection with banking interests. He is 
the owner of a fine orchard of eighty acres and he also has one thousand acres de- 
voted to diversified farming. It is to his agricultural interests that he is now devot- 
ing most of his time and attention. Mr. Williams purchased the second tract of land 
that was sold by the government off the Yakima reservation and all of his land is 
on the reservation near Toppenish. He farms altogether fifteen hundred acres and 
is therefore classed with the leading agriculturists of the state. He has likewise ven- 
tured into the newspaper field and is now the owner of both papers of Toppenish — 
the Toppenish Review and the Toppenish Tribune. 

In 1887 Mr. Williams was married to Miss Clara Lynch, a daughter of Samuel 
Lynch and a sister of J. Lynch, the former Indian agent. Mrs. Williams passed away 
in 1898, leaving a son Paul, who is now a student in the University of Washington. 

In his fraternal connections Mr. Williams is an Elk, belonging to Lodge No. 318 
of Yakima. His political endorsement is given to the republican party and he is a 
most loyal citizen who is now putting all of his investments into Liberty Bonds. He 
cooperates in every possible way in the support of the government in this crisis .in 
the world's history and his aid and influence are always given on the side of those 
projects which are a matter of civic worth. His business career cannot fail to elicit 
admiration and praise from those who know aught of his history. Starting out in 
life without any particular advantages, he early came to a realization of the fact 
that industry is the sure foundation upon which to build success. He early learned 
that success is as a will-o'-the-wisp before the dreamer but surrenders its treasures 
to the man of resolute spirit and determination. Another fact of which he early 
became cognizant was that honesty is the best policy and thus he has combined 
industry and integrity in his career to the attainment of results and position which 
are most enviable. 



HENRY BLATCHFORD SCUDDER. 

The name of Henry Blatchford Scudder is inseparably interwoven with the 
record of Yakima. He took the initial step in many works of progress in the com- 
munity and always stood for advancement and improvement. He figured promi- 
nently in agricultural and financial-circles and was ever recognized as a high type of 
.A.merican manhood and chivalry. He was born in Brookline, Massachusetts, June 
18, 1844, a son of Charles William and .Alicia Harriet (Blatchford) Scudder. the latter 
being a daughter of Henry Blatchford, who was a minister of the Presbyterian 
church. The Scudder ancestral line is traced down from John Scudder of Barnstable, 
Massachusetts. Born in England in 1619, he in 1635, came from London to America, 
and located first at Charlestown, Massachusetts: in 1640 he moved to Barnstable, 
Massachusetts, the home of his descendants. The Blatchfords were also of an old 
colonial family that settled in New York, and one of the well known representatives 
of this family was Judge Blatchford, a distinguished jurist. The line is traced back 
to the Rev. Samuel Blatchford, of England, and his son, the Rev. Henry Blatchford, 
was the father of Alicia Harriet Blatchford, who became the wife of Charles William 
Scudder. For many years the parents of Mr. Scudder were prominent and well 
known residents of Brookline, Massachusetts, where they remained until called to 
their final rest. 

Henry Blatchford Scudder was a pupil in the Latin School of Boston under the 
Rev. Phillips Brooks. He afterward continued his education in the Phillips Acad- 
emy at Andover, Massachusetts, and in Williams College. Following the outbreak of 
the Civil war he responded to the country's call for troops and enlisted as a member 
of Company A, Forty-fifth Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry, and while on active 
duty at the front was wounded in the head. He remained with his regiment, how- 
ever, until the close of the war. When the country no longer needed his military aid 
he returned to the north and secured employment in the Middlesex (Mass.) mills, 
and working his way upward in that connection became manager of the woolen mills 
operated under the name of the Dudley Hosiery Mills. Subsequently he returned to 




HENRY B. SCT'DDER 



HISTORY OF YAKIMA VALLEY 19 

Brookline, Massachusetts, where he owned the Allston Mills, near Boston, on what 
is now Commonwealth avenue. Eventually he sold out his business there and in 
April, 1888, came to Yakima with his family. In December, 1887, in association with 
C. E. Hubbard, of Boston, he had invested in farm lands, purchasing six hundred 
acres on the Moxee four miles east of Yakima, and from that time until his death 
was identified with the most progressive measures leading to the substantial devel- 
opment and improvement of this section of the state.' Before leaving the east he 
shipped some Holstein cattle to the Yakima valley, which were the first to be brought 
to this part of the country for dairy purposes. He assisted in putting down the first 
artesian well in Yakima county. He had one of the best dairies in the state, conducted 
along the most scientific lines, and his business reached extensive proportions. About 
1893 he opened a real estate office in Yakima which since his death has been con- 
ducted by his son-in-law, C, A. Marsh. In that connection he built up a business of 
large extent, negotiating many important realty transfers which led to the upbuilding 
of the city as well as to the promotion of his individual prosperity. Mr. Scudder 
was also one of those who developed the electric railway and the heating plant at 
Yakima and for many years he served as a director of the First National Bank. He 
erected the Barnes-Woodin building and there seemed to be no line of beneficial 
activity in Yakima with which he was not more or less closely associated. 

On the 21st of .April, 1866, Mr. Scudder w^as united in marriage to Julia Randolph 
Perry, who comes of an ancestry equally honored and distinguished as his own. She 
is a daughter of Oliver Hazard and Elizabeth Anne (Randolph) Perry, the former a 
son of Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry, the hero of the battle of Lake Erie. They 
were residents of Newport- Rhode Island, and the father of Mrs. Scudder served as 
a lieutenant in the United States navy until 1847, when he turned his attention to the 
woolen manufacturing business, becoming one of the prominent manufacturers of 
New England. He was descended from Edward Perry, who came to America in 
1650 and was of Quaker faith and a man of prominence in the new world. Freeman 
Perry served in the Revolutionary war and was assistant secretary of state of Rhode 
Island, while Christopher Champlain, a relative of his wife, also aided in the struggle 
for American independence. Captain Christopher Raymond Perry, father of Com- 
modore Oliver H. Perry, served on a man-of-war from 1780 until 1783. Commodore 
Oliver Hazard Perry, who was born in 178S and died in 1819, was a naval com- 
mander in the War of 1812, whose laconic message, "We have met the enemy and 
they are ours," has gone down in history. He was the father of Oliver Hazard Perry, 
who was born in 1815 and passed away in 1878. True to the record of his ancestors, 
he, too, responded to the call of his country for military aid and was a veteran of 
the Mexican war. He married Elizabeth Anne Randolph, a descendant of William 
Randolph, of Yorkshire, England, who wedded Mary Isham and on coming to 
."America settled at Turkey Island, Virginia, since which time the name of Randolph 
has been closely associated with the history of the south. Peyton Randolph, of 
Milton, Virginia, wedded Lucy Harrison, a daughter of Governor Harrison of Bran- 
don, and their son, Richard Kidder Randolph, became the father of Elizabeth Anne 
Randolph, who married Oliver Hazard Perry. 

The children of Mr. and Mrs. Scudder were as follows: Mary Mosley, who died 
in December, 1913; Marshall Sears, who served with the rank of captain in the 
Spanish-.\merican war and is now a captain in the Three Hundred and Sixty-first 
Regiment of the Ninety-first Division, on active duty in France; .Alice Blatchford; 
Anne Randolph; Lucy Randolph; Bessie Perry; and Randolph Perry, a commander 
in the United States navy. 

In his political views Mr. Scudder was a stalwart republican but always refused 
office. He took a most active interest in public affairs, however, and gave his earnest 
support to all measures and movements for the general good. His cooperation could 
at all times be counted upon to further any plan for public progress along material, 
intellectual and moral lines. He passed away July 20, 1917, and in his death Yakima 
lost one of her most valued citizens. He had not only been closely associated, with 
her material development but with her moral progress as well. He was one of those 
who established the Episcopal church of Yakima, for which Edward Potter, brother 
of Bishop Potter, of New York, drew the plans, and the communion service for the 
church was given by the Rev. Leonard K, Storrs, of Brookline, Massachusetts. Mr. 



20 HISTORY OF YAKIMA VALLEY 

Scudder was a most aetive. earnest and helpful worker in the church as the years 
passed b\' and for a long period served as senior warden. It is not difficult to speak 
of him, for his life and his character were as clear as the sunlight. No man came 
in contact with him but speedily appreciated him at his true worth and knew that he 
was a man who cherished not only a high ideal of duty but who lived up to it. He 
was not an idle sentimentalist but a worker. He was at the head of large business 
interests, which he managed successfully, yet it was his rule to set apart some 
time each day for the labors of love to which he was so devoted. 



CYRUS E. SANDERSON. 

One of the prominent orchardists and farmers of the Yakima valley is Cyrus E. 
Sanderson, owner of a valuable and highly improved property which is the visible 
evidence of his well directed energy, thrift and progressive spirit. Mr. Sanderson 
was born in . Jacksonville. Illinois. January 26, 1861. his parents being Cyrus and 
Charlotte Sanderson, both of whom have passed away. The father w-as a cabinet- 
maker by trade. He was born in Maysville, Kentucky, and in young manhood went 
to Illinois, where he met and married Charlotte D. Alosley, whose birth occurred in 
Ogdensburg, Xew York. 

Cyrus E. Sanderson obtained a business college education and afterward entered 
a grocery store in Jacksonville, Illinois, as a clerk. Subsequently he was connected 
with a shoe store and in 1887 he removed to Lincoln, Nebraska, where he again 
engaged in clerking. In 1890 he established business on his own account in Lin- 
coln, forming a partnership in the shoe trade. There he remained until 1909, when 
he sold out and went to Europe, where he continued for a year. The following year 
was spent in Cuba and in 1912 he arrived in Yakima, since which time he has been 
identified with the development and progress of this section of the state along 
agricultural and horticultural lines. He and his brother, Henry Sanderson, pur- 
chased thirty acres of orchard and incorporated their interests under the name of 
Sanderson Brothers. In 1913 they built their residence, having one of the finest in 
the valley. There is a beautiful fountain, on the grounds and they have twenty- 
five acres planted to apples and five acres to pears. They have a fine frostproof 
dry storage plant and packing house with a capacity for ten thousand boxes of fruit 
and their orchards yield twelve thousand boxes of apples per year. They have 
closely studied to develop their orchards by planting the fruits best adapted to soil 
and climate and they produce some of the finest fruit that is sent from Washington 
to the east. Mr. Sanderson, was one of the organizers of the Yakima Fruit Growers' 
Exchange and served as its president for several years. This later was merged into 
the Yakima County Horticultural Union. He also assisted in organizing the Fruit 
Growers' Exchange, which has since passed out of existence. He has taken a most 
helpful part iu organizing the fruit growers in order to fully protect their interests 
in the northwest and devoted about three years of his life to that work. 

On the 5th of April, 1891, C. E. Sanderson was united in marriage to Miss 
Jennie Marine, a native of Muncie, Indiana. They are members of the Methodist 
church and he is identified with the Modern Woodmen of America, the Royal Ar- 
canum, and a number of other orders. In politics he is an independent republican, 
for while he usually supports the principles of the republican party, he does not 
consider himself bound by party ties and casts his ballot according to the dictates 
of his judgment. 



HENRY SANDERSON. 

Henry Sanderson, a partner of his brother, Cyrus E. Sanderson, in extensive 
and important fruit raising interests in the Yakima valley, was born in Jacksonville, 
Illinois. December 29, 1866. He is a high school graduate and after his school days 
were over he became actively engaged in the shoe trade in connection with his 



HISTORY OF YAKIMA WXLLEY 21 

brother, C. E. Sanderson, whose sketch is given above. Together they came to 
Yakima in 1912 and purchased land, since which time they have carried on an ex- 
tensive and protitable liusiness as orchardists. They erected a ' commodious and 
beautiful double residence upon their land and they are concentrating their efforts 
upon the further development and care of their orchards. 

On the 21st of November, 1888, Henry Sanderson was married to Miss Lillie 
G. Smith, of St. Louis, Missouri. He. too, is a member of the Modern Woodmen of 
America and also ri( the Royal Highlanders, the Royal Arcanum and the Fraternal 
Union. His religious faith is indicated by his connection with the Presliyterian 
church and in politics he maintains an independent course. The Sanderson family 
have long been personal friends of William Jennings Bryan and his family, with 
whom they became acquainted during their residence in Jacksonville, Illinois. The 
Sanderson brothers occupy an enviable position in the business circles of the 
Yakima valley, for they are actuated in all that they undertake by a spirit of enter- 
prise that never stops short of the successful accomplishment of their purpose, and 
the methods which they have ever pursued are those which measure up to the high- 
est standards of integrity and reliability. 



HON. GARRISON W. HAMILTON. 

The legal fraternity of Benton county is prominently represented in Hon. Gar- 
rison W. Hamilton, who since 1905 has practiced in Prosser, Washington. Thorough 
study at one of the best known law schools of the country and long experience are 
the foundation stones upon which his reputation has been erected. He now has a 
large clientage in Prosser ^nd vicinity and stands high in the regard of the public, 
in the estimation of his professional confreres and before the courts. He was born 
in Lewisville, Ohio, March 26, 1854, his parents being Jacob H. and Maria (Robin- 
son) Hamilton, both of whom passed away in Ohio, where the father followed agri- 
cultural pursuits throughout his life with considerable success. 

Garrison W. Hamilton was reared under the parental roof and in the acquire- 
ment of his primary education attended the schools of the neighborhood and other 
institutions in order to prepare himself for college. Entering Mount L'nion College, 
he was graduated from that institution in the. class of 1877 with the degree of Ph. 
B. Having surveyed the various careers open to a young man in business or pro- 
fessional life,' he decided on the profession of the law as best suited to his tastes 
and inclinations and for that purpose entered the Law School of Cincinnati, from 
which he was graduated in 1880. He then located for practice at Woodsfield, Ohio, 
and there continued for twenty-two years, building up a reputation for ability, re- 
liability and trustworthiness. The far west always having held attractions for him, 
he decided to come to Washington, selecting as his field or labor Spokane, where 
he maintained an office for about three years. Then perceiving a field or greater 
possibilities in the newly opened Yakima valley, he came to Prosser in 1905 and has 
remained here ever since. His practice is of an important character and he has been 
connected with many of the better known cases which have come up before the 
courts of this district. On account of his ability he has naturally risen, so that today 
he is numbered among the most prominent lawyers of Yakima county. His legal 
learning, his analytical mind and the readiness with which he grasps the points in 
an argument, all combine to make him one of the best lawyers before the courts. 
Besides Mr. Hamilton is well versed in legal precedence and ably builds up his cause 
upon his knowledge. 

In 1885 Mr. Hamilton wedded Miss Emma Bircher, of Summerfield, Ohio, and 
to this union were born three children. Dr. B. J. Hamilton, a graduate of the Chicago 
College of Medicine, is a well known physician of Detroit, Michigan, where he enjoys 
a large practice. Flora J. is the wife of J. Kelly De Priest, of Prosser; and they are 
the parents of one child. Miss Marie Hamilton, the youngest of the family, is at 
home. In 1910 the family circle was broken by the hand of death when Mrs. Hamil- 
ton passed away. On April 27, 1912, Mr. Hamilton was again married, his second 
union being with Nellie J. Lundquist, of Prosser, and they have a son. Orris Lee. 



22 HISTORY OF YAKIMA VALLEY 

They are popular in the social life of their city and maintain a hospitable fireside 
for their many friends. , , , 

In his political affiliations Mr. Hamilton is a democrat and has been auite active 
in party ranks not only locally but also as far as the state at large is concerned. Dur- 
ing the term of 1906-7 he served in the state legislature, making his opinion felt upon 
the floor of the house and in committee rooms and well representing the interests of 
his constituents. He is now prosecuting attorney of Benton county. While in Ohio 
he served as judge of the probate court of Monroe county for six years, his continu- 
ance in office indicating the confidence his constituents had in his ability, fairness and 
impartiality Mr. Hamilton is a member of the Benton County and State Bar Asso- 
ciations and takes an active part in their proceedings. Fraternally he is a member of 
the Masonic order, belonging to the blue lodge in Prosser, and also is a hfe member 
of Zanesville (Ohio) lodge No. 14, B. P. O. E. He has always taken a deep interest 
in the development and progress of his city and the Yakima Valley and has ever been 
ready to lend his ability and means to worthy projects. He owns an excellent farm 
property near Prosser, which he has developed from the sagebrush and which yields 
a gratifying addition to Jiis income. He takes great pride in this farm, which largely 
through' his own labors and own ideas has been created out of the wilderness. 



DAVID LONGMIRE. 



\mong- the earliest and most honored pioneers of the Yakima vall^- is David 
Longmire\'ho during his long connection with agricultural interests here has greatly 
contributed toward the development and upbuilding of the district and whose career 
has indeed been an unusual one, for it reaches back to the days of the Indians, and 
he experienced all of those hardships which were connected with the early days of 
frontier life For nearlv fifty years he has been a resident of Yakima county and is 
therefore thoroughly familiar with the history of the valley from its primitive condi- 
tion to its present-day progress. o , r, , . 
\ native of Fountain county, Indiana. Mr. Longmire was born May i>, 1M4, 
a son of James and Susan (Neisley) Longmire. The father, a native of Indiana, was 
born March 17. 1820, a son of George Longmire, who was a native of Georgia The 
latter was one of the early pioneers of Indiana and participated in the War of Ibl-, 
taking part in that conflict under General Harrison. Later the family removed to 
Illinois where the grandfather died on the 6th of Januaiy, 1868. Throughout his life 
he had' followed the occupation of farming. James Longmire largely spent his boy- 
hood in Indiana, but on the 6th of March, 1853, decided to take his chances in the 
newer country of the west and by the water route proceeded to St. Joseph. Missouri. 
There he bought ox teams and by that mode of travel came to Washington. Septem- 
ber 20, 1853, marked the date of his arrival at Wenas creek, m the \akima valley. 
Mr Longmire of this review, who was then a boy of nine years, accompanied his 
parents on this hazardous trip and he still remembers the time when he went 
through Omaha, or rather passed the site upon which now stands Omaha before a 
house was built thereon. The Missouri river was crossed near Council Bluffs on a 
steamboat which was run by a half-breed Indian called Bar Pee. On the \\ enas 
they made their camp and the Longmire train was the first to camp in this valley 
and theirs were the first wagons ever to come into Benton, or what is now \ akima 
countv. which was then not organized. Breaking camp, they went on to the Puget 
Sound, arriving there on the 10th of October, 1853. Theirs was the first wagon train 
to cross the Cascades and also the first to cross the Columbia river at another place 
than The Dalles, which was the regular crossing. From the Wenas they went up the 
Naches and over the Cascades and as there was no road the journey was fraught 
with hardships and difficulties, yet they succeeded in making it in less than a montn. 
Subsequently the father engaged m the cattle business at Yelm Praine, in Thurston 
county However, his business pursuits were often interrupted by calls to arm on 
account of Indian uprisings and he participated in the Indian wars of 1855 and iSsO 
Few were the settlers in that district but the Longmires did not lose hope but on 
■ the contrary vigorously took up the work of colonization and built a home. the 




DAVID LONGMIRE 



HISTORY OF YAKIMA VALLEY 25 

father, a man of more than ordinary intelligence and purpose, readily participated in 
public affairs and represented Thurston county in the territorial legislature in 1857 
and later in 1865 he drew up the bill for the organization of Yakima county, although 
it was presented for passage by the representative from Klickitat county. As his 
prosperity increased James Longmire acquired much land in Yakima county on the 
Wenas. thus becoming a prosperous and substantial citizen, and it was he who located 
the famous Longmire Springs at Paradise valley, in the neighborhood of Mount 
Rainier. In fact he and "Uncle Billy" Packwood were early explorers of the Mount 
Rainier country. In 1883 the father started a hostelry at Longmire Springs, which 
then was the farthest point to the northwest which could be reached by an estab- 
lished trail. August 16, 1883, was a remarkable day in his career, for it was on that 
date that James Longmire made the ascent and reached the top of Mount Rainier. 
It was, upon this trip that they found the well-known springs and shortly thereafter 
they started to build a two-log house there, which was completed in the fall. The 
proprietary rights to the springs are still vested in the family and these springs are 
now known all over the world, a fine hotel having been erected there. As above in- 
dicated, the father was very active in public affairs and through his incessant and 
energetic labor and prophetic vision foresaw and anticipated many things which he 
tried to turn into realities to the profit of a later generation. For many terms he sat 
in the territorial legislature, thus devoting time and effort to the general cause of 
civilization. He was a democrat in his political affiliations and loyally upheld the 
principles of that party. His death occurred September 12. 1897, and in him the 
state of Washington lost one of its foremost citizens, who blazed the trail for those 
who came after him and helped to plant the seeds of civilization under conditions 
which would have tried the most resolute man. However, Mr. Longmire steeled 
himself against vicissitudes, and having complete faith in the future of the common- 
wealth, went ahead with his projects unerringly and unceasingly until success 
crowned his labors. The mother of our subject had passed away four days before 
the western trip was undertaken, but in 1848 the father had married Virindia 
Taylor, of Indiana, who has also since passed away. She was a daughter of Jacob 
and Xancy Taylor. In the father's family were eleven children, of whom David 
Longmire of this review was the second in order of birth. The eldest in the family 
was Elcaine Longmire. who for many years successfully engaged in ranching at 
Longmire Springs and passed away Jime 21, 1915. The third in order of birth was 
Tillatha, who married Robert Kandle, now living retired in Yakima, Washington. 
John A. Longmire is a rancher of Thurston county, this state. Laura Ann married 
Charles Longmire, of Yakima. Melissa was the wife of L. N. Rice and they resided 
on the old homestead in Thurston county. She is now deceased. Martha married 
Joseph Conine, a resident of Thurston county, who about ten years ago was a mem- 
ber of the legislature. Mrs. Conine has passed away. Robert is sheriff of Pierce 
county. Washington. Frank, the next in order of birth, is deputy sheriff of the 
same county. George is engaged in ranching in the Wenas valley in Yakima county. 
The eleventh of the family, James William, died at the age of fourteen years. 

David Longmire spent his early boyhood days under the parental roof in Indiana 
and in that state he began his education by attending school in a log schoolhouse. 
He was nine years of age when removal was made to this state and here he con- 
tinued his education in Olympia. attending school there from 1855 until 1857. while 
his father was a member of the territorial legislature. In 1858 he went to school 
at Chambers Prairie, but in 1859 Mr. Longmire, Sr., succeeded in having a log school- 
house established near his ranch and David Longmire completed his education there. 
L'pon laying aside his textbooks he continued along agricultural lines with his father 
in Thurston county but in 1871 removed to Yakima county, where he preempted land 
on the Wenas. It was during these days that the Indians were yet very troublesome 
and often attacked the white men, looking upon them as intruders. Many are the 
experiences which Mr. Longmire is able to recount relative to this period and in this 
connection it may be mentioned that he was in that party which went forth to cap- 
ture and punish those Indians who had so treacherously murdered the Perkins fam- 
ily. Of this record he may well be proud, as he assisted in bringing to justice some 
of the most desperate and degenerate characters among the red men and thereby 
aided in teaching a lesson which did much toward making conditions less dangerous 



26 HISTORY OF YAKIMA VALLEY 

for the white settlers. Later Mr. Longmire took up a homestead and it is upon this 
property that he now resides. Forceful and resourceful, he has ever followed pro- 
gressive methods and has made his farm one of the most valuable in the neighbor- 
hood, erecting suitable and commodious barns, building a fine residence and institut- 
ing other facilities and equipment which denote twentieth century development in 
agricultural lines. As his income increased he acciuired more land until he now owns 
four hundred and eighty acres of irrigated land as well as several thousand Acres of 
range land. In later years, however, he has given much of this property to his 
children, in fact he has built seven fine farm homes tor them and his family still 
lives near the old home place. It was in 1883 that Mr. Longmire built a fine resi- 
dence on the Wenas which then was one of the most pretentious in the Yakima val- 
ley and still remains as one of the landmarks here. In order to build this house he 
had to send to Tumwater, by way of Olympia. for sash and doors, the difficulties 
besetting the early home-builder being more readily understood if it is recalled 
that no railroads then existed. Besides general agricultural pursuits, Mr. Longmire 
has also given much attention to live stock and has become one of the large stock 
raisers of the valley. Moreover, he was one of the first orchardists here, planting 
his first orchard in 1872. .\lthough he thus gave great impetus to an industry that 
is now very important to the valley and proved the suitability of climate and soil 
for that purpose, he never went into orchardizing commercially. 

On the 12th of September, 1869, David Longmire was united in marriage to 
Elizabeth Pollard, of Thurston county, Washington, a daughter of A^a and Tillatha 
(Taylor) Pollard, who in 1864 came by ox team to Washington from Iowa, taking 
up their abode in Thurston county and being numbered among the pioneer settlers 
of this state. After nineteen years of happy married life Mrs. Longmire passed away 
November 16, 1888, and on the 23d of December, 1890, Mr. Longmire married Mrs. 
Lizzie ( Lotz) Treat, a daughter of George and Katherine Lotz, natives of Germany. 
Mr. Lotz came to Washington in 1851, during the early days in pioneering, his wife 
following him in 18SS, for they had been married in Germany previous to that time. 
She brought with her her three children, one of whom died while she was en route. 
Mr. Lotz was a cabinetmaker by trade but he turned his attention to farming after 
coming to this state, locating in Thurston county. There he died in 1895, being sur- 
vived by his widow until 1901. To the first marriage of Mr. Longmire were -born the 
following children: Alice, who married A. J. Lotz, a successful rancher of the Wenas 
valley, by whom she has five children, of whom four are daughters: Asa and Walter, 
both of whom died in infancy; Martha, who married C. C. Porter, a rancher on the 
Tieton, by whom she has two sons and five daughters: Burnetta, tlie wife of B. F. 
Small, a rancher of the Wenas valley, by whom she has a son. Clarence: David E., 
also engaged in ranching in the Wenas valley and who is mentioned more exten- 
sively on other pages of this work; George B., who is ranching in the Wenas valley 
and is married and has two daughters; and James Guy, who is a rancher in the same 
locality and is married and has one child. Of the second marriage of Mr. Longmire 
was born a son, Roy Bryan, who is in the L'nited States army. He is married and 
has a son, Donald Roy, three years of age. Mrs. Lizzie Longmire had three children 
by her marriage to Mr. Treat. A. E. Treat, the eldest, is a rancher residing near 
Wapato with his wife and daughter. Harvey C. a resident of Tacoma, is also mar- 
ried and has two children. The other, Oliver R. Treat, died at the age of eighteen 
months. 

Mr. and Mrs. Longmire enjoy the highest regard and esteem in their neighbor- 
hood and in fact throughout the Yakima valley, where they are widely known. Both 
being members of distinguished pioneer families, their lives have been closely con- 
nected with the growth which has made this valley one of the most prosperous in the 
state. They are members of the Christian church, in the work of which they are 
actively and helpfully interested. 

-'Mong political lines Mr. Longmire is a democrat and follows the party's lead 
as far as national politics are concerned, but in local affairs prefers to give his sup- 
port to the man whom he considers best fitted to the office to which he aspires, irre- 
spective of party affiliation. He has ever been deeply interested in public issues and 
in fact has promoted numerous measures which have proven of great benefit to the 
general public. He has served as justice of the peace, ever dispensing fair and impar- 



HISTORY OF YAKIMA VALLEY 27 

tial judgments, and twice has held the position of county commissioner, doing every- 
thing in his power to make Yakima county one of the best governed within the state. 
Many are the projects which he has promoted in order to bring his county to the 
front by instituting public improvements which would be of benefit to the county 
along material as well as ideal lines. Fraternally Mr. Longmire is a Mason, having 
been a member of the blue lodge since 1883, and the principles which underlie this 
organization have guided him in his conduct toward his fellowmen. There is nothing 
surprising in the success which he has achieved as it is the outcome of energy and 
industry, applied to opportunities which were within the reach of all those who 
came here as pioneers, yet he has shown besides these qualities the foresight which 
IS necessary in launching enterprises of the right kind at the right time and place 
and the conviction of being on the right road and thus bringing them to a satisfactory 
end. He stands today as one of the most prosperous and substantial citizens, and 
looking back in retrospect to the days of the Indians, he has the satisfaction of feel- 
ing that he has had a great part in bringing about the prosperous conditions which 
now prevail. 



FREDERICK A. WUSSOW. 

Frederick .A. Wussow, whose ranch of forty acres in the Cowiche valley is devoted 
to fruit raising and to the production of hay and garden products, was born in Mil- 
waukee, Wisconsin, .\ugust 4, 1880, a son of Frederick and Emma (Hahm) Wussow, 
who were pioneer settlers of Milwaukee, where the father engaged in the livery and 
undertaking business for a number of years. His parents were also numbered among 
the early residents of that state. Frederick Wussow, Sr., is still a resident of Mil- 
waukee, but his wife has passed away. 

I'^-ederick A. Wussow acquired a public school education in his native city and 
afterward took up the trade of horseshoeing, developing expert skill and ability in that 
connection. He had a blacksmith sliop at Burlington, Wisconsin, and afterward at 
Milwaukee. In 1909 he came to Yakima and purchased twenty acres of land in the 
Cowiche valley, to which he afterward added by purchase until he became the owner 
of a forty-acre tract. He now has twenty-eight acres planted to orchards, largely 
raising apples and pears, while the remaining twelve acres is devoted to the produc- 
tion of hay and garden products. He has built a fine home upon his place and the 
improvements which he has put thereon and the manner in which he has cultivated his 
land have greatly enhanced its value as well as its fertility. Since coming to the west 
he has also conducted a blacksmith shop in Yakima, where he carried on business for 
four years and was recognized as an expert horseshoer. 

On the 6th of October, 1906, Mr. Wussow was married to Miss Hulda Hafmeister. 
who was born in Milwaukee, a daughter of William Hafmeister. 

Mr. Wussow has an interesting war record inasmuch as he is a veteran of the 
Spanish-.'Vmerican war. He enlisted in the Third LTnited States Regiment at the time 
of the difficulty with Spain and he served in the campaign against the Chippewa 
Indians in Minnesota in 1898. Fraternally he is connected with the Knights of Pythias 
and the Fraternal Order of Eagles. His religious faith is that of the Lutheran church 
and politically he maintains an independent course. His life has not been marked by 
any spectacular events but his course has been that of a substantial citizen who is 
progressive and enterprising in business and loyal to the best public interests. 



WILLIAM F. MORGAN'. 

William F. Morgan, actively and successfully identified with the farming interests 
of the Yakima valley, was born in Warrensburg, Missouri, on the 6th of June, 1871, a 
son of Robert S. and Minerva (Mason) Morgan. The father was born in Pennsyl- 
vania and at the time of the Civil war responded to the country's call for troops, en- 
listing in the Tenth Missouri Infantry, witli which he served from 1861 until 1864, and 

(2) 



28 HISTORY OF YAKIMA VALLEY 

during that period he was wounded. His wife was born in Missouri and for a number 
of years they resided in that state. In the spring of 1886 they came to the Yakima 
valley, where Mr. Morgan purchased a homestead right from "Doc" Morris, securing 
one hundred and sixty acres of land, constituting the northwest quarter of section 21. 
it was all sagebrush and dry land without irrigation when it came into his posses- 
sion. With characteristic energy he began its development and improvement and he 
was very active in establishing irrigation in this section of the state. He put in a mile 
extension of the Hubbard ditch, covering twelve acres of his land, and thereon he 
engaged in gardening. He also followed the carpenter's trade in Yakima and through 
carrying on both occupations made a good living. Later the Congdon ditch was built 
and all of his farm was thus watered. About 1890 he started a small orchard, to which 
he furnished water by a w'indmill. After the ditch was completed the orchard was 
extended, fruit trees being planted which soon came into bearing and gave another 
proof of the fact that the soil was admirably adapted to horticulture. Robert S. 
Morgan became the pioneer commission man of Y'akima, selling not only his own 
produce but that of his neighbors and finding a market for the Yakima produce in the 
mining districts of the Cascades. He built the first produce warehouse in Yakima 
and continued actively in the business to the time of his death. He also shipped the 
first alfalfa from the Yakima valley, sending it to the coast. Mr. Morgan remained an 
honored, valued and respected citizen of Yakima until called to his final rest on the 
10th of August, 1909. He is survived by his wife, who yet makes her home on the old 
home ranch. They had a family of ten children, nine of whom reached adult age, 
while eight are living. 

William F. Morgan was the second in order of birth. He acquired a public school 
education and was a youth of sixteen years when the family home was established in 
the Yakima valley, after which he devoted his time and attention to work upon the 
ranch with his father. Later he took charge of the ranch in connection with his brother 
Robert and afterward he purchased the southwest forty acres of his father's prop- 
erty and cleared and improved the tract. He has since sold ten acres of this and 
now ow'ns thirty acres, of which twenty-two acres is planted to orchard, including 
apples, pears and cherries. On the remainder he raises some alfalfa and also diver- 
sified crops. He has had close association with his father in all of his fruit raising 
and his broad experience and wide knowledge are of great value to him in the further 
conduct of his business. 

On the 8th of February. 1894. Mr. Morgan was married to Miss Anna Dunn, a 
daughter of Captain Robert Dunn, one of the pioneers of Yakima county, and their 
children are: Mabel, who attended Washington State College at Pullman for two 
years; and Harold and Ethel, both of whom are now pursuing a college course. 
Mr. Morgan is identified with the ISIodern ^^'oodmen of America and the family 
are loyal members of the First Christian church of Yakima. In politics he is a re- 
publican and has served as road supervisor, while for five years he was one of the 
school directors. For almost a third of a century he has resided in the valley, wit- 
nessing the greater part of its development and upbuilding. Associated with his 
father he became one of the pioneers in horticulture in this section of the state. His 
progressive spirit has led to the attainincnt of most gratifying results and a visit to 
his orchards in bearing season is always one of great delight. 



JOHN ANDISOX BALMER. 

John Andison Balmer has for two years been mayor of Cle Elum and his ad- 
ministration of public affairs has been most beneficial to the town. He is perhaps 
even more widely known as a florist, for his reputation in this connection has brought 
him an extensive acquaintance throughout the northwest. He has the distinction 
of being the only florist devoting his attention exclusively to roses in Washington. 
A native of Northumberland county, England, he was born on the 10th of April, 
1856, a son of Thomas and Margaret (.Andison) Balmer, both of whom passed away 
in England, where the father had carried on business as a horticultulist. 

John A. Balmer acquired a grammar school education in his native country and 



HISTORY OF YAKIMA VALLEY 29 

in 1879, when twenty-three years of age, came to the new world, settling at South 
Amboy, New Jersey, where he became orchid grower for George Such, owner of the 
finest orchids, pahiis and flowering plants in America at that time. In November, 
1879, Mr. Bahner removed to Watcrtown, New York, where he became manager 
for Charles Hart, florist- In 1881 he established his home in Pekin, Illinois, where 
he began business on his own account as a florist, but the enterprise did not prove 
profitable. He then returned to England and while in that country was married. 
Not long afterward he once more made his way to the new world and took up his 
abode in Danville, Illinois, where he conducted business as a florist for a year and 
a half. Later he went to Paris, Illinois, where he again engaged in business as a 
florist, and a year later he removed to Vincennes, Indiana, where he resided for 
eight and a half years, continuing in the same line. At the end of that time he 
was ofTered the position of horticulturist at the Washington State College and 
accepted in May, 1894. He held that position until February, 1900, when he removed 
to Cle Elum and established a big rose hothouse. He has forty thousand square 
feet of glass, with eighteen thousand square feet of actually planted area. His plants 
include eighteen thousand rose bushes under glass. He burns over eight hundred 
tons of coal per year to keep his greenhouses at an even temperature. He is the 
only exclusive rose grower in Washington and is the second largest producer of this 
"queen of flowers" in the state. He ships extensively to Butte, Spokane, Seattle, 
Tacoma, Grays Harbor and all intermediate points, making daily shipments and 
selling almost exclusively to the wholesade trade. He employs four men constantly 
besides having additional help from time to time. He has closely studied everything 
that has to do with the successful propagation and growing of beautiful roses and 
his business is conducted along the most scientific lines. In 1919, owing to a dis- 
ease of roses, he temporarily changed to the raising of hothouse tomatoes and ex- 
pects to place forty thousand pounds on the market. 

On the 28th of October, 1882, Mr. Balmer was united in marriage to Miss Alice 
Jane -Atkinson, a daughter of John and Margaret (Scarth) Atkinson, both of whom 
have passed away. To Mr. and Mrs. Balmer have been born five children. John 
.'\tkinson, who is residing in Tacoma. where he is employed in the shipyards, is mar- 
ried and has four sons. The next three children of the familj' died in infancy. Jes- 
mond Dean is a lieutenant with the artillery forces in France, having been a student 
in the University of Washington up to the time of his enlistment for service with the 
American army. He is still in Germany and has been in several engagements, being 
gassed twice. 

Mr. Balmer and his family are members of the Episcopal church and his politi- 
cal allegience is given to the republican party, which elected him to the office of 
mayor of Cle Elum in 1916. In this connection he has done most important work. 
He has cleaned up the police department and has instituted various needed reforms 
and improvements which have resulted greatly to the benefit of the city. He has 
also serveil on the school board and was very active in promoting the interests of the 
schools- He has been a very successful man in business, a most creditable public 
official and is a man of interesting personality whose genuine worth commands for 
him the respect, confidence and admiration of all with whom he has been brought in 
contact. 



CARL P. SUTORIUS. 

Carl P. Sutorius is one of the founders of the Sclah Mercantile Company and 
as such figures prominently in the commercial circles not only of Selah but of the 
valley. In this connecaion, in a period of ten years he has developed a business of 
extensive and gratifying proportions. He was a young man of twenty-seven years 
when he founded the business, for he was born in Lawrence. Kansas, on the 9th 
of February, 1882, a son of Charles -A. and Carrie (WalrufT) Sutorius, the former a 
native of Germany, while the latter was born in Kansas and was a daughter of John 
WalrufI, who was likewise born in Germany and became one of the pioneer settlers 
of the Sunflower state. Charles A. Sutorius arrived in Kansas during his boyhood 



30 HISTORY OF YAKIMA VALLEY 

days and was there reared and married. He was a jeweler and watchmaker by trade 
and carried, on business along those lines for many j-cars. He has now departed this 
life, while his wife resides in Chicago. 

Carl P. Sutorius acquired a public school education in Kansas City and during 
his youthful days had a newspaper route there. It was in that way that he earned 
the money necessary to enable him to continue his course in the Kansas City schools. 
He left home when a boy of fifteen years and has since been dependent entirely upon 
his own resources and labors. For three years he was employed by the Armour 
Packing Company in Kansas City and subsequently removed to Omaha. Nebraska, 
where he engaged in the retail sheet music business. Later he went to Minneapolis, 
Minnesota, where he successfully conducted business along the same line, and later 
he started in the sash and door business in that city. He eventually became a city 
salesman and was later with the St. Paul & Tacoma Lumber Company. The year 
1905 witnessed his arrival in the northwest, at which time he made his way to Tacoma 
and w-as with the same lumber company in that city for five years. He afterward 
became purchasing agent and auditor for the yards of the company in the Yakima 
valley and was thus engaged until 1909, when, desiring that his labors should more 
directly benefit himself, he became one of the organizers of the Selah Mercantile 
Company. In this undertaking he was associated with H. R. Blackwell and the 
business was established on the 15th of August, 1909, succeeding the Selah Trading 
Company, which had been instituted in 1907. The Selah Mercantile Company was 
incorporated in 1914 and in 1915 Mr. Blackwell sold his interest to Frank W. Clark, 
who was the president of the company and resided in Yakima until his death, Decem- 
ber 7. 1918. Mr. Sutorius is the executive treasurer. The company began business 
with a stock worth eighteen hundred dollars and had a very small store. Something 
of the rapid and substanital growth of their trade is indicated in the fact that they 
now carry a stock of general merchandise valued at twenty-five thousand dollars, 
dealing in everything that a rancher needs. The growth of their business is due to 
their thoroughly reliable methods, their enterprise and their earnest desire to please 
their cust9mers and today theirs is the leading store in Selah. 

On the 28th of August, 1908, Mr. Sutorius was married to Miss Josephine Clark, 
a daughter of Frank W. and Kate A. Clark. Her father was born in Lawrence, Kan- 
sas, while his parents were en route to Colorado, and later he became a pioneer 
resident of Tacoma, Washington, and occupied the position of general manager for 
the Tacoma Smelting Company. In 1913 he removed to Yakima and was the execu- 
tive secretary of the Red Cross of the Yakima valley at the time of his death. To 
Mr. and Mrs. Sutorius have been born two children, Clark and Helen. 

Fraternally Mr. Sutorius is connected with the Independent Order of Odd Fel- 
lows. He also belongs to the Selah Commercial Club, of which he w-as secretary 
and treasurer for three years. In politics he maintains an independent course, con- 
centrating his efforts and attention upon his business affairs, which, wisely directed, 
have placed him in the front rank among the representatives of commercial inter- 
ests in Selah. 



CHESTER ADGATE COiXGDOX. 

Chester Adgate Congdon, lawyer and capitalist, who first visited the Yakima 
valley in 1887 and made investment here in 1889, was born in Rochester, New York, 
on the 12th of June, 1853, his parents being Sylvester Laurentius and Laura Jane 
(Adgate) Congdon. He was descended in the paternal line from James Congdon. 
a Quaker, who came from England about 1640 and settled in Rhode Island, becoming 
the founder of the family in the new world. The line of descent comes on down 
through his son John, John (II), John (III), and his second wife, Dorcas Huntley, 
and through Hannibal and Mary (Satchwell) Congdon, who were the grandparents 
of Chester A. Congdon. The latter's father was a minister of the Methodist church. 

In the public schools of Elmira and Corning, New York, Chester A. Congdon 
acquired his preliminary education, which was supplemented by study in the East 
Genesee Conference Seminary at Ovid, New York. His collegiate work was done 




CHESTER A. CONGDON 




FORMER RESIDENCE OF CHESTER A. COXGDOX 



HISTORY OF YAKIMA VALLEY ^,^^^^-35 

at Syracuse University, from which he was graduated in 1875 with the degreec of 
Bachelor of Arts. He studied law under the preceptorship of Hiscock, GifTord & 
Doheny at Syracuse, Xew^ York, and in 1877 was admitted to the bar of that state. 
After admission to the bar in New York state, Mr. Congdon taught school for about 
a year in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin, before he went to St. Paul, Minnesota, in 1879, 
where he was admitted to the bar of that state and and there established himself 
in the practice of law. In 1892 he removed from St. Paul to Duluth, becoming a 
member of the law firm of Billson & Congdon as the partner of William W. Billson. 
In 1893 they were joined by Judge Daniel A. Dickinson and the firm style of Billson, 
Corgdon & Dickinson was adopted. On the death of the judge in 1902 the surviving 
partners resumed their original firm title and thus continued until 1904, when both 
retired from active practice. 

In the meantime Mr. Congdon had extended his efforts to various lines of com- 
meicial, industrial and financial enterprise in his adopted city. He became a prom- 
incn: figure in connection with the development of the iron and copper mining 
resources of the Lake Superior country and at the same time his advice and as- 
sistance were sought by many business and financial institutions on the directorate 
of which his name never appeared. He was general counsel of the Oliver Mining 
Company before its consolidation with other companies, now forming the United 
States Steel Corporation. He was also the president of the Chemung Iron Company 
and the Canisteo Mining Company, the vice-president of the American Exchange 
National Bank of Duluth and a director in the Calumet & Arizona Mining Company, 
the Hedley Gold Mining Company, the Greene Cananea Copper Company, the Mar- 
shall-Wells Hardware Company, the Gowan-Lenning-Brown Company and various 
other banking, mining and jobbing enterprises which claimed his attention and prof- 
ited by his cooperation and direction. He also became interested in agricultural pur- 
suits, making extensive investments in farm lands in the northwest. He first came 
to the Yakima valley on a tour of inspection in 1887 and in 1889, in association with 
several old friends, formed a syndicate which in connection with the Ontario Land 
Company made investment in land adjoining North Yakima, afterward platting the 
Capitol addition and also lands to the south of it. This syndicate, of which Mr. 
Congdon was a member, and the Ontario Land Company also furnished the money 
for the construction of the Yakima Valley canal. The first investment amounted 
to thirty-five thousand dollars, which was used in the acquirement of the aforemen- 
tioned property, while seventy-five thousand dollars were invested in dry lands, at 
Wide Hollow and Xob Hill. The Yakima Valley canal aforementioned was built 
in 189-; for irrigating all of Xob Hill, and in 1898 or 1899 Albert S. Congdon, a brother 
of our sul>ject. took charge of this undertaking, which was the second large irriga- 
tion project of the valley. The Sunnyside Canal project had been launched before 
Mr. Congdon's first visit to Yakima but had encountered diiificulties and was idle 
at the time he Ijecame interested in Yakami Valley projects. After carefully inves- 
ti;2ating its affairs Mr. Congdon decided not to take hold of this enterprise because 
in his opinion there were better lands available for development than those under 
the Sunnyside and also for the reason that he was not entirely satisfied with the suffi- 
ciency and validity of the Sunnyside water right. It is a fact anyhow that the Sun- 
nyside Canal project has gone through reorganization since 1889 and that the Yakima 
Valley Canal Company is, if not the only one, one of the very few that has never had 
to be reorganized. The Northern Pacific Railroad urged him to undertake the Sun- 
nyside project, but he gave his attention to the irrigation of the upper valley on Nob 
Hill. This system irrigated three thousand acres at first and later was extended to 
irrigate thirteen hundred acres additional. It was built to irrigate the land owned 
by the syndicate and the Ontario Land Company, most of which land, in which he 
had an interest, had been sold by 1905, in which year Mr. Congdon began to buy the 
land which became his ranch. ,\ large part of the present ranch consists of property 
which he and his associates sold some years before, after the completion of the canal, 
and which he later bought back. Mr. Congdon was so fond of the Yakima Valley 
that he wanted to have some interest here which would require his attention once 
or twice a year, and with the sale of the last of the land which he and his associates 



36 HISTORY OF YAKIMA \ALLEY 

had criginally acquired, his excuse for visits here was more or less worn out. There- 
fore he personally acquired properties which now constitute one of the fine ranches 
of the valley. 

With the advent of Mr. Congdon in the business circles of the northwest he 
became a very active supporter of all those interests which he believed of value and 
benefit to the state. He was very active in the state capital fight in 1889 and gave 
land for the capitol site. When it was decided that Olympia should be the capital 
of Washington, he, with others, gave the park site to the city of Yakima, but upon 
the refusal of the city to improve the park, the land reverted to the Ontario Land 
Company, which had made the donation at the beginning. The large landed inter- 
ests of Mr. Congdon were developed and much of the property sold, but he kept or 
bought back enough so that he was owner of more than nine hundred acres. He 
had more than three hundred and seventy-five acres in fruit, while the balance was 
farm land. He developed one of the largest Aberdeen-.-\ngus cattle herds in Amer- 
ica, his stock being shown all over the United States at the various cattle exhibits, 
winning prizes everywhere. 

In 1914 Mr. Congdon erected a beautiful home, built all of native stone. It is 
the largest private residence in the valley and regarded one of the show places in 
Washington. While it is not consciously patterned after any special style of building, 
its design largely resembles that of the large Mexican houses. It is a story and a 
half, built around a court, and is erected on the edge of a bluff, requiring a good deal 
of retaining wall and thus to some extent having the appearance of an old war castle. 
Mr. Congdon was a great traveler and considered the Yakima Valley the best agri- 
cultural district of the world. He spent much of his time here and did as much as 
any ether man for the development and upbuilding of this section of the state. He 
contributed quietly and unostentatiously but most generously to all public projects 
for good, including churches, nor did he confine his efforts alone to the Yakima Val- 
ley. He became a heavy investor at Tacoma, Grays Harbor, South Bend, Raymond 
and other points in Washington. He was a personal friend of the officials of the 
Northern Pacific Railway, including President Hannaford, and he cooperated with 
the railroad company in the improvement of many localities. In 1913 he built a 
seveiity-thousand-dollar storage and packing plant in order to house the fruit raised 
in the district and he developed one of the largest' orchards under individual owner- 
ship in the northwest. 

On the 29th of September, 1881, at Syracuse, New York, Mr. Congdon was mar- 
ried to Miss Clara Hesperia, a daughter of the Rev. Edward Bannister, a clergyman 
of San Francisco, California, and to them were born seven children: Walter Ban- 
nister, Edward Chester, Marjorie, Helen Clara, John, Elisabeth Mannering and 
Robert Congdon. The family circle was broken in the death of Mr. Congdon in 
St. Paul, Minnesota, on the 21st of November, 1916. His life had been one of great 
activity and usefulness. He had been called to various offices of trust and responsi- 
bility, serving from 1881 until 1886 as assistant United States attorney for the dis- 
trict of Minnesota, as a member of the Minnesota house of representatives from 1909 
until 1913, and from 1903 until his death he was a member of the Duluth charter 
commission. Minnesota in 1916 made him a member of the republican national cen- 
tral committee and his opinions carried weight in the councils of the party. He was 
a member of various professional, historical, scientific, social and fraternal societies 
and associations. He had membership with the Kitchi Gammi, Northland Country, 
Commercial and Duluth Boat Clubs, all of Duluth; the Minnesota Club of St. Paul; 
the Minneapolis Club of Minneapolis; the University Club of Chicago; the Duquesne 
Club of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: the Bankers Club of New York; the Commercial 
Club of North Yakima; and with various college fraternities, including the Upsilon 
Kappa, Psi Upsilon, Theta Nu Epsilon and Phi Beta Kappa. A contemporary biog- 
rapher has said of him: "Those who really knew Mr. Congdon found in him a man 
of tender heart and warm, human sympathies. His philanthropy was general and 
quite well known, although he sought to keep it under cover ?nd shrank from pub- 
licity in this regard. He was a close student of government and state policies, a foe 
of waste and inefficiency, a friend of political progress as he saw it, a champion of 



HISTORY OF YAKIMA VALLEY 37 

clean pu1)lic life and sound government. He was always the good citizen, eager to 
have his part in every forward movement in directions that he judged to be wise." 
The northwest has reason to be grateful to him for what he accomplished in connec- 
tion with her upbuilding. He was acquainted with most of the old-time men of 
prominence in this section of the country. The Yakima Valley — its growth, its 
development and its beautification — it is said was his hobby; yet it was more than 
that because he always expected to derive profit as well as pleasure from his activi- 
ties Iktc. l^nfortunately, he did not see his ranch return a profit to him. but this 
was largely for the reason that at the time of his demise many of the trees were yet 
too young. Though an idealist, there was yet sufficient business man in him to 
expect interest on his investments here and undoubtedly the fine ranch, in spite of 
the large investment in improvements, will turn out to be a successful enterprise 
even from a monetary standpoint. Mr. Congdon was known nationally in financial 
circles, being recognized as a man of wonderful business judgment, but there were 
also qualities which endeared him to those who came within the circle of his com- 
panionship, knowing and loving him not for what he accomplished but for what 
he was. 

THE YAKIMA VALLEY BANK. 

The Yakima Valley Bank, one of the strong moneyed institutions of the city 
of Yakima, was established in June, 1902, by Miles Cannon, who became the presi- 
dent, Arthur Coffin, vice-president, and Stanley Coffin, cashier, with ,E. E. Streitz as 
assistant cashier. .A change in the personnel of the officers occurred in 1904, when 
O. A. Fechter was elected to the presidency. The following year Charles Heath be- 
came the cashier, with Charles S. Mead as the vice-president. The bank occupies a 
building at the corner of First street and Yakima avenue and owns a property that 
it will soon occupy on Yakima avenue between First and Second streets, where 
stands a two-story stone building with a fifty foot frontage. The bank was estab- 
lished with a capital stock of seventy-five thousand dollars, sixty per cent of 
which was paid in. This was increased to one hundred thousand dollars in 1908 
and the entire stock was paid in. The directors are Charles Heath, O. A. Fechter, 
J. E. Shannon, C. S. Mead and L. O. Janeck, who became a director in 1906. The 
bank enjoyed a splendid growth in 1917 and in 1918 its capital and surplus amounted 
to one hundred and eighteen thousand dollars and its deposits to one million, four 
hundred and seventy-one thousand, three hundred and ninety-two dollars and seven- 
ty-nine cents. In 1915 the bank's statement showed deposits of five hundred and 
eighty-eight thousand dollars, with a capital and surplus of one hundred and thirteen 
thousand dollars. The increase in deposits is indicative of the growth of the busi- 
ness and of the substantial policy followed by the institution — a policy which com- 
mands the respect and confidence of the general public. 



WALTER R. ROWE. 



Among the younger agriculturists of the Yakima valley is Walter R. Rowe, of 
Naches, who now devotes his attention to orcharding, being successful along this 
line. A native of Indianapolis, Indiana, he was born May 21, 1884, a son of William 
and Linnie (McCormick) Rowe, the former a native of Pennsylvania and the latter 
of Indianapolis. The mother comes of a pioneer family there, her people being 
among the first settlers of that city, and a monument to a member of the family was 
recently erected in Indianapolis. The father of our subject was for many years con- 
nected with the rolling mill business in that city and later in life also with banking. 
In 1893, however, he sold out and came to Yakima, where Mrs. Rowe had in 1889 
taken up a ranch on the lower Xaches and proved up on the property. There the 
family settled in 1893, tlie ranch comprising two hundred acres, but one hundred 
acres of this was given in exchange for water rights. The father developed his 
ranch and there passed his remaining days, his death occurring in 1900. His widow 
survives and now resides in Yakima. 



38 HISTORY OF YAKIMA VALLEY 

Being nine years of age when the family removed to Washington, Walter R. 
Rowe received his early education in Indianapolis and subsequently attended public 
school in this state. He then attended Washington State University at Pullman for 
two years and at the end of that time returned to the ranch, which he bought in 
1906. Fifty acres of the ranch are in apples and ten acres are devoted to pears, 
peaches, cherries and other small fruits. Mr. Rowe has erected modern buildings 
upon the ranch and has his own packing house with a storage capacity for twenty 
thousand boxes. 

On the 19th of December. 1906, Mr. Rowe was married to Miss Jessie Mead, a 
native of Iowa and a daughter of Charles Mead, who about 1898 removed to the 
Yakima valley, taking up the occupation of ranching. Mr. and Mrs. Rowe have a 
daughter and a son: Helen, eight years of age; and Charles, aged six. 

Mr. Rowe is a Mason, being a member of Xaches Lodge No. 211, F. & A. M., 
and also having passed the chapter and Scottish Rite degrees. He is also a member 
of Yakima Lodge Xo. 318, E. P. O. E. In his political affiliations Mr. Rowe is a 
republican. He is also a member of the Yakima County Horticultural L^nion. 



WILLIAM ALFRED STEWART. 

William .Mfred Stewart, a progressive agriculturist of Yakima county, has a 
highly productive farm on the Cowiche which is largely devoted to the raising of 
hay, grain and potatoes, while he also conducts a dairy. For many years his family 
has been connected with the development and upbuilding of the west. Mr. Stewart 
came to Yakima county at the age of eighteen years and has since resided here con- 
tinuously. 

Mr. Stewart is a native of Oregon, his birth having occurred in Marion county, 
August 29, 1860. His parents were J. T. and Charlotte Loretta (Barter) Stewart. 
The father was a native of Carlisle. England, born in 1829, and was only six months 
old when he was brought by his parents to Canada. Later the family removed to 
New York and in 1885 crossed the plains to California from Iowa, in which state 
they had been located for some time, making the trip by ox team, and there the 
father engaged in mining. Late in the '50s another removal took them to Oregon, 
where J. T. Stewart engaged in farming and stock raising, also starting the first 
woolen mill in the stale at JefTerson. In 1878 he came to Yakima county, taking np 
land on the .Ahtanum and later acquiring a homestead on \ob Hill. To the cultiva- 
tion of this land he gave his close attention for twenty-four years, retiring at the 
end of that period with a gratifying income to Yakima, where he passed away in 
October, 1912. In 1854 he had married Charlotte L. Barter, who crossed the plains 
with him to California and made the removal to Oregon. She died in 1864. She had 
two children by a former marriage and four by Mr. Stewart. In 1865 Mr. Stewart 
married Deborah Coker, by whom he had eleven children. She died in September, 
1908, being survived by her husband for four years. 

William .'\. Stewart spent his boyhood days in Oregon, where in the acquirement 
of his education he attended the public schools. He was eighteen years of age when 
the family removed to the Yakima valley and here he began his independent career 
by taking employment at farm work, being thus engaged for several years. For 
six years he then was engaged in the candy business in Seattle but in 1889 bought 
eighty acres on the Cowiche, which then was covered with sagebrush. He built a 
home there but in 1890 sold out and removed to Whatcom county, Washington, where 
he successfully cultivated land for about six years. At the end of that period he 
located in Woodland, Washington, where for three years he successfully operated a 
dairy, but in 1900 he returned to Yakima county and bought fifty acres of land on 
the Cowiche but of this he sold thirty acres in 1911. He raises hay, grain, beets 
and potatoes and also conducts a successful dairy, thus deriving gratifying returns 
from his enterprises. He has always followed progressive methods and has made 
many improvements upon the place, also instituting up-to-date equipment and thus 
making his farm very valuable. For his dairy he keeps high grade full blooded Hol- 
steins. 



HISTORY OF YAKIMA VALLEY 39 

On October 17, 1888, Mr. Stewart was united in marriage to Miss Alice Smith, 
who was born in Albion, Edwards county, Illinois, August 4, 1865. Her parents, 
W. G. and Caroline (Davis) Smith, were natives of Herefordshire, England, the 
latter born .April 11, 1825. They were married in England and in 1865, the same 
year in which tlieir daughter was born, came to the United States, locating in Illinois. 
In 1870 they removed to Wilson county, Kansas, and eleven years later, inl88l, 
came overland to Washington, going first to Issaquah, whence they made their way 
to Seattle and thence to Bellingham, Whatcom county, in the fall of 1882. There 
the father homesteaded and for twelve years gave his attention to his land but in 
lf:94 the family removed to Woodland, Washington, where Mrs. Smith passed away. 
Mr. Smith now lives retired in the enjoyment of a comfortable competence, at the 
age of eighty-six years. Mr. and Mrs. Stewart have seven children: Grace, who 
married Clarence Hobbs, a rancher in the Cowiche district, by whom she has two 
sons; Edgar Mayo, also a rancher in that locality, who has a wife and three chil- 
dren; Chester Earl, a rancher in the same district, who is married and has one child; 
Cecile May, the wife of E. G. Hart, who follows ranching in the Cowiche district; 
Charles Alfred, who is serving his country in the United States army; .-Vlvin Leroy, 
at liome; and William Clarence, aged fifteen, who is also at home. 

Mr. and Mrs. Stewart have manj' friends in Cowiche and vicinity, all of whom 
speak of them in the highest terms. Both are valued members of their community, 
in the moral and material upbuilding of which they take a laudable interest. Mrs. 
Stewart is a member of the Baptist church, to the work of which she is sincerely 
devoted. Politically Mr. Stewart is independent, giving his support to the candi- 
dates and measures that he considers of the greatest value to the majority. Frater- 
nally he is a member of the Modern Woodmen of .\merica, and, being deeply inter- 
ested in educational matters, he has served for several years as clerk of the local 
school board, exerting his efforts in every way to promote school facilities and raise 
the standard of education in his district. A pioneer agriculturist of the state and a 
son of one of the early settlers, his career is closely connected with the upbuilding 
of this commonwealth and by promoting his own interests he has contributed toward 
general prosperity. His memory reaches back to the days when the Yakima valley 
was still a wilderness and he has therefore witnessed all of the wonderful changes 
that have transformed this section into one of the richest agricultural districts in the 
country. 



FRANK B.ARTHOLET. 

Throughout his entire life Frank Bartholet has been connected with the banking 
business and is now the cashier of the Yakima National Bank. He has contributed 
through .close application, indefatigable energy and progressive methods to the suc- 
cess of the institution in no small degree and he is thoroughly familiar with every 
phase of the banking business at the present time. He was born in Shakopee, Minne- 
sota, on the 17th of March, 1868, and is a son of Joseph and Anna M. (Mcchtel) 
Bartholet, who in 1875 left Minnesota and removed westward with their family to 
Salem. Oregon, where they resided until 1879. In that year they came to Yakima and 
the father owned and conducted the second hotel of the city, remaining at its head to 
the time of his retirement from active business life. Both he and his wife have now 
passed away. 

Frank Bartholet was but seven years of age when the family left Minnesota and 
came to the Pacific northwest, so that his education was acquired in the public schools 
in this section of the country, his studies being completed in Yakima. When his text- 
books were put aside he made his initial step in the business world by securing em- 
ployment in the First National Bank at Yakima, of which he became head bookkeeper. 
Upon the organization of the Yakima National Bank he accepted a position as head 
bookkeeper in that institution and was elected its cashier in 1908. He has so since 
served and the record which he has made as a bank official is a most creditable one, 
showing the conscientiousness with which he meets every obligation devolving upon 



40 HISTORY OF YAKIMA VALLEY 

him and the care and thoroughness with which he safeguards the interests entrusted 
to him. 

In 1892 Mr. Bartholet married Miss Flora Haas, of Spakone. Washington, who 
died in 1901, leaving a son, Urban C, serving in the Spruce division of the United 
States army. On the 5th of August, 1903, Mr. Bartholet was united in marriage to 
Miss Edith McDonnell, of Tacoma, and their children are: Donnell, Juliana, Catherine 
and Mary Elizabeth. The religious faith of the family is that of the Catholic church 
and Mr. Bartholet holds membership with the Knights of Columbus and also with the 
Benevolent Protective Order of Elks. In politics he maintains an independent course, 
voting according to the dictates of his judgment. He stands for progressiveness in 
public afifairs of the community and gives his aid and influence to all measures and 
projects which he believes of public worth. 



WILLIAM PERRY SAWYER. 

William Perry Sawyer is the owner of Elmwood I'arm, an attractive ranch that 
occupies historic ground near Sawyer Station, in the center of the Parker bottoms 
district. He has an attractive residence, built of stone to the second story and 
then of wood. It stands on a hill overlooking the road, commanding a splendid view 
of the surrounding country, with the snowy caps of Mount Adams and Mount 
Rainier dominating the landscape. 

Mr. Sawyer comes to the west from Boston, Massachusetts, where his birth 
occurred September 19, 1851. He is a son of Humphrey and Barbara (Perry) 
Sawyer, natives of New Hampshire and of Boston, Massachusetts, respectively. 
His ancestors were of the same family as Commodore Perry and both the Sawyer 
and Perry families have been represented in America from early colonial times. The 
father. Humphrey Sawyer, on leaving Massachusetts, settled in Alden, Wisconsin, 
about 1856. There he engaged in farming but later conducted a hardware business 
at Stillwater, Minnesota, where he located in 1870. 

In his boyhood days William Perry Sawyer obtained a public school education. 
After the removal of the family to Stillwater, Minnesota, he entered the hardware busi- 
ness, in which he continued for many years, or until 1889. Eventually he came to 
Yakima and purchased the business of the A. B. Weed Hardware Company, conducting 
his store as senior partner of the firm of Sawyer & Pennington until 1892. He then 
withdrew from commercial connections and purchased two hundred and twenty acres 
of land on Parker bottoms. At that time he raised some hops but now has seventy-five 
acres in fruit trees, mostly apples and pears. He has his own warehouse and packing 
house and all of the equipment necessary for the care of the trees and of the fruit. He 
built upon the place one of the finest homes in Yakima county, completed in 1911. 
Near-by stands a little log cabin built in 1864 by J. P. Mattoon, who homesteaded the 
land upon which Mr. Sawyer now resides. Just back of the house was an old 
Catholic mission, which was used for three or four years until the new^ one was 
built on the .Ahtanum, and thus from the days of early settlement in this section of 
the state the ranch has been used for the purposes of civilization 

On the 9th of October, 1883, Mr. Sawyer was married to Miss Alice M. Brown, 
who was born in Iowa in 1858, a daughter of John and Maria (Grant) Brown, who 
were natives of England and became residents of Iowa in 1854. The father was a 
very prominent farmer of Iowa, devoting his attention to the raising of grain and 
stock. In 1873 he and his family returned to England, where they spent two years, 
but the lure of the new world was upon them and they again became residents of 
Iowa, where both passed away. Mr. and Mrs. Sawyer became the parents of six 
children, but the first-born, Linley, died in infancy. Beulah. the second of the family, 
became the wife of Herman Holmquist, a rancher on Parker Heights. John Edwin, 
of the United States Marines, enlisted on the second day after war was declared and 
went to France in February, 1918. He has been through all the active fighting, was 
badly gassed and was in a hospital for several weeks but is now again on active duty 
with the army of occupation, his record being one of which his parents have every 




WILLIAM P. SAWYER 



HISTORY OF YAKIMA VALLEY 43 

reason to be proud. Harriet Marie, the next of tlie family, is the wife of Earl Cheney, 
of Shosone, Idaho, and they have three children. Horace died in infancy. Shirley 
Emma, who completes the family, is in school. 

Mr. Sawyer is a member of Yakima Lodge, Xo. 24, A, F. & A. M., and served on 
the board that built the Masonic Temple of Yakima, being the one who planned the 
building and supervised its erection. With the exception of the L'nited States gov- 
ernment building in the city of Yakima, it is today the best building in the Yakima 
valley. In fact it is the finest Masonic Temple on the Pacific coast, being a reproduc- 
tion of the inner chamber of King Solomon's Temple and the only one extant. The 
keystone in the arch over the entrance to the elevator lobby was taken from the 
ancient quarries of Jerusalem, from which the stone for King Solomon's Temple 
is also supposed to have been secured. This building cost two hundred thousand 
dollars. Mr. Sawyer also was one of the trustees who built the Yakima Street Rail- 
way and no doubt did more than any other man toward giving Yakima its present 
street car system. His religious faith is that of the L^niversalist church, while his 
wife has membership in the Episcopal church. In politics he is a republican and is 
now serving for the third term as a member of the state legislature, his reelection 
being indicative of his personal popularity and the confidence reposed in him by his 
fellow townsmen as well as of the excellent record which he has made in legislative 
service. He is one of the most prominent men of the valley, an active champion of 
the good roads movement, of educational interests and of all things affecting the 
public welfare. He has maintained in his life an even balance between private busi- 
ness interests and matters of public concern, his ready support of every public interest 
constituting an element in the county's progress and upbuilding. 



JUDGE JOHN B. DAVIDSON. 

Judge John B. Davidson, serving for the second term as judge of the superior 
court at EUensburg and since 1883 a valued and representative member of the Wash- 
ington bar, was born near Rochester, Indiana. March 14, 1860, a son of Stephen and 
Catharine B. (Brown) Davidson, the former a native of Ohio, while the latter was 
born in Abbeville, South Carolina. The Davidson family is of Scotch ancestry. The 
father was a son of Andrew Davidson, whose father came to America from Scotland 
prior to the Revolutionary war, crossing the Atlantic about 1760, when sixteen years 
of age, at which time he took up his abode in Pennsylvania. Later representatives 
of the name became pioneer settlers of Ohio and thus aided in advancing the trend 
of western civilization. The father of Judge Davidson was a farmer by occupation 
and removed to Indiana, where he passed away in 1877. His wife, coming to the 
west, died at the home of her son. Judge Davidson, in EUensburg in 1897. 

An academic training followed Judge Davidson's completion of a public school 
course and later he entered the Michigan State University at Ann Arbor. He was 
also for a time a student in the Valparaiso University at Valparaiso, Indiana, and 
he began reading law in Rochester, Indiana, with M. L. Essick, a leading member 
of the bar at that place. Subsequently he became a law student in Indianapolis, In- 
diana, and in 1883 was graduated from the Albany Law School of New York. His 
craining was thus thorough and comprehensive and well qualified him for the active 
duties of the profession. 

In the same year Judge Davidson removed to the northwest, attracted by the bet- 
ter opportunities which he believed he could secure in this great and growing section 
of the country. He made his way to Yakima county, was admitted to the bar the 
same year and then located in EUensburg, Washington, where he has since followed 
his profession. At different times he has been called upon for public service. He 
filled the position of city treasurer, was also city attorney and in 1889 was elected 
mayor of EUensburg, in which connection he gave to the city a business-like and 
progressive administration, characterized by various needed reforms and improve- 
ments. In 1896 he was called upon for judicial service, having been elected judge of 
the superior court, after which he served upon the bench for four years. He then 
retired and resumed the private practice of law, but in 1916 was recalled to that office 



44 HISTORY OF YAKIMA VALLEY 

and is the present incumbent. His rulings are strictly fair and impartial, based upon 
the law and the equity in the case, and his work upon the bench is characterized by 
a masterful grasp of every problem presented for solution. In addition to his work 
as lawyer and judge he has conducted a line ranch which he owns. 

On the 31st of March. 1886, Judge Davidson w-as married to Miss Jean C. 
Schnebly. a daughter of D. J. and Margaret A. (Painter) Schnebly. Her father was 
at one time editor of the Oregon Spectator and he afterward established the Ellens- 
burg Localizer in 1883 and conducted the paper successfully until his death in 1901. 
To Judge and Mrs. Davidson have been born three children: Philip A. was educated 
at the University of Washington and is now a resident of Seattle; Mary V. was edu- 
cated at Sweet Brier, Virginia, and also pursued a two years' course in art at Berke- 
ley, California, and one year in general interior decorating and designing in New 
York city; she is now the wife of F. A. Kern, an attorney of Ellensburg; Margaret 
A., a teacher in the State Normal School at Ellensburg, was graduated from the 
University of Washington and also from the Emerson College of Oratory at Boston, 
Massachusetts. 

Fraternally Judge Davidson is connected with the Elks Lodge No. 1102. of 
which he is a past exalted ruler. His political allegiance has always been given to the 
democratic party and it has been the recognition of his public-spirited devotion to 
the general good that has occasioned his being called to office at various times. 
His recall to the bench is positive proof of the confidence which the public has in his 
judicial fairness. 



FRED A. HALL. 



Fred A. Hall, who dates his residence in the Yakima valley from 1899. is now 
the owner of an excellent fruit ranch pleasantly and conveniently situated two and 
a half miles west of the city of Yakima- He was born in Lasalle county, Illinois, 
April 26, 1867, a son of S. A. and Harriett A. (Beardsley) Hall. The father was a 
farmer by occupation and at one time served as postmaster of Tonica, Illinois. In 
the year 1902 he came to the northwest, settling in Yakima county, where he again 
gave his time and attention to farming, being thus busily occupied until, having 
acquired a handsome competence, he retired from business life. He is now enjoy- 
ing a well earned rest, being surrounded by the comforts of life. In 1916 he was 
called upon to mourn the death of his wife, who passed away on the 6th of July of 
that year. 

Liberal educational opportunities were accorded Fred A. Hall, who in 1892 was 
graduated from the L'niversity of Illinois with the Bachelor of Science degree. He 
then entered the drug business at Tonica. Illinois, and remained one of the mer- 
chants of that place until 1899, when he sought the opportunities of the northwest. 
Coming to Yakima, he entered the Richey & Gilbert Company, assisting in the 
conduct of their various interests. For three years he lived at Toppenish but in 1904 
purchased his present fruit ranch two and a half miles west of Yakima and built 
thereon an attractive residence, substantial barns and all the necessary outbuildings 
needed for the care of his fruit and his stock. He has an orchard of forty-two acres, 
mostly planted to apples, and his place is regarded as one of the good fruit ranches 
of the valley. 

On the 17th of October, 1894, Mr. Hall was married to Miss Luella S. Richey, 
a daughter of James and Anne (Hamilton) Richey, of Tonica, Illinois, who came 
to Yakima county in 1900. her father having been a member of the Richey & Gilbert 
Company which he organized. Mrs. Hall passed away September 28, 1907, leaving 
three children: Thorland, who was born July 30, 1896, and who at the age of twenty- 
two years was serving as a member of the United States army being in camp when 
the armistice was signed; Isabelle, who was born May 29, 1900; and Burton Augustus, 
May 31, 1902. On the 26th of June, 1909, Mr. Hall was again married, his second 
union being with Frances Gray Chace, of Chicago. 

Mr. Hall is a member of the Sons of Veterans, his father having been a soldier 
of the Civiil war, a member of Company I, Eleventh Illinois Infantry, with which 



HISTORY OF YAKIMA VALLEY 45 

he served until discharged on account of sickness. Fred A. Hall is also identilied 
with the Modern Woodmen of America, the Mystic Workers and with the Grange. 
He and his family are members of the Congregational church and they occupy an 
enviable social position. In politics he is a republican but not an office seeker. He 
belongs to the Yakima County Horticultural Union and by reason of his progres- 
siveness and enterprise has gained a place among the prosperous fruit raisers of this 
section of the state. 



FLOYD C. DAY. 



.\ valuable fruit farm of twenty-five acres, located on the upper Xaches, bespeaks 
the progressive methods which have resulted in the prosperity that is now enjoyed 
by Floyd C. Day, who is numbered among the well known and successful orchardists 
of his neighborhood. A native of Ilion, New York, he was born January 10, 1874, a 
son of George and Margaret (Chappelle) Day, both natives of the Empire state. 
For many years the father did contract work for the Remington Arms Company 
but is now deceased, as is his wife, who was born at Schuyler Lake, Xew York. 

Floyd C. Day was reared under the parental roof and in the acquirement of his 
education attended public school until old enough to start out in life for himself. In 
1893, at the age of nineteen years, he began to learn the jewelry business, becoming 
very proficient along that line. It was in 1906 that he came to the west, locating at 
first in the fast growing city of Seattle, where he filled a position with the well-known 
firm of L. L. Moore & Company for some time. He later had a repair business in 
Seattle, until 1914 when another removal brought him to Yakima county. Perceiv- 
ing the great opportunities here presented along fruit raising lines, he acquired 
twenty-five acres on the upper Xaches and now has eleven acres of this tract in 
apples and pears, while the balance is in pasture and plow land. He has closely 
studied modern methods in regard to scientific fruit cultivation and has made a num- 
ber of valuable improvements and installed the necessary equipment, tlius deriving 
a gratifying income from his efforts. His barns and outbuildings are up-to-date in 
every respect and a modern residence has been erected as the outward evidence of 
his prosperity. 

On July 23, 1902, Mr. Day was united in marriage to Miss Evanelle Ely, who 
like her husband is a native of Ilion. Xew York, and is a daughter of .Arthur and 
Ida (Rhodes) Ely. To Mr. and Mrs. Day has been born a daughter, Margaret, aged 
fifteen, and a son, Rhodes, who is six years old. Mr. and Mrs. Day are popular and 
valued members of the younger social set in their neighborhood and have many 
friends in Xaches. 

Politically Mr. Day is a republican but not strictly bound by party ties, often 
voting independently as the occasion demands or candidates appeal to him because 
of their ability or qualities. Along his line of occupation he is a member of the 
Yakima County Horticultural L^nion and in this connection gives and often receives 
valuable information. Through his efforts along horticultural lines Mr. Day has 
not only attained to a substantial position individually but has greatly assisted in 
forwarding movements in that line of industry in his valley. There is great credit 
due him for what he has achieved, as in the best sense of the word he is a self-made 
man. 



EDWIX PORTER DITEMAX. 

Edwin Porter Diteman, whose ranch property is situated near Outlook, was 
born in .\roostook county, Maine, September 3, 1865, a son of Wallace and Eliza 

( Linton ) Diteman, both of whom were natives of Nova Scotia. Subsequent to their 

marriage they crossed the border into Maine, establishing their home in Aroostook 

county, where the father engaged in farming and where both he and his wife passed 
away. 



46 HISTORY OF YAKIMA VALLEY 

To the public school system of his native state Edwin P. Diteman is indebted 
for the educational opportunities which he enjoyed. During vacation periods and 
after his school days were over he farmed with his father until he reached the age 
of twenty-two years and then went to Minnesota. In the fall of 1888 he arrived in 
Yakima and was employed on a dairy ranch with his brother through the first 
winter. He worked for wages for a few years and then returned to Maine, where 
he continued for a year and a half. On the expiration of that period he once more 
came to Yakima county, where he lived for two years and then again spent a year 
and a half in the Pine Tree state. The lure of the west, however, was upon him 
and he returned to Yakima county, where he worked for wages. He devoted seven 
years to the logging contract business for the Cascade Lumber Company and for a 
few years was connected with the sheep industry as a partner of his brother. In 
May, 1917, he bought seventy-six and a half acres of land pleasantly and conveniently 
situated two and three-quarters of a mile northwest of Sunnyside. Upon this place 
he has a good house and substantial barns and raises large crops of hay and corn. 
He also raises cattle and hogs, and in the cultivation of his fields and in the raising 
of his stock he is meeting with success. 

On the Uth of April. 1894, Mr. Diteman was united in marriage to Miss Jennie 
Alinda Tingley, who was born in Aroostook county, Maine, a daughter of Ernest 
Herbert and Elizabeth (Tilley) Tingley. The father was born in New Brunswick, 
May 24, 1851, and the mother was also a native of that country. They removed to 
Maine during childhood, however, and the father was a farmer in that state. The 
mother has now passed away. To Mr. and Mrs. Diteman have been born eight 
children, as follows: Leatha, who is the wife of Earl DeFrece, a resident of Centralia, 
Washington; Annie, who is deceased; Wallace R.; Roy; Mae; Curtis; Linley, who 
has passed away; and Ernest. 

Mr. Diteman is a republican in his political views, but though loyal and pro- 
gressive in matters of citizenship, has never been active in public life, preferring to 
concentrate his efforts and attention upon his business aflfairs. 



THOMAS FEAR. 



Thomas Fear, deceased, became a resident of Yakima county when much of its 
land was still unclaimed and undeveloped and took up a tract from the government 
six miles west of the city. He afterward purchased other land and continued one of 
the active farmers and stock raisers of the district to the time of his demise, which 
occurred on the 1st of March, 1916, He was born in England, February 22, 1852, a 
son of William .-Mfred Fear. The father was also a native of England and in the 
schools of that country Thomas Fear pursued his education, remaining in the land 
of his birth until 1873, when, at the age of twenty-one years, he crossed the Atlantic 
;o the new world. A year later his father also made the trip to the United States. 
They settled first in Colorado, where the father took up government land. In the 
year 1876 Thomas Fear arrived in Yakima county and entered a claim from the gov- 
ernment six miles west of the city of Yakima. With characteristic energy he began 
the development of that place and later he bought land on the Cowiche and in many 
other places. He becarne one of the large landowners and stock raisers of this sec- 
tion of the state and in 1908 he built a beautiful home upon his place, which he con- 
tinued to occupy to the time of his demise. 

On the 2d of January, 1898, Mr. Fear was married to Miss Aimee Reynolds, of 
Yakima, a daughter of J. W. and Susan E. Reynolds, who came to Yakima county 
in 1883. H'er father passed away in 1913 and her mother died in 1914. Mr. Reynolds 
was born in Missouri and for a year was a resident of Kansas before he started 
across the plains in 1879. He first went to Oregon and from that point removed to 
the Yakima valley. In this section of the country he purchased a farm and con- 
tinued a resident of Yakima county until his demise. To Mr, and Mrs, Fear was 
born a son, Thomas Reynolds, whose birth occurred December 17, 1899, and who is 
now in the United States navy as a seaman. He was for two years a student in 
Pullman College and is a graduate of a business college at Yakima. 




THOMAS FEAR 




MRS. AIMEE REYNOLDS FEAR 



HISTORY OF YAKIMA VALLEY 51 

In his political views Mr. Fear was a democrat and his religious faith was that 
of the Episcopal church, while fraternally he was connected with the Independent 
Order of Odd Fellows. He was a man of striking appearance and personality — hon- 
orable, upright and respected by all who knew him, and in his death Yakima county 
lost one of its most valued 



CHARLES HEATH. 



The banking fraternity of Yakima finds a worthy representative in Charles 
Heath, cashier of the Yakima Valley Bank, who came to his present position in 
1905. He was born in Wisconsin in January, 1864, and is a son of Charles H. and 
Eliza Heath, who in the year 1874 left Wisconsin and removed to Iowa, where they 
established their home on a farm, the father devoting his attention to general agri- 
cultural pursuits throughout his remaining days, both he and his wife dying in Iowa. 

Charles Heath was a lad of but ten years when the family went to the Hawkeye 
state and there he acquired his education. Attracted by the opportunities of the 
west, he made his way to Park City, Utah, in 1890 and was there engaged in the 
banking business. He dates his residence in Yakima from 1905, in which year he was 
chosen cashier of the Yakima Valley Bank. He has since acted in that capacity 
and through the intervening period of thirteen years has contributed in marked 
measure to the development and upbuilding of the business of the bank. He has 
closely and thoroughly studied every phase of the banking business and his efforts 
have been a contributing factor to the success of the institution. 

In 1895 Mr. Heath was married to Miss Millie Getsch, a native of Iowa, and to 
them has been born a daughter, Dorothy, who is now a senior in the high school. 
Fraternally Mr. Heath is a Mason, belonging to Uinta Lodge No. 7 of Park City, 
Utali, of which he is a past master. He is also a past master of Yakima Lodge No. 
14, A. F. & A. M., having been master when the lodge first occupied the new build- 
ing here. He is likewise connected with the Benevolent Protective Order of Elks. 
In Masonry he has attained the Knight Templar degree and has crossed the sands 
of the desert with the Nobles of the Mystic Shrine. His political endorsement is 
given to the republican party and he is a stanch supporter of its principles but has 
never sought or desired oflice as a reward for party fealty. He prefers to do his 
public service as a private citizen and at all times his aid and cooperation are given 
on the side of advancement and improvement. 



LAWRENCE E. JOHNSON. 

Among the financiers of the Yakima valley none enjoys a higher reputation than 
Lawrence E. Johnson, president of the First National Bank, to which oflice he was 
called in 1908. The rapid growth of this institution is largely due to the business 
foresight, natural ability and unfailing watchfulness of its president, who gives most 
of his time to the interests of this enterprise. 

Mr. Johnson was born in Greene county, Illinois, February 6, 1877, a son of Lee 
.■\. and Margaret (Search) Johnson, who went to Oregon in 1883, locating in Albany, 
and in 1885 removed to Sherman county, that state, where the father engaged in 
farming. In 1889 he entered the Methodist ministry and was in Spokane in 1890, 
whence he was transferred to Waitsburg in 1893. Desiring to better fit himself for 
the work, he then attended the Northwestern University at Evanston, Illinois, there 
taking a three years' course. He later served as pastor of the Methodist Episcopal 
church in Walla Walla for several years, after which he retired from holy orders and 
moved to Sunnyside in 1902, engaging in the hardware business there until 1912, 
when he proceeded to Portland. Oregon, where death claimed him on January 5, 
1914. His widow survives and resides at Sunnyside. Lee A. Johnson was one of the 
most prominent men in the development of the Yakima valley, which greatly bene- 
fitted through his stimulating activities. For several terms he represented his dis- 



52 HISTORY OF YAKIMA VALLEY 

trict in the state legislature, always ably representing his constituency in the halls 
of legislation and securing for them those measures which he considered of great- 
est value. He was a candidate for congress but was not successful. For many 
years he was a regent of Pullman College and was acting in that capacity at the 
time of his death, the cause of education finding in him a warm champion. In finan- 
cial circles he was equally well known, being the organizer of the First National 
Bank of Sunnyside, of which he was the first president, and he also served as vice- 
president of the Scandinavian Bank of Portland, Oregon. He was a forceful and 
resourceful man of unabating energy, extraordinary foresight and one who always 
achieved what he set out to do, yet he was a man of kind heart who was eve^, ready 
to help a struggling traveler on life's journey and assist those less fortunate than 
liimself, contributing liberally to charitable and benevolent purposes, and his memory 
will long live among the people of the valley. 

His son, Lawrence E. Johnson grew up among the refining influences of a Chris- 
tian home and in the acquirement of an education attended the public schools of 
.■Mbany, Oregon, and Spokane. Washington. Desiring to better his opportunities 
in practical life, he then entered the Spokane Business College, from, which he was 
graduated. Fully prepared to take up the arduous burden of making a living, he then 
secured a position in the First National Bank of Waitsburg, with which he remained 
for four years, from 1894 to 1898, thus thoroughly acquainting himself with banking 
methods and practices. His next position was with the Moro Mercantile Company 
at Moro, Oregon, where he again made use of all opportunities to learn the details 
of that line of business, at the end of which time he became assistant cashier and 
later cashier of the Merchants Bank at Waitsburg. In 1903 he went to Sunnyside 
a? cashier of the Sunnyside Bank but sold his interest in that institution in 1905. 
His next position was witli the First National Bank of Ritzville, Washington, of 
which h.- v,;i- tor a short time cashier and which was sold the same year. In .August, 
1905, Mr. Johnson came to Kennewick, connecting himself with the Exchange Bank 
at that time. This bank was established in 1903 by Howard S. Anion as a private 
bank and it was the first institution of its kind in Kennewick. In 1905, upon his 
arrival in this city, Mr. Johnson acquired the interest of Howard S. Amon and he 
and W. R. Amon became the owners. In December, 1907, however, the First Na- 
tional Bank was organized as successor to the Exchange Bank and its first officers 
were: W. R. Amon, president; and L. E. Johnson, cashier, our subject having suc- 
ceeded C. F. Breighthaupt as cashier of the Exchange Bank. In 1908 W. R. Amon 
disposed of most of his stock to Mr. Johnson and others, and L. E. Johnson was 
then elected president of the institution, J. L. Johnson becoming cashier at that 
lime. In 1918, however. E. C. Tweet succeeded him. T. M. Fine has been vice- 
president since 1908. The present bank building, which was erected in 1908, is thor- 
oughly modern in every respect and adequate to the needs of the institution. It 
has large, well protected vaults and the counting rooms are nicely furnished and 
conveniently arranged for the customers. The growth of the institution may be 
gleaned from the fact that the first capitalization of the Exchange Bank was ten 
thousand dollars. When it was nationalized this stock was raised to the sum of 
twenty-five thousand dollars and in 1910 the capital was increased to fifty thousand 
dollars. The resources of this highly reliable lianking enterprise are now over six 
hundred thousand dollars and its deposits exceed five hundred thousand dollars. As 
the head of the institution Mr. Johnson is proving a banker of eminent qualities, 
watchful in every way of the interests of stockholders and depositors alike. While 
he follows conservative methods as regards the investments of the bank, he is ever 
ready to extend the credit of the institution to those who are able to furnish good 
reason for such and ample security in order to help hem in heir business or facilitate 
farming enterprises. He is consedered one of the financial leaders of the Yakima 
valley and his advice is frequently sought in regard to investments in real estate, 
stocks, bonds and other securities. He does not stand aloof but comes in contact 
with anyone who desires to see him, ever willing to render his valuable services 
when asked. In building up this institution Mr. Johnson has not only built for him- 
self but has greatly contributed toward the development of his secion, as it is well 
recognized that a strong financial enterprise is one of the mainsays in growth and 
prosperity. 



HISTORY OF YAKIMA VALLEY 53 

In 1900 Mr. Johnson was united in marriage to Miss Ada Fine, a daughter of 
T. M. Fine, of Walla Walla, and to them have been born three sons; Ward, who is 
sixteen years old; Lawrence Glenn, aged fourteen; and Robert Lee, one and a half 
years old. 

In fraternal circles Mr. Johnson is well known as a member of Kennewick 
Lodge No. 153, F. & A. M.. of which he has served as master, while his religious 
faith is that of the Methodist church. His wife is a member of the Episcopal church. 
In his political views he is a republican and has long been a dominent factor in the 
councils of his party. In 1907 his fellow citizens elected him to the highest position 
within their power, that of mayor, and he served for two terras in that position. 
His administrations were fraught with progressive measures and movements, many 
of which were originated by him and which have been of the greatest benefit. It 
would take some time to enumerate the manifold public and semi-public duties and 
offices with which Mr. Johnson has been connected but among them may be men- 
tioned that he is a past president of the Kennewick Commercial Club, in which he 
has always taken a great interest and which organization has accomplished much 
by reason of his initiative. He is a director of the Columbia Irrigation District and 
is also president of the White Bluflfs Bank. He has ahvays cooperated in all efforts 
undertaken for the benefit and improvement of the valley, his county and city, of 
which he has become one of the most prominent business men and financiers. He 
is greatly admired for his sterling qualities of character and the high morale which 
underlies all his business transactions. His friends in Kennewick are many and he 
is regarded by them as an e-xample of true American manhood. He is a patriotic 
American in the best sense of the word and has built not only for himself but for 
those who honor him as a valued citizen. 



BERNARD N. COE. 



Bernard N. Coe is the oldest merchant in Grandview in length of connection 
with the town. There were but four other stores when he established his business 
here and all have passed out of existence. Mr. Coe has throughout the entire period 
conducted a well appointed drug store, enlarging his stock in accordance with the 
growth and development of the community and carrying a line of goods fully equal 
to public demands, expressing the spirit of western enterprise in all that he under- 
takes and does. 

Mr. Coe is a native of Virginia. He was born at Falmouth, that state, on the 
11th of October, 1857, a son of the Rev. William G. and Annie M. (Armstrong) Coe, 
both of whom were natives of Baltimore, Maryland. The father was a son of Alfred 
B. Coe and he, too, was born in Baltimore. The mother was a daughter of James 
L. Armstrong, a native of New York. The Rev. William G. Coe was a minister of 
a southern Methodist church and passed away in Virginia in 1877. His widow long 
survived him, her death occurring in 1900. 

Liberal educational opportunities were accorded Bernard N. Coe, who attended 
the Washington and Lee University of Virginia and also the Randolph-Mason Col- 
lege. He afterward prepared for his chosen life work by a course in the Maryland 
College of Pharmacy, from which he was graduated with the class of 1881. He 
served his apprenticeship with the firm of J. Brown Baxley & Son of Baltimore, 
remaining in their establishment for eleven years. He afterward engaged in clerk- 
ing until he came to North Yakima in June, 1890, and he worked for several of the 
old-time druggists of Yakima, including the firm of Allen & Chapman, also Alex- 
ander D. Sloan and C. C. Case. He afterward was the owner of a drug store at Cle 
Elum for eight months and on the 15th of January, 1907, he came to Grandview and 
opened a drug store in a little frame shack. The town had been established only 
the previous year. He has seen jack rabbits and coyotes come right into the town. 
Sagebrush was all around and the conditions were those of a wild western frontier. 
Today the town is situated in the midst of a fine orchard and farming country and 
the work of progress and development has been carried steadily forward until this 
is one of the most attractive sections of the valley. 

(3) 



54 HISTORY OF YAKIMA VALLEY 

On the 18th of August, 1897, Mr. Coe was married to Miss Lela V. Baisley, who 
was born at Baker, Oregon, a daughter of Samuel B. and Addie (WarfieldJ Baisley, 
who removed to Oregon in 1866, making the overland trip. The father was a rancher 
and mining man. To Mr. and Mrs. Coe were born two children but the elder died 
in infancy. The surviving daughter, Marie, now seventeen years of age, is at home. 

Mr. Coe is a member of the Modern Brotherhood of America, also of the Elks 
lodge at Yakima and he attends the Presbyterian church. His political endorsement 
is given to the democratic party and for one year he served as deputy county clerk 
at Yakima. Otherwise he has never sought or filled public offices, preferring to con- 
centrate his energy and attention upon his business aiTairs, which are wisely and 
carefully directed. Since opening his store in Grandview his business has steadily 
increased with the growth of the community and he has an establishment which is 
well appointed in every particular, while his thoroughly reliable business methods 
have secured for him the confidence and liberal support of the public. 



A. B. SNIDER. 



A. B. Snider was elected to the presidency of the First National Bank of Sunny- 
side on the 1st of April, 1918. Previously, however, he had been identified with bank- 
ing interests in the state, so that he brought to his present position wide experience 
and accurate knowledge. He is a man of marked progressiveness and enterprise 
and since starting out in the business world on his own account has made steady ad- 
vancement. He was born in Ontario. Canada, April 19, 1885, a son of T. B. and 
Magdalene (Groff) Snider, who in 1890 removed to northwestern Iowa, where the 
father engaged in the milling business at Sanborn. 

A. B. Snider acquired a high school education and made his initial step in the 
business world as bookkeeper in a bank at Beaver Creek, Minnesota. He was after- 
ward for two years in charge of his father's mill in Nebraska. Later he returned to 
the bank and subsequently again took up milling. The year 1910 witnessed his ar- 
rival in Washington, at which time he settled at Lacrosse, where he was assistant 
cashier in the private bank of Scriber, Lyons & Moore. There he remained for six 
months, at the end of which time the bank was sold. Mr. Snider then engaged in 
the real estate business at Lacrosse for two and a half years and in 1913 went to 
Colton as cashier of the Colton State Bank. He was identified with that institu- 
tion until the 1st of April, 1918, when he came to Sunnyside to accept the presi- 
dency of the First National Bank and he is now active in directing its business. His 
long experience has thoroughly qualified him for the responsibilities which devolve 
upon him in this connection. He is remodeling the bank building, putting in new 
fixtures, and under his guidance the business of the bank has already shown a sub- 
stantial and steady increase. 

On the 4th of June, 1913, Mr. Snider was united in marriage to Miss Jeannette 
A. Jones, of Iowa, and they have a son, Norman W. Mr. Snider and his wife belong 
to the Presbyterian church and in social circles occupy an enviable position, having 
made many warm friends in Sunnyside. 

In politics Mr. Snider maintains an independent course. He has been a helpful 
assistant in various war activities and while at Colton had charge of the Liberty Loan 
and Red Cross drives, doing effective work in putting the community over the top. 



JOHN HENRY MORGAN. 

John Henry Morgan, who has devoted his life to educational interests and is 
now -principal of the high school at EUensburg, was born in Rutherford county. North 
Carolina, a son of Daniel and Catherine (Cochran) Morgan, who were also natives 
of North Carolina, where the father followed the occupation of farming as a life 
work ,thus providing for the support of his family. Both he and his wife have passed 
away. 



HISTORY OF YAKIMA VALLEY 55 

John Henry Morgan supplemented his public school education by study in a 
private academy and was afterward graduated from the Furman University of South 
Carolina as a member of the class of 1879. In the same year he sought the oppor- 
tunities of the northwest, making his way to Walla Walla, Washington. He took up 
teaching in the country schools of this state and as his ability became recognized 
he was called to the principalship of the schools of Dayton, where he served for a 
year. He then accepted the position of principal of the schools at Waitsburg, where 
he remained for four years, and on the 25th of May, 1887, he came to Ellensburg and 
for four years was principal of the public schools of this city, during which time 
he also served as county superintendent of schools. In 1893 he became head of 
the department of mathematics and vice-principal of the State Normal School at 
Ellensburg and continued in the dual position until 1916. Since then he has held 
the head professorship of mathematics in the high school and is now principal. He 
is regarded as one of the ablest educators of the state, having for many years been 
prominently identified with the schools of W'ashington. He has ever displayed 
marked ability in imparting clearly and readily to others the knowledge that he has 
acquired and he has ever held to the highest standards of his profession. He served 
as superintendent of schools for Walla Walla county and also for Kittitas county 
and served as superintendent of schools for the territory of Washington during the 
last term before the admission to the ITnion. He has likewise been a candidate for 
state superintendent of schools on three different occasions but met defeat. 

On the 2Sth of February, 1891, Mr. Morgan was married to Miss Margaret 
Bradshaw Hawkins, of Tacoma, a daughter of H. T. Hawkins. Nessa Margaret 
Morgan, their only child, is a graduate of the State Normal School of Ellensburg 
and is now teaching in the schools of Tacoma. She is also a graduate of the Pratt 
Institute of New York. 

Mr. Morgan is a Mason, belonging to Ellensburg Lodge, No. 39, A. F. & A. M. 
He also has membership with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, the Wood- 
men of the World and the Knights of Pythias. His political endorsement is given 
to the democratic party and he has been a close student of the vital questions and 
problems of the day. He has served in the city council and also as mayor of the 
city of Ellensburg. He was secretary of the library board from its beginnig and did 
the corresponding with Mr. Carnegie at the time the donation was received. He is 
still a member of the board. Since 1898 he has been an active member of the National 
Educational Association and is also a member of the state board of education and 
president of tiie Washington Educational Association and also of he Educational 
Council. Flis life has ever been characterized by devotion to the public good and 
along professional lines and as a citizen he has put forth every effort to advance the 
welfare of his fcllowmen. He has many admirable qualities which have made him 
greatly beloved, so that his circle of friends is almost coextensive with the circle of 
his acquaintance in Washington. 



CHARLES YERGEN. 



Charles Yergen first visited the Yakima valley in 1900 but did not become a 
permanent resident until 1905. He was born in Germany, July 28, 1874. a son of 
William and Ernestine (Pretzel) Yergen, who in 1880 left their native country and 
came to the new worlds settling in Minnesota. There they remained until 1905. when 
they removed with their family to Yakima county. Washington, and William Yergen 
and his son Charles then purchased land two miles west of the city of Yakima, be- 
coming owners of a ten-acre tract. La.ter they added five acres to their original pur- 
chase and now have an excellent property of fifteen acres, of which twelve acres is 
planted to fruit. They specialize in apples, peaches and cherries. They have greatly 
improved the place through the erection of an attractive modern residence, sub- 
stantial barn and other buildings, and all of the equipments of the model farm prop- 
erty of the twentieth century are found upon their land. 

On the 15th of November, 1899, Mr. Yergen was united in marriage to Miss 



56 HISTORY OF YAKIMA VALLEY 

Olga Schwarzkopf, of Minnesota, by whom he has five children, namely: William, 
Arnold, Annie, Walter and Irvin. 

The religious faith of the family is that of the German Lutheran church. In 
political belief Mr. Yergen is a republican but has never sought or desired office, 
preferring always to concentrate his efforts and attention upon his business affairs. 
In addition to fruit growing he raises Jersey cattle and rents eight and one-half 
acres of land near his home place. He also has been very successful in raising hay 
as well as fruit and is regarded as one of the prominent and leading farmers ot the 
community. He is likewise a stockholder in the Yakima Savings & Loan Associa- 
tion, in which his sons also have stock. 



ROBERT S. MORGAN. 

A third of a century ago Robert S. Morgan came to the Yakima valley and 
through the intervening period to the time of his death, which occurred in 1909, was 
closely associated with its development and progress. He secured a homestead claim 
and for a long period was engaged in the raising of vegetables and in the conduct of a 
commission business and took the initial step along many lines which have led to the 
further development and upbuilding of this section of the state. He was born in 
Camden, Pennsylvania, January 24, 1847, and acquired a public school education. 
With the call of the country to arms he enlisted in 1862, although but a youth of fif- 
teen years, joining Company E of the Tenth Missouri Infantry, with which he served 
until the close of hostilities, participating in many hotly contested engagements in 
which he proved his valor and his loyalty. After the war he resumed his residence 
in Missouri and there for more than two decades was actively engaged in farming. 
In March. 1886, however, he severed his connection with the middle west and came 
to Yakima county, where he took up a homestead claim of one hundred and sixty 
acres three miles west of the city of Yakima, on the Tieton drive. Mrs. Morgan and 
all her children, nine in number, also made the long and hazardous trip, arriving here 
in August, 1886. The homestead was a tract of arid land, all covered with sagebrush, 
and it hardly seemed possible to transform it into productive fields and fine orchards. 
He located upon this farm, however, in .^pril, 1887, and began its development and 
improvement. In 1894 the Congdon canal was built and thus water was supplied to 
the entire farm. The land proved to be naturally rich and productive when water 
was added and even before the completion of the Congdon ditch Mr. Morgan had 
begun the raising of vegetables and entered actively into the commission business. 
He shipped the first carload of alfalfa from the valley and he built the first produce 
warehouse in Yakima. He was the pioneer commission merchant of the city and 
the work which he instituted has set a pace for many others whose labors along this 
line have constituted a valuable factor in the development, upbuilding and prosperity 
of the state. 

On the 2Sth of December, 1868, Mr. Morgan was united in marriage to Miss 
Minnie M. Mason, who was born in Owen county. Indiana, September 28, 1848, a 
daughter of Joseph T. and Mary (Darby) Mason, who removed to Missouri in 1851, 
after which the father was there identified with farming to the time of his death, and 
his wife also passed away in that locality. To Mr. and Mrs. Morgan were born the 
following named: Leola M., who passed away at the age of twenty-two years; 
William F., who is a ranchman of the Yakima valley and is married and has three 
children; Robert H., who is married and operates a ranch near Selah; Ida M., who 
is the wife of Frank Jordan, who is engaged in ranching on the .\htanum river and 
by whom she has three children; Nora A., who gave her hand in marriage to Albert 
Dean, a clothing merchant of Yakima, by whom she has a daughter; Flora E., who 
wedded Teunis Wayenberg. a farmer living at Moxee City, by whom she has two 
children; Carrie, who is the wife of John L. Willett. a ranchman, by whom she has 
one son; Harry A., who is engaged in ranching in Yakima county and who is mar- 
ried and has one child; Leslie V., who is also married and has one child; and Lydia 
M., who died at the age of seven years. 

Mr. Morgan was a republican in his political views and an active worker in the 




EGBERT S. MORGAN 



HISTORY OF YAKIMA VALLEY 59 

party but not an office seeker. His religious faith was that of the Methodist church 
of which he was long an active and consistent member, and his widow holds mem- 
bership in the same church. He was one of the organizers of the first Methodist 
Sunday school in Yakima and for many years served as its superintendent. He passed 
away in the faith of that church August 10, 1909. honored and respected by all who 
knew him. His course was ever characterized by the highest principles of integrity 
and the most advanced standards of citizenship. He was constantly extending a 
helping hand to the needy and his aid and cooperation were most heartily given to 
any movement that was for the benefit of the individual or for the community at 
large. 



RUSSELL J. THOMPSON. 

The Naches valley of the Yakima district has made immense forward strides 
in the last few years, during which the peculiar adaptability of soil and climate 
in regard to orcharding was discovered. Since that time many valuable orchards 
have sprung up and many are the enterprising horticulturists who are now 
deriving large returns from this line of activity, to which considerable acreage in 
the valley is now devoted. It is characteristic of men of the west that they will 
always look for the latest methods and best machinery and equipment in order to 
further their efforts and this quality has been the outstanding feature of the pros- 
perity that has come to the Yakima valley in this line of business activity. 

Among these enterprising orchardists is Russell J. Thompson, who was born 
at Howard Lake, Minnesota, October 7, 1884. He is a son of W. D. and Mary 
E. (Terrell) Thompson, the former born in Nashville, Tennessee, and the latter 
in Vienna, Ohio. In the 70s the parents removed to Minnesota, becoming pioneers 
of that state, and there the father continued in agricultural pursuits until 1898, 
when he came to the Yakima valley, acquiring eighty acres on the upper Naches. 
Of this tract he and his sons planted forty-five acres to fruit and as the years 
passed the property became very valuable and the family now derives a most 
gratifying income therefrom. In 1915 W. D. Thompson retired from active work 
and he and his wife removed to California, turning over the land at that time to 
his two sons, Russell J. and Leslie J. The father was always a leader in the dis- 
tricts in which he resided. He was ever ready to embrace new discoveries and 
assisted in getting the first telephone system established in this district, while he 
also did valuable work in securing rural free delivery routes. Moreover, he was 
deeply interested in the good roads movement and his enterprise is further indicated 
in the fact that he was one of the first in this section to own an autoiriobile. He 
did valuable work in regard to horticultural development in the Yakima valley, as 
he successfully established one of the first orchards planted here. 

Russell J. Thompson spent his boyhood days under the parental roof in Minne- 
sota, where he attended the public schools, and removed with his family to the 
Yakima valley when fourteen years of age. After completing his preliminary educa- 
tion he rounded out his preparation for life's ardous duties at the State University 
at Pullman. He then returned to the home farm and assisted his father in the 
development of the property, so continuing until the land was divided. Mr. Thomp- 
son now has twenty-one acres of orchard in apples and prunes, has up-to-date 
buildings for storing his fruit and has also built a fine home. He is typical of 
the progressive western horticulturist and is now in the enjoyment of a large 
income. 

On June 30, 191S, Mr. Thompson was united in marriage to Miss Pearl Hager- 
man, a native of Minnesota and a daughter of John Hagerman, who about 1907 
removed to Yakima county, where he engaged in farming. Mr. and Mrs. Thompson 
have two daughters: Lucille Mary and Margaret. 

In his political affiliations Mr. Thompson is a republican, in the principles of 
which party he thoroughly believes. Fraternally he is connected with the Loyal 
Order of Moose, while along the line of his occupation he is a metnber of the 
Grange and also of the Yakima County Horticultural Union, thus being in touch 



60 HISTORY OF YAKIMA VALLEY 

with other men in the same line of business and keeping up-to-date in regard 
to the latest methods by an exchange of opinions. Mrs. Thompson is a valued 
member of the Christian church, in the work of which Ijoth she and her husband 
helpfully assist. Mr. Thompson has ever readily co-operated in public movements 
undertaken for the general welfare and particularly along lines of fruit raising 
has greatly contributed toward the development of horticulture, wdiich promises to 
bring to the Yakima valley millions upon millions of dollars. 



WILLIAM IRVING HUXTABLE. 

The fine home of William Irving Huxtable is situated only about a mile west 
of Yakima. Here he has twenty acres of land planted to fruit and his is one of 
the attractive properties in his section of the state. Mr. Huxtable is a native of 
Tazewell county, Illinois. He was born March IS, 1857, of the marriage of Wil- 
liam and Barbara (Robinson) Huxtable, the former a native of England and the 
latter of Scatland. They came to America with their respective parents in child- 
hood days, the Huxtable family taking up their abode in Illinois in 1838. The 
Robinson family also settled there in pioneer times. In 1883 William Huxtable 
and his wife removed to Adams county, Nebraska, where he engaged in farming 
until his life's labors were ended in death in 1904. His wife passed away when she 
had reached the age of seventy-six years. 

After mastering the branches of learning taught in the public schools William 
Irving Huxtable started out in farm life, purchasing school land in Nebraska. 
In 1894, however, he made his way to the coast, establishing his home at Hemet, 
California, where he was engaged in fruit farming until 1899. In that year he 
came north to Yakima, where he arrived in October, and in 1901 he purchased 
twenty acres of land a mile west of Yakima, upon which he has since resided. 
He planted this to fruit, specializing in peaches, and he is today one of the largest 
peach growers of the county. Upon his place he erected a fine modern residence, 
large and substantial barns and made all other necessary improvements, and his 
is now one of the fine ranch properties of 'the district. In addition to his home place 
he has a seventy-acre tract planted to apples and peaches and he has made a close 
study of everything that pertains to fruit growing in this section. He knows the 
needs of the soil, the best methods of protecting his trees and the results achieved 
are most gratifying. 

Mr. Huxtable was married to Miss Charlotte M. Wells, a native of Illinois, 
and they became parents of five children: Mary B., the widow of W. Ross Stewart, 
by whom she had two children, now making her home with her parents; Ora De 
Witt, a farmer who married Edith Cole; Philo I., who is farming with his father in 
Yakima county and married Lola Hopper, by whom he has a son, Robert, now 
five years of age; Elsie, the wife of G. P. Labberton, of Yakima, by whom she has 
two sons; and Orpha, the wife of John I. Preissner, a mining engineer living on 
Vancouver Island. 

Mr. and Mrs. Huxtable are members of the Baptist church. He has served on 
the school board and the cause of education finds in him a warm friend. In fact, 
actuated by a progressive spirit, he stands for all that pertains to the progress 
and upbuilding of the community along intellectual, social, material and moral lines. 



ROBERT BRUCE MILROY. 

Robert Bruce Milroy has the distinction of having been a member of the first 
law firm of Yakima, where he Ijegan practice in 1884, but long previous to this 
time he had seen central Washington, for he was a messenger in the Indian serv- 
ice in 1873 and has passed through the valley. He was born in Rensselaer, Indiana, 
September 25, 1859, has back of him an ancestry honorable and distinguished and is 
fortunate that his lines of life have been cast in harmony therewith. His grand- 



HISTORY OF YAKIMA VALLEY 61 

lather was General Samuel Milroy, who served with the rank of major general 
in the War of 1812 and also in Indian wars. The father was General R. H. Milroy, 
a distinguished veteran of the Mexican and Civil wars and a promoter of civiliza- 
tion upon the western frontier. He was born in Indiana in 1816, his father having 
settled in that state in 1S09. The date of General R. H. Milroy's birth preceded the 
admission of Indiana into the Union by a year. In early manhood he took up the 
practice of law and became an able attorney. The military spirit of his father, 
however, was a dominant characteristic in the son and he became a captain in the 
Mexican war. In days of peace he gave his attention to a large law practice in 
Indiana and was serving as judge when the Civil war broke out. He had watched 
with interest and studied closely the progress of events in the south and on the 
7th of February, 1861, he issued the first call for troops in the United States. Few 
so clearly saw or understood the situation as he. When the news came that the 
south had fired upon the flag at Fort Sumter, he however, had only two recruits, 
but he at pnce went to the courthouse, rang the bell and before breakfast his entire 
company was raised. He had served with General Lew Wallace in the Mexican 
war, of whom he was also a classmate, and their friendship was one that existed 
tlirough life. General Milroy's training in the Mexican war well qualified him for 
the duties which he now assumed in connection with the defense of the Union. 
He was made colonel of the Ninth Indiana Infantry and his regiment went to the 
front with the first Indiana troops. The first man killed from the state was John 
Boothroyd, who was a member of Colonel Milroy's regiment. On the 1st of 
September, 1861, Colonel Milroy was promoted to the rank of brigadier general 
and in March, 1863, was raised to the rank of major general, ranking from Novem- 
ber 23, 1862. He served until the close of the Civil war and in May, 1863, was 
presented by the Twenty-fifth Ohio Infantry with a sword worth one thousand 
dollars. The scabbard was silver and the sword was a Damascus blade with 
jeweled hilt set with diamonds and other precious stones., There were three other 
swords also presented to him at various times in his life. Such was his known 
bravery, valor and qualities of leadership that Jefferson Davis offered one hun- 
dred thtnisand dollars for General Milroy, dead or alive, and the rebel legislature 
of Virginia offered twenty-five thousand dollars. He was known as "the old gray 
eagle." Four horses were shot from under him in battle. At the battle of Win- 
chester in 1863 he was caught by Lee's troops, numbering ninety thousand, and his 
own soldiers numbered but six thousand. He had orders to "hold on" and then 
the wires were cut. He "held on" for three days and then cut his way out. He 
was blamed by some historians for not getting out before, but the point was that 
he obeyed orders and historians who have investigated the circumstances have for 
him only words of the strongest commendation for his courage, his loyalty and his 
obedience. 

General Milroy was a very prominent and honored resident of Indiana through- 
out the period in which he made that state his home. In 1872, however, he removed 
westward to Olympia, Washington, to become superintendent of Indian affairs in 
the northwest and remained in the Indian service until the office was abolished. He 
was then put in charge of all the agencies on the Sound. In 1882 he came to Yakima 
as agent of (he Yakima reservation, having charge of all the Indians from the 
Columbia river north to Wenatchee and an exceedingly broad territory surround- 
ing. He was the first man dismissed on account of "offensive partisanship" by 
Grover Cleveland. He was a stalwart republican and made a few political speeches 
in the east while on a visit there. He liocame as prominent and influential in the 
vve<-t as he had been in the east and at all times and under all circumstances he was 
a most progressive citizen, his aid and influence being given on the side of advance- 
ment and improvement. He began the building of the branch railway from Olympia 
to Tenino and he had the Piute ditch dug on the Indian reservation, this being 
one of the first irrigation projects of the Yakima valley. He was the first person 
who started the allotment of lands in severalty to the Indians, which course he 
pursued in the '70s before any legislation to that effect had been enacted. He 
was one of the first to advocate taking the Indian children and educating them in 
order to civilize them and he assisted in establishing the Forest Grove Indian 
school, later called the Chemawa School. He believed that the Indians should own 



62 HISTORY OF YAKIMA VALLEY 

their land and have educational privileges. He was a very close student of the 
problems of the red men and did all in his power to secure justice to them in their 
treatment by the government. He passed away at Olympia, March 30, 1890, the city 
thus losing one of its most eminent residents, one whose career had not only 
reflected credit and honor upon the state in which he made his home, but upon 
the whole nation. His contribution to the world's work had been most valuable 
and his ability was attested by distinguished men throughout the country. 

The name of Robert Bruce Milroy is also interwoven with the history of the 
Yakima valley. He acquired his early education in the public schools of Indiana and, 
in the west, at Olympia. He afterward became a student in the Territorial Uni- 
versity of Washington at Seattle and then entered the United States Naval Academy 
at Annapolis. He next became a student at Hanover College of Indiana and pursued 
his law course in the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor. In 1884 he came to 
Yakima to visit his father and in March, 1885, he opened a law office in North 
Yakima in connection with his brother, W. J. Milroy, theirs being the first law 
firm of the city. Later they built the first two-story building on Yakima avenue 
and in it maintained their law office. They were accorded a liberal clientage and 
Robert B. Milroy remained an able and prominent member of the Yakima bar 
until 1897, when he went to Alaska, where he resided for twelve years. He was 
engaged in mining for two years at Dawson and later he opened a law office in 
Nome, where he continued in the active and successful practice of his profession 
until 1901. In 1902 he again took up mining and afterward divided his time be- 
tween mining and law practice until 1908, when he returned to the United States, 
and in 1909 once more became a resident of Yakima. Here he has practiced con- 
tinuously since and is now occupying the office of police judge. He was also assist- 
ant attorney general of Washington under the first attorney general, W. C. Jones, 
in 1892. He is a lawyer of marked ability and comprehensive knowledge and has 
left the impress of his individuality and professional powers upon the legal history 
of the state. 

On the 28th of May, 1889, Mr. Milroy was united in marriage to Miss Pauline 
Whitson, a daughter of Judge Curtis W. Whitson, who was a member of the 
supreme court of Idaho. 

In politics Mr. Milroy has ever been a stalwart republican and for sixteen 
years in all has served as chairman of the county central republican committee, 
.^side from the offices which he has held in the strict line of his profession, he was 
a member of the state legislature in 1894. Fraternally he is connected with the 
Independent Order of Odd Fellows. There is perhaps no man who has a more 
intimate or accurate knowledge concerning the history of this section of the state 
and he is one of the best known citizens of the Yakima valley, enjoying the good- 
will, confidence, honor and trust of all with whom he has been brought in contact. 



FIDELIO KING HISCOCK. 

Fidelio King Hiscock, who departed this life in 1917, was closely associated with 
the agricultural development of the Yakima valley and his worth as a man and citi- 
zen was widely acknowledged. He was born in Syracuse, New York, April 15, 1869, 
a son of Senator Frank and Cornelia (King) Hiscock, who were representatives of 
prominent old New York families. The father became an attorney who exercised 
marked influence over public thought and action. He not only attained prominence 
at the bar but also was called upon to represent his district in congress and in the 
United States senate. He was born at Pompey. New York. September 6. 1834, a son 
of Richard and Cynthia (Harris) Hiscock. His education was acquired at Pompey 
Academy and in 1855 he was admitted to the bar. He served as district attorney of 
Onondaga county. New York, from 1860 until 1863, and in 1867 was made a member 
of the state constitutional convention of New York. His fellow townsmen apprecia- 
tive of his able powers and marked ability, called upon him to act as their repre- 
sentative in congress from 1877 until 1887, so that he sat in the forty-fifth to the 
forty-ninth congresses. In 1887 he was elected a member of the United States senate 




FIDELIO K. HISCOCK 



HISTORY OF YAKIMA VALLEY 65 

for New York and remained a member of the upper house for six years. His politi- 
cal allegiance was always given to the republican party. After his retirement from 
office he practiced as senior member of the law firm of Hiscock, Doheny, Williams 
& Cowic, and he was also a director of the Bank of Syracuse and the Syracuse Savings 
Bank. He belonged to the Union League Club and to the Republican Club of New 
York. He married Cornelia King, of Tully, New York, on the 22d of November, 
1859, and passed away June 18, 1914. 

His son, F. K. Hiscock of this review, accorded liberal educational advantages, 
was graduated from Cornell University in 1891 with the degree of Bachelor of Arts. 
In the same year he determined to try his fortune in the west, thinking that better 
opportunities were here ofifered for the development of enterprise and ambition. 
-Accordingly he arrived in Tacoma in that year and soon afterward made his way to 
the Yakima valley, where he purchased an interest in a ranch in connection with 
R. L. McCook. They had one hundred and sixty acres of land and he later purchased 
one hundred and twenty acres individually. He utilized his land in the production of 
large crops of hops and hay, having extensive hop vineyards, and the careful man- 
agement of his interests brought to him a very substantial measure of success. 

On the 22d of October, 1910, Mr. Hiscock was married to Miss Anne Randolph 
Scudder, a daughter of H. B. Scudder, mentioned elsewhere in this work. The death 
of Mr. Hiscock occurred January 29, 1917. He had made for himself a most credit- 
able and enviable position in the public regard of his community. He was a member 
of the Benevolent Protective Order of Elks, also of the Commercial Club and of the 
Country Club. His political allegiance was given to the republican party, in which 
he was an active worker but not an office seeker. His religious faith was that of the 
Episcopal church. His life was one of intense and well directed activity, which made 
him widely known, and his record at all times measured up to the highest standards. 
The worth of his work was widely acknowledged and it seemed that he should have 
been spared for many more years of usefulness, for he was in the prime of life when 
called to the home beyond. 



STANLEY E. GOODWIN. 

Among the native sons of Kittitas county still living within its borders, identi- 
fied actively with its farming interests, is numbered Stanley E. Goodwin, who is 
today a well known and highly respected resident of the district in which he makes 
his home. He was born January 17, 1881, in Kittitas county, a son of Thomas B. 
and Sarah (Cumberland) Goodwin, who were natives of Indiana. They became 
pioneer settlers of California and upon leaving that state removed to Oregon. It 
was during the 70s that they arrived in Kittitas county, casting in their lot with 
the pioneer settlers who were braving the hardships and privations of frontier life 
in order to reclaim this region, rich in its natural resources, for the purposes of 
civilization. The father purchased land and also took up government land ten miles 
north of Ellcnsburg, adding to his possessions until his holdings aggregated one 
thousand acres, of which over five hundred acres are under cultivation. He at 
once began the development and imjirovement of the farm and his labors were 
most resultant in transforming the place into rich and productive fields, from 
which he annually gathered good harvests. He erected thereon a fine residence, 
also built large and substantial barns, secured the latest improved machinery to 
facilitate the work of the fields and in every way carried on his farming interests 
along most progressive lines. In 1894 he was called upon to mourn the loss of his 
first wife, after which he later married Jennie Cumberland, a sister of his first 
wife, who still survives him, his death having occurred on the 15th of April, 1917. 
A more complete sketch and portrait of Thomas B. Goodwin is to be found else- 
where in this work. 

Stanley E. Goodwin acquired a pulilic school education and when not busy with 
his textbooks assisted his father in the work of the home ranch until he reached the 
age of twenty-two years. He then rented his father's place in connection with his 
brother Aubrey and later Stanley E. Goodwin rented it alone. ,'\t a subsequent 



66 HISTORY OF YAKIMA VALLEY 

period he purchased a ranch and is now the owner of one hundred and forty acres 
of land, which he acquired in 1915. His place is devoted to the raising of grain and 
hay and is an excellent ranch property, well equipped and improved. He employs 
modern scientific methods in the further development of the farm and that his 
lahors are of practical character is indicated in the excellent harvests which he 
annually gathers. 

On the 18th of February, 1904, Mr. Goodwin was married to Miss Edna Dun- 
can, a daughter of James F. Duncan, of Thorp, Washington, where he located at 
an early period in its development. Mr. and Mrs. Goodwin have a son, Marshall 
Clay, born April 24, 1905. 

In politics Mr. Goodwin maintains an indepnedent course, voting for men 
and measures rather than for party. His father was quite active and prominent in 
political affairs and at one time served as a representative in the state legislature. 
Stanley E. Goodwin, however, prefers to concentrate his efforts and attention upon 
his business interests and is today numbered among the bore progressive of the 
young farmers of Kittitas county who are numbered among its native sons. 



LINDEN McCULLOUGH. 

Linden McCullough, superintendent of schools at Ellensburg, in which con- 
nection he is introducing many improved methods of education, was born in Lexing- 
ton, Illinois, May 30, 1881, a son of James Vance and Mary (Power) McCullough, 
both of whom were natives of Pennsylvania. They removed westward to Illi- 
nois about 1858 and there the father followed the occupation of farming. The 
mother has now passed away, while Mr. McCullough is at the present time living 
retired from active business life. 

Linden McCullough acquired a public school education, completed by a high 
school course in Illinois, after which he entered the Lake Forest University of 
that state, finishing his course there by graduation with the class of 1904. Since 
then he has taken summer work at the University of Chicago, at the University of 
Washington and at the University of Oregon. Throughout his entire life he has 
remained a close and discriminating student, reading broadly, thinking deeply and 
at all times progressing along educational lines. He engaged in clerical work from 
1904 until 1909 in Chicago and then, leaving the metropolis of the middle west, 
made his way to New Bridge, Oregon, where he took up the profession of teach- 
ing. He afterward went to Baker City, Oregon, where for two years he occupied 
the position of teacher of history in the high school. He then became superintend- 
ent of the schools at Roslyn, Washington, in which position he continued from 
1912 until 1916, and through the succeeding scholastic year he was superintendent 
of the schools at Lagrande, Washington. In 1917 he accepted the superintendency 
of the schools at Ellensburg, where he has since remained, and his labors here 
have been most effective, far-reaching and beneficial. He established a special 
night school for instruction in commercial branches at the high school building of the 
city. This was in 1917 and in 1918 his night school was broadened in its scope 
until it covers all the studies of the high school course for those who have had to 
be absent. Instruction is also given in radio buzzer work, in automobile repairing 
and machine shop work, together with other courses. Among the students are 
fifteen boys who are working part of the time, under the provision of the Smith- 
Hughes bill that provides for regular studies part of the time and work during 
the remainder of the time. The same plan will be worked out in connection with 
the Northern Pacific Railway machine shop and the car repair department. The 
school formulates the plan for the evening work, which is in many respects different 
than any in the state and indicates a decided improvement upon methods followed 
elsewhere. 

On the 12th of June, 1911, Mr. McCullough was married to Miss Mildred 
Hazeltine, of Canyon City, Oregon, a daughter of G. S. and Emma (McCollom) 
Hazeltine. Mr. and Mrs. McCullough have four children: Robert, Mabel, Ruth 
and Marjorie. 



HISTORY OF YAKIMA VALLEY 67 

In his fraternal connections Mr. McCuUough is a Mason, belonging to the 
blue lodge at Lexington, and he is also identified with the Elks lodge at Baker City, 
Oregon. His political endorsement is given to the democratic party and his religious 
faith is that of the Presbyterian church. A broad-minded man, recognizing the 
opportunities of his profession, he is constantly putting forth effective effort to 
advance the interests of the young and make education a thorough and practical 
training for life's responsible duties. 



JAMES J. WILEY. 



One of the foremost ranchers of Yakima county is James J. Wiley, who repre- 
sents very important interests in that line, his property being located at what 
is now Wiley City. This town, natned in honor of the family, was founded in 
1910 on part of his land. James J. Wiley was born in Wabasha county, Minne- 
sota, September Zl, 1863, a son of Hugh and Mary Ann (Tufft) Wiley, the father 
a native of Westmoreland county, Pennsylvania, and the mother of Quebec, Canada. 
The grandfather was James Wiley, of Pennsylvania, and his son, Hugh' Wiley, 
father of our subject, became one of the pioneers of Minnesota, where he took up a 
homestead on the present site of the city of Plainview. It seems, however, that 
conditions in that state did not meet up with their expectations and in October, 
1866, Mr. and Mrs. Wiley arrived in Oregon, having made the trip via New York 
and the isthmus of Panama. In 1868 they came by team to Yakima county and 
here the father took up a homestead on the Ahtanum upon which James J. Wiley 
now lives. The Wileys were among the first few white families to settle in this 
valley. Hugh Wiley was thus closely connected W'ith the history of the white 
race in this county from its beginning. He assisted in building the first school- 
house and in order to assure the children of the settlers of some kind of an educa- 
tion paid two-thirds of the teacher's salary. He also assisted in organizing the 
first church in Yakima county. He was a strict member of the Presbyterian church, 
to" which faith he was deeply devoted. Throughout the remainder of his life he 
gave his attention to ranching and to the live stock business and passed away 
January 1, 1884, being survived by his widow, who lives in Wiley City. It was 
Hugh Wiley who opened the first canon road to The Dalles, Oregon, and his name 
is in other connections identified with pioneer movements. Mr. and Mrs. Hugh 
Wiley were the parents of nine children: W'illiam, who is engaged in ranching on 
the Ahtanum; Wallace, who is closely associated with our subject in his ranching 
and live stock interests; James J., of this review; John, who also is ranching on 
the Ahtanum; Isabel, who married Norman Woodhouse, a retired farmer who now 
lives in Wiley City and is connected with the telephone business; Charles, who w'as 
married and is now deceased; Martha, who for seventeen years has been a mission- 
ary in China; Annie, the wife of W. F. Achelpohl, an attorney of St. Charles, Mis- 
souri; and George. 

James J. Wiley was reared amid pioneer conditions and after attending the 
rural schools took a course at the Columbia Commercial College at Portland in 
1884. Having completed his education, he, with his brother Wallace, then gave their 
entire attention to the development of the home ranch and so continued until about 
1892, when they organized the Wiley Land & Stock Company. I'nder this name 
they are now operating seven thousand acres of land, of which one thousand acres 
are in hay and grain, a very substantial income being derived tlieretroni. while the 
remainder is range land. Their cattle interests are of the greatest importance as 
annually a large number of shorthorns are made ready for the market. Moreover, 
they are large horse raisers, breeding standard and draft horses. It thus has come 
about that in the course of years Mr. Wiley has become one of the largest and 
most prosperous ranchers of the west. He and his brother Wallace still conduct 
their extensive interests together and their co-operation has proved of the greatest 
benefit to them individually. They are business men of rare acumen and, moreover, 
close students of local conditions, thus getting the best out of their land. Mr. 
Wiley is also thoroughly informed in regard to live stock and keeps in touch with 



68 HISTORY OF YAKIMA VALLEY 

the latest discoveries and methods in regard to that Hne. In 1911 he built a handsome 
new residence at Wiley City which is now the family home. 

On January 17, 1900, Mr. Wiley married Rosalie Ward, a daughter of B. F. 
and Eliza J. (Sartan) Ward, the former born near Boston, Massachusetts, and the 
latter near St. Louis, Missouri. In 1867 the parents made their way to Wyoming, 
of which state they became pioneers. Mrs. Rosalie Wiley was the first white child 
born at Lander. Wyoming. Mr. and Mrs. Wiley have five children, Malcolm, 
Madeline, Marguerite, Gordon and Clifford. 

Mr. and Mrs. Wiley are numbered among the most influential and respected 
people of their neighborhood, both taking part in all movements undertaken on 
behalf of the general welfare along material as well as moral and intellectual lines. 
Mrs. Wiley is a devoted member of the First Presbyterian church, in the work of 
which she is deeply interested. Her husband belongs to Yakima Lodge, Xo. 318, 
B. P. O. E.. and in politics is a republican but not desirous of holding office, pre- 
ferring to give his undivided attention to his large farming interests. Coming of 
one of the honored pioneer families of the district, he adds new laurels to a family 
name that has long been distinguished here for reliabilitj-. enterprise and loyalty 
to state and nation. 



ORLA L. FRENCH. 



A picture of rare interest and beauty is that presented by the region surround- 
ing Yakima in the fruit-bearing season. Hundreds of acres have been transformed 
into fine orchards or, brought under the plow, are producing large crops of various 
kinds. Actively identified with the work of tilling the soil — a work which must 
precede all industrial or commercial activity — Orla L. French has made for himself 
an enviable position in business circles. He was born at Flushing, Michigan, Sep- 
tember 23. 1861, a son of G. A. and Harriet French. The father was also a native of 
Flushing, being the first white child born there, his natal year being 1840. He was a 
son of Henry H. French, who settled in Michigan in the '30s. After arriving at 
years of maturity G. A. French wedded Harriet Woodruff, a native of Ohio, and as 
the years passed he continuously and successfully devoted his attention to general 
farming. His death occurred in 1897 and his widow passed away in Yakima in 1906. 

After acquiring a high school education in his native state Orla L. French re- 
moved to Minnesota when twenty-three years of age and purchased three hundred 
and twenty acres of land. There he carried on farming until January 3, 1900, when 
he came to the Pacific northwest and for tvyo years rented a stock farm in Yakima 
county. Upon his arrival in this state he also purchased sixty-six acres of land on 
the .\htanum and has since given his attention to the raising of diversified crops, 
also hay, fruit and live stock. He has ten acres in orchards two miles southwest 
of Yakima, raising thereon fine apples, pears, peaches and grapes. The fruit pro- 
duced is not only of splendid size but is equally fine in flavor and commands the 
highest market prices. The progressiveness of his methods, the systematic manner 
in which his work is carried on and the unfaltering industry and enterprise which 
he displays in the operation of his farm have made him one of the leading agri- 
culturists and fruit growers of this section of the state. 

On the 2d of March, 1888, Mr. French was married to Miss Millie A. Lyman, 
a daughter of O. G. and Katherine (Wheeler) Lyman. They have become the 
parents of five children: Goldie, the wife of Charles Woerner, of Granger, Wash- 
ington, by whom she has six children; Lera, who is the wife of Charles Peterson, 
of Yakima, and the mother of three children; Harold, a rancher on tlie Tieton; 
Esther, at home; and Milo, who is fourteen years of fage. 

Mr. French is well known in the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, being a 
past noble grand of Yakima Lodge No. 22, of which he is now serving as a trustee. 
He is also overseer of the Grange and he is a loyal member of the Methodist church. 
In politics he is a republican where national questions and issues are involved, 
but at local elections casts an independent ballot. He served as township treasurer 
while in Minnesota but has never been a politician in the sense of office seeking, 



HISTORY OF YAKIMA VALLEY 69 

preferring to concentrate his efforts and attention upon his business affairs and 
thus provide a comfortable living for his family. He is a member of the Yakima 
County Horticultural Union and during the period of his residence in the north- 
west he has won an enviable place among the successful farmers and fruit raisers 
of his section. He has upon his place a plant for packing his fruit and his farm is 
thoroughly modern in its equipment in every respect. 



E. W. R. TAYLOR. 



Among the pioneers of Prosser is numbered E. W. R. Taylor, who is half 
owner of a large flour mill in this city which he has now operated for nearly a 
third of a century. From a small beginning it has become one of the large industrial 
enterprises of the neighborhood and he derives therefrom a gratifying income, so 
that today he is numbered among the prosperous men of the valley. He was born 
in Lucas county, Iowa, May 12, 1859, a son of George S. and Nancy Rebecca 
(.McLaughlin) Taylor, both natives of Indiana. They removed from their native 
state of Iowa at an early day in the development of that state. Thence they crossed 
the plains in the primitive style of the pioneer in 1866, making their way to Washing- 
ton, and remained in Walla Walla for a few months, whence they removed to 
Seattle, which remained their home for a year. The year 1867 found them in Selah, 
Washington, and at the time of their arrival only eight families were located in the 
valley. George S. Taylor took up land here and gave his continued attention to 
agricultural pursuits and live stock dealing with good results until death claimed 
him, his demise occurring as the result of an accident. His widow survived until 
1916. Mr. Taylor, Sr., took a very prominent part in the public life of the valley, 
being an ardent exponent of democratic principles. For one term he represented 
Yakima, Klickitat and Kittitas counties in the state legislature, and his word and 
opinions were of great weight with his confreres. In his position he was able to do 
much good for his constituency and many measures which were passed through 
the legislature on account of his arduous representation have brought such good 
results that the benefit from them is apparent to this day. 

E. W. R. Taylor removed with his parents to Washington when but seven 
years of age and is therefore numbered among the early and honored pioneers of 
this state. Amid the new surroundings of residence he received his education in the 
schools of the neighborhood and after putting aside his textbooks began to assist 
his father in the farm work, becoming thoroughly acquainted with agricultural 
methods and values. He was then engaged in the live stock business with his 
father until the age of twenty-four, when he struck out for himself and proved up 
on a homestead claim. In 1888 he came to Prosser and bought a primitive little 
flour mill there which under his able management has grown until it is today an 
industrial enterprise of vast importance to all the surrounding farmers. For thirty 
years Mr. Taylor has been a resident of Prosser and during that period has built 
up a reputation in private and commercial life which stands second to none, his 
word being as good as his bond. Mr. Taylor also conducted a general store in his 
city, where he carried well assorted lines of goods, his fair dealing and honorable 
methods securing to him a large custom. This business he owned for over twenty 
years. It was established in 1890, but in 1910, on account of his other interests, he 
sold out. He also had a store of the same kind in Yakima which he owned for 
two years, from 1895 until 1897. The mill, to the operation of which he now gives 
his whole attention, is one of the oldest in the valley and was built in 1887, just 
a year before he became the proprietor. It has a capacity of two hundred barrels 
per day, and is therefore one of the largest of its kind in this part of the state. A 
very high grade of flour is turned out and the farmers of the neighborhood who have 
dealings with Mr. Taylor are as one in their agreement as to his fair treatment 
of all. 

E. W. R. Taylor has been married twice. His first union was with Miss "Annie 
Sutton, of Yakima, and to them were born six children, namely: Pearl, who mar- 
ried Harry Forsyth and is now residing in California; Arthur, who has the active 



70 HISTORY OF YAKIMA VALLEY 

management of the mill; Roy, who is also associated with his father in business, 
acting in the capacity of miller; Claude, who is serving his country in the United 
States army: Edna, the wife of Fred McNeil, of Prosser; and George, who is a 
member of the United States Ambulance Corps, No. 570, and is now doing duty in 
Italy. The death of Mrs. Taylor caused deep sorrow not only to her immediate 
family but also to the many friends whom she had made in Prosser and the neigh- 
borhood. Mr. Taylor later contracted a second union with Miss Mae Widby, of 
Prosser, and both are popular members of the social set of their town. 

Mr. Taylor has always taken a deep and lasting interests in the upbuilding 
of his community, of which he is one of the honored pioneers, and this interest finds 
documentary evidence in the fact that he is serving at present as president of the 
Prosser Commercial Club, whose projects for expansion and growth in industrial 
and agricultural ways he largely promotes. In politics he is a democrat but with- 
out desire for office, preferring to do his duty as a citizen at the ballot box. The 
religious faith of the family is that of the Baptist church and fraternally Mr. Tay- 
lor is a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, in which organization 
he has many friends. He is a man of sterling character who by his honorable 
dealings has reached a state of prosperity to which he is fully entitled and none 
can grudge him his labor's fruits which he has so honorably attained. 



JAMES A. KARR. 



While several years have been added to the cycle of the centuries since James 
A. Karr passed from this life, his influence is yet felt and his memory cherished by 
all who knew him. He was for many years a most prominent citizen of Washington, 
contributing in marked measure to the development and upbuilding of the state. He 
became an investor in lands in the Yakima valley which are still being further devel- 
oped and improved through the efforts of his son, Arthur T. Karr, who is now the 
manager of the Karr estate. 

A contemporary writer has said of James A. Karr: "The history of Hoquiam 
and of the Grays Harbor country cannot be better told than by detailing many of 
the incidents of the life of James A. Karr, who lived until November, 1914, to te.l 
the tale of the wonderful development of this section of the country, his memory 
forming a connecting link between the primitive past and the progressive present. 
Fifty-seven years have come and gone since he filed upon a claim in Chehalis, now 
Grays Harbor, county, in 1860, being then a young man of twenty-six years. Until 
that district emerged from pioneer conditions much of his life had been spent upon 
the frontier, for Indiana had taken on statehood only eighteen years before he was 
born on Little Indian creek, not far from Martinsville, Indiana, on the 18th of 
September, 1834. His earliest recollections are of playing on the sand on the bank 
of that creek with his little sister, who died after he left home. He has no memory 
of his father, save as he saw iiim in death, the grief of his mother impressing this 
sight indelibly upon the mind of the three-year-old boy. However, he remembers 
his grandfather Karr, a fine type of the Irish gentleman, dressed like a squire in 
leggings and hunting coat. After the death of the father the family removed from 
place to place and was subjected to many hardships. Later the mother married 
a Mr. Storick and again the family moved, settling on a good farm in St. Clair 
county, Illinois, not far from St. Louis. There was much hard work to be done 
in the further clearing and cultivating of the land and the Karr brothers did their 
full share. Mr. Karr, however, recognized that as stepsons they had little chance 
in life because of a lack of education and that they would always have to depend 
upon severe manual labor. He often expressed a desire to attend school but re- 
ceived no assistance from Mr. Storick, although his mother encouraged the idea. 
At length, feeling that if he obtained an education it must be through his own 
efforts, he left home at the age of fourteen years and hired out for the summer at 
a wage of five dollars per month. At harvest time a man who could swing a 
cradle or who could bind after the cradle was paid a much better wage than the 
regular farm hand, and Mr. Karr proved that he could bind as well as men of twice 




A.MES A. KARR 




MRS. ABKiAIL KARR 



HISTORY OF YAKIMA VALLEY 75 

or thrice his years. Accordingly he_ did work of that character, earning at first a 
dollar and afterward a dollar and a quarter per day, and the money thus gained 
was used in buying books and clothing, while by working on Saturdays and morn- 
ing and night to pay for his board, he was able to attend school for several months 
that winter. He afterward entered upon an apprenticeship to the brickniakers' trade 
and the money which he earned through the summer months in that way enabled him 
to again attend school in the winter. One of his teachers, John Leeper, a graduate 
of McKendree College of Illinois, proved an inspiration to him and assisted him 
in every possible way in his studies. For six years Mr. Karr continued working 
in the summer and attending school in the winter, and finally, with a partner, he 
established and operated a brickyard, in which he won a measure of success that 
enabled him to pay his board and devote an entire year to study, in which time he 
acquired a knowledge of algebra, natural philosophy and astronomy. He was par- 
ticularly interested in the first named and his fellow students often called upon 
him to assist in solving their problems. After that year he taught school for a 
term and then, inclined to the study of medicine, he spent some time in a drug 
store. All these experiences not only proved to him a means of earning a living 
at that period but gave him a fund of knowledge upon which he called in his later 
pioneer experiences in the northwest. He became one of the first school teachers 
and one of the first brickmakers of Chehalis county when some years later he es- 
tablished his home in the Grays Harbor country. 

"In 1852, following the discovery of gold in California, Mr. Karr and his 
brother decided to go to the mines, as this would enable them also to see something 
of the world. Returning to Indiana, Mr. Karr, who was then twenty-one years 
of age, settled his mother's estate, his share thereof being about five hundred dollars, 
which furnished the brothers the capital for their trip. Proceeding to New York, 
they took passage on a steamer bound for Panama, crossed the Isthmus and thence 
proceeded northward to California, where they spent three years in the mines. They 
made Nevada City their headquarters but they did not find the expected fortune 
and in 1858, attracted by the Fraser river excitement, started north as passengers on 
the Anne Perry from San Francisco to Whatcom. There they purchased a small 
boat to go from Bellingham Bay to the Gulf of Georgia and thence up the Fraser 
river. Point Roberts extended into the gulf in a southeasterly direction for quite 
a distance. South of this point the water was quiet but on the river side there was 
a strong surf driven on by the northwest wind. However, they decided to land on 
the north side in order to be ready to make the start up the river, but while so 
doing their boat filled with water and their provisions received a soaking, although 
little damage resulted. Proceeding up the river, they stopped at Fort Yale for a 
week or more in September, 1858, and there purchased Sockeye salmon from the 
Indians, which furnishfed them many an appetizing meal when the fish was fried in 
butter. 

"As the winter was coming on and there seemed to be no prospect of getting 
gold, the brothers returned southward, accompanied by their partner, John C. Gove, 
who became one of the pioneer settlers near Seattle. Purchasing their partner's 
interest, they started back to the Sound and at Olympia sold their boat, proceeding 
on the trail with their packs. They spent the night on Mound Prairie at the home 
of a Mr. Goodell, whose son Ed had just been helping to make a survey of the land 
at Grays Harbor. He told of the country and of the river called Hoquiam, Mr. 
Karr and his brother retaining a distinct remembrance of this. However, the 
brothers proceeded to Portland to spend the winter and there entered the employ 
of Colonel Frush. who was building streets, for which purpose he hauled gravel 
from the Willamette river bars. In securing the gravel the brothers were able to 
earn three dollars per day and later they cut Cordwood, for which they were paid 
a dollar and a half per cord, and by working steadily they could earn three dollars 
per day in that way. In the spring James A. Karr ran the steam ferry across the 
Columbia, while his brother drove a team, but they never abandoned the idea of 
returning to Grays Harbor and in August made preparations for a trip into the 
new country. Returning to Olympia, they purchased cloth from which they made 
a tent, and also laid in supplies for the trip. Proceeding on their way, they stopped 
for a time at the ranch of 'Blockhouse' Smith at Cedarville and there proceeded 



76 HISTORY OF YAKIMA VALLEY 

to make a canoe. The cedar tree which they selected for the purpose split, so they 
secured a green cottonwood growing beside the river. They hewed this out and, 
wishing to hasten the work, they piled the canoe full of branches of vine maple, to 
which they set fire, but found that they had burned a hole in the cottonwood. A 
thin board, oakum and pitch repaired the damage, and packing their supplies in 
the canoe, they started down the river, after two days reaching Cosmopolis, which 
was the metropolis of this country. The district was largely an unsettled and un- 
developed region, the Metcalfs living at Montesano and the Scammons at Wyn- 
oochee, which was the county seat. From that point they proceeded to Hoquiam, 
rounding Cow Point and so coming into the mouth of the river. They landed where 
the first schoolhouse was afterward built, near the present site of the Hoquiam sash 
and door factory, and proceeding at once to the upland, Mr. Karr found a level 
green bench which dropped abruptly into the tidal prairie, where the grass grew 
tall among the scattered forest trees and a spring of clear water issued from the 
hillside. So attractive was the site that Mr. Karr decided to make it his home, 
while his brother chose a site across the river. Then they began building a cabin 
of hemlock logs, chinked with dirt and soft sandstone. Inventive ingenuity was 
brought into play to protect their cabin and its supplies during their absence. The 
usual latchstring hung out, but instead of opening the latch, as was customary, when 
it was pulled it only shut the more tightly. But another string with a little block 
of wood attached was brought out further on and the end concealed with soft earth. 
It was this string that opened the door, but it would not be noticed by anyone who 
was not accustomed to such an arrangement. However, one day when the brothers 
were absent from home, Captain Winsor, a well known frontiersman, called. Used 
to all kinds of pioneer devices, he soon discovered their arrangement and he and 
his party entered the house, built a big fire and prepared a meal from supplies which 
they found. After they were gone the fire in some way spread to the timber, burn- 
ing away the mantel and doing some damage to the interior, but fortunately the 
wet hemlock logs of which the cabin had been built proved fireproof, so the Karrs 
found their home only somewhat dismantled. They had met Captain Winsor and 
his friends, who told them of their visit but little dreamed of the result of their 
self-obtained hospitality. 

'■.\s time passed on, the brothers continued the work of clearing and develop- 
ing their places and in 1860, after making a trip to Olympia accompanied by .'\ustin 
Young, James A. Karr established a brickyard at Cosmopolis, hoping thus to obtain 
ready money by supplying the commodity which the community greatly needed. 
He was not only associated in this undertaking with his brother but was also 
joined by Austin Young, Ed. Campbell and David Byles. They furnished brick for 
the government barracks at Chehalis Point and when the buildings were abandoned 
after the war, Mr. Campbell bought one and moved it to Hoquiam, where it still stands 
on the east side of the river. The brick manufacturers furnished brick for many of the 
fireplaces in the early homes and the income which they acquired enabled the Karr 
brothers to secure many needed supplies. 

"Olympia was a small village of about four or five hundred people when in 
March, "i860, Mr. Karr went there to enter his claim, which he secured as a pre- 
emption, the homestead law having not then been passed. When Chehalis county 
was formed James A. Karr was elected its first auditor and filled the office for 
twelve years. There was no salary attached to the position but the incumbent was 
allowed fees and three dollars per day for full time. In the winter of 1860 Mr. 
Karr taught the first school at Cosmopolis in a little building erected from lumber 
brought from Cedarville, while his own brickyard supplied the brick for the fire- 
place and chimney. He had twelve or fifteen pupils, for several families, including 
the Metcalf. Goodell, Smith, Byles and Young families, were then living in the 
neighborhood. Christmas of that year was celebrated at the home of Mr. Goodell, 
with speaking, singing and a general good time. The families of the neighbor- 
hood gathered and the invitation was also extended to the soldiers stationed there. 
It was feared that the Indians, knowing that war was in progress among the whites 
of the north and the south, might go upon the warpath, so that a garrison was 
maintained at Chehalis Point and a blockhouse was erected at Cedarville. In the 
winter of 1861-2 Mr. Karr engaged in teaching at Montesano and as there was little 



HISTORY OF YAKIMA VALLEY n 

money in the neighborhood he was largely paid in cattle, so that when he was ready 
to develop his farm he had quite a small herd of excellent cattle. In the winter of 
1862-3 he taught at Mound Prairie. It was there that he had first heard of Grays 
Harbor when stopping at the Goodell home in 1859. One of the sons, Ed Goodell, 
had in the meantime married and removed to Forest Grove but Mr. Karr met him 
again at the close of the school term in 1863. 

"It was an occasion that, seemingly trivial, proved a most momentous one in the 
life of Mr. Karr, for Mr. Goodell showed him the picture of an attractive looking 
young lady, saying that he would give him the picture if he would take it to the 
original. In a spirit of fun Mr. Karr took the picture and about that time, desiring 
to see his brother on business matters and thinking that he might find work at 
harvesting or masonry and thus bring in money needed for carrrying on the farm 
at Hoquiam, he started for the place where his brother was working, not far from 
Hillsboro, between Portland and Forest Grove, Oregon. In the course of a con- 
versation with a woman with whom his brother boarded Mr. Karr chanced to say 
that he had the picture of a very nice looking girl. On seeing it the woman ex- 
claimed: 'Why, I know her! That's .^bbie Walker and she is teaching at Hills- 
boro, only about a quarter of a mile away.' She proposed that they visit the school- 
house about the time the school would be closed. This plan was carried out and 
Mr. Karr walked with the young lady to her boarding house, which was some dis- 
tance from the school. The old-time pioneer hospitality was extended him by the 
people of the house and after remaining there through the night he next day ac- 
companied the young lady to school and they planned a ride together to her home 
at Forest Grove, where they spent the following Saturday and Sunday. The ac- 
quaintance progressed rapidly and when Miss Walker spoke of making a trip east 
of the mountains to visit the scenes of her childhood near Spokane, Mr. Karr re- 
plied that it would be a long, tedious journey and he wanted her to go to Hoquiam 
with him. An immediate marriage was agreed upon and was celebrated at the 
Walker home September 14, 1863, the bride's father, the Rev. Elkanah Walker, be- 
ing the officiating clergyman, assisted by Rev. Chamberlain, of Portland, who was 
then visiting at their home. The wedding trip consisted of a visit to the State Fair 
at Salem and a trip to Mound Prairie. 

"Mr. Karr was engaged to teach the Little Rock school that winter and in the 
spring he went to the farm to start the work, his wife remaining to finish out the 
two months of school. In the latter part of March he returned and accompanied 
his wife down the river to the homestead which they occupied for forty years. They 
earnestly undertook the task of developing the place and the labors of both were 
soon evident in its transformation and improved appearance. The first year they 
had ten cows and batter constituted their chief export. Mr. Karr remained con- 
tinuously upon the farm save for the years 1875, 1882 and 1893, when he repre- 
sented his district in the state legislature. As a member of the legislature he care- 
fully considered the vital questions which came up for consideration and gave his 
support to many measures which have been far-reaching in their beneficial effects. 
The journals of the house of the territorial legislature show that Mr. Karr had been 
a most active agent in the educational interests of the state, was on the committee 
of education and introduced the bill providing for a common school system. He was 
one of the leading champions of legislation establishing and supporting the State 
University. Chehalis was a republican county, but as it did not contain enough 
people to form a district, the legislature resorted to gerrymandering when the demo- 
crats were in power and Chehalis was attached at various periods to different dis- 
tricts. It was first joined to Pierce, and although a republican stood no chance of 
winning, Mr. Karr made speeches throughout Pierce county, which was strongly 
democratic. .'\t that time he was defeated, but when Pierce and Chehalis counties 
were again joined, Mr. Karr received a large majority in Pierce and said that he 
thought the speeches he made several years before must have just begun to take 
effect. He always kept in close touch with the questions and issues of the day from 
the time when he acted as secretary of the first political meeting held in Grays 
Harbor in 1860, on which occasion Governor Stevens was in the midst of his cam- 
paign for delegate to congress. 

"Mr. Karr actively continued the work of the farm and for ten years the family 

(4) 



78 HISTORY OF YAKIMA VALLEY 

lived in the original log cabin, although some additions and improvements were 
added thereto. In 1874 he planned to build a new home, bringing lumber from 
Elma, doors and window sash from Tumwater and brick from a schooner that had 
carried its cargo from Portland. Mr. Karr quarried the stone for two fireplaces 
from the bluff across the river and secured shingles at Montesano. When ma- 
terials were thus assembled a story and a half house was erected, facing the south 
and overlooking the waters of the bay. It was a period when the settlers had to 
depend upon their own labor for nearly all supplies and Mr. Karr undertook the 
task of tanning leather, at first using smartweed and other ingredients from the 
east, but he discovered the astringent properties of hemlock and alder bark and 
from those made in tanning materials. After producing leather this was cut up and 
shaped into boots and shoes for the family, Mr. Karr making the lasts and pegs, 
and the shoes, it is said, 'made up in durability for what they lacked in elegance.' 
All garments, even those for the boys, were homemade and raincoats were made of 
unbleached cotton soaked in linseed oil. Mr. Karr's former experience as a drug 
clerk enabled him to provide remedies for his family when there was no physician 
near at hand and not infrequently he was called upon to prescribe for his neighbors. 
He contributed to the social enjoyment of the community by his violin music, having 
studied in Nashville, Illinois, and afterward in Nevada City, California. While 
teaching at Cosmopolis he gave instruction in music as well as in the common 
branches. It was at Mr. Karr's suggestion that a trail was opened from Elma to 
Olympia over which horses and cattle could be driven, and this trail proved the 
predecessor of the stage road when a stage line brought the community into seem- 
ingly close connection with the capital. Later Mr. Karr and Mr. Campbell were 
owners of a big shovel-nosed canoe, with which they took their farm produce up 
the river in the fall, finishing the journey by wagon, and on the return they brought 
with them provisions to last for a year. They had little trouble with the Indians 
in that locality, although when the Modoc war was in progress it seemed that there 
might be an uprising at Grays Harbor. 

"Mr. and Mrs. Karr became the parents of twelve children: Mary Olive is the 
wife of H. L. Gilkey, who was cashier of the First National Bank of Southern 
Oregon at Grants Pass, Oregon. Beatrice Abigail gave her hand in marriage to 
H. B. McNeill, of Aberdeen. Elkanah Walker has passed away. Cyrus James is 
captain of one of the merchant marines on the -Atlantic. Henry Anderson, twin 
of Cyrus, died at the age of fourteen years. Phoebe Rose is the wife of John Snow, 
manager of ship yard at Vancouver, British Columbia. John Ross, a twin of Phoebe, 
is a resident of Yakima. Ruth is now the wife of J. S. McKee, of Hoquiam. She 
is the only woman member of the State Council of Defense and is the first woman 
regent of the University of Washington. William Hay is deceased. Eunice Viola 
resided with her mother in North Yakima until the latter's death. Levi Zebulon, 
the next of the family, is a resident of Seattle, .-\rthur Thompson Karr resides at 
Yakima. On the 14th of September, 1913, at North Yakima, Mr. and Mrs. Karr 
celebrated their golden wedding anniversary. 

"Mr. and Mrs. Karr gave their children good educational opportunities. School 
was held during the summer months, and when the term was over the big family 
living room at home was converted into a schoolroom, with homemade desks, and 
the parents acted as instructors to their children until the older sisters were able 
to assume the task of teaching. Mr. Karr was advanced in his ideas concerning 
education and believed firmly that girls should be given the same chance as boys 
and accordingly his daughters received as good educational advantages as his sons. 
Three daughters graduated from the University of Washington and Mrs. McKee has 
a Master of .^rts degree and is a member of Phi Beta Kappa, admission to which 
is gained only by high scholarship. Mr. Karr took a great deal of pride in Mrs. 
McKee's fine scholastic record. In winter a society was formed which was prac- 
tically a parlimentary law club — the first on the Harbor— and Mr. Karr acted as 
president. His children received training therefore along that line and the instruc- 
tion has proven valuable in later years. With the passing of pioneer conditions the 
Karr farm, owing to the progressive spirit of the owner, took on all of the im- 
provements of modern times and through his business ability Mr. Karr won very 
substantial success, his estate becoming valuable. In 1904 the family removed to 



HISTORY OF YAKIMA VALLEY 79 

Yakima, where his last years were spent and where his widow passed away Novem- 
ber 9, 1918. He died of apoplexy on the night of November 4, 1914. He had been 
keenly interested in the general election which took place on the preceding day and 
particularly in the fate of the prohibition law, had voted and seemed in his usual 
health. He was a stanch republican in his political belief and fraternally was a 
Mason and a charter member and past master of the Hoquiam lodge of that order. 
Although there were many happy memories of early times, he looked back with no 
sigh of regret to the past but rejoiced in the progress of the present and kept in 
touch with the trend of modern thought. He had passed the eightieth milestone on 
life's journey when called bj' death, but old age need not suggest as a matter of 
course idleness and want of occupation. There is an old age which grows stronger 
and brighter mentally and morally as the years go on and gives out of its rich stores 
of wisdom and experience for the benefit of others. Such was the record of James 
A. Karr." 



MRS. ABIGAIL KARR. 

Mrs. .\bigail Karr, wife of James A. Karr, whose record is given above, passed 
away on the 9th of November, 1918, at the advanced age of seventy-eight years. She 
was the first white girl born within the limits of the present state of Washington, 
to survive infancy. Mrs. Karr was the second child of her parents. Rev. and Mrs. 
Elkanah Walker, missionaries, who crossed the plains in the second company brought 
across by Marcus Whitman in 1838. In the spring of 1839 Rev. Walker and his 
associate, the Rev. Gushing Eells, established a mission at Tschimakain meaning 
"the place of springs") not far from the present city of Spokane. Here on May 
24, 1840, Abigail was born. The place is still known as Walker's Prairie. The chief 
anxiety of these pioneer parents was that tlieir children must grow up without 
other companionship than that of the Indians. The mothers banded themselves 
together in what was known as "The Maternal Association" for the express pur- 
pose of keeping fresh in their own minds the ideals and standards of their far away 
New England home. This was the more necessary when we reflect that it required 
usually a year for mail from the east to reach these far away places. Mrs. Walker 
who kept a diary of these days, gives many interesting glimpses of the primitive 
methods of living necessitated by pioneer conditions. Here Mrs. Karr spent the 
first seven years of her life. 

When Dr. Whitman was massacred in November, 1847, the terrible news came 
swiftly to the little group of people at Tschimakain. Great anxiety was felt as it 
was reported that the Gayuse Indians were coming on to murder the two families 
at Tschimakain. The men of the station felt that they must be away at times to 
aid in the search for the murderers and to do scout duty. Needless to say these 
anxious times made a great impression on the seven-year-old child, to whom thus early 
tragedy came close. The Flatheads, who were attached to the Tschimakain mission, 
waited upon the people of the mission and told them that the bad Indians could 
not reach them except over their dead bodies. In this confidence they rested and 
in the end met no harm, though they remained at the station until spring. Then 
they went for a time to old Fort Golvillc and still later they were accompanied to 
Oregon City, then the metropolis of the west, Ijy a company of soldiers. When a 
few years ago the Historical Society of the state unveiled a monument at Walker's 
Prairie to Messrs. Eells and Walker, one of the soldiers who formed this escort 
was present and gave a vivid description of the party as they started overland for 
Oregon City. 

"Mrs. Karr spent her girlhood here and at Forest Grove, where she received 
her education. Among her earliest teachers was Professor Thomas Gatch, a pioneer 
educator of the northwest, who for many years was president of the University 
of Washington. Upon reaching young womanhood Mrs. Karr took up the work 
of teaching and while acting in that capacity she met James A. Karr, the pioneer 
resident of Hoquiam, who sought her hand, in marriage. The wedding was cele- 
brated September 14. 1863, and their wedding journey consisted of a trip by team 



80 HISTORY OF YAKIMA \ ALLEY 

to Olympia. They spent the first winter of their married life at Little Rock, where 
Mr. Karr was teaching the village school. In the spring of 1864 they took up their 
abode upon the old homestead, which now constitutes the north half of Hoquiam, 
and thereon they resided for four decades or until 1904, when they removed to 
Yakima. 'There Mr. and Mrs. Karr celebrated their golden wedding in 1913 and a 
year later Mr. Karr passed away. By request of the State Historical Society the 
special pictures of Mr. and Mrs. Karr taken at that time will be presented to the 
society to be placed in the pioneers' corridor. 

"While living upon the homestead at Hoquiam the twelve children of Mr. and 
Mrs. Karr were born, eleven of whom reached adult age and eight were present at 
the fiftieth anniversary of their parents' marriage together with many grandchildren. 
Notwithstanding the manifold duties which devolved upon her in the care of her 
household and the rearing of her children, Mrs. Karr took the deepest interest in 
things intellectual and ever kept in touch with the trend of modern thought and 
progress even to the end of her days. She was a broad reader and discussed most 
intelligently many questions bearing upon the welfare of community, state and 
nation. She belonged to the Congregational church, to the Woman's Christian Tem- 
perance Union, to the Order of the Eastern Star and the Daughters of the Amer- 
ican Revolution. Her grandfather had been a minute man in the war for inde- 
pendence and the same patriotic spirit was ever manifest in Mrs. Karr, who after the 
United States entered the great world war devoted long and happy hours to Red 
Cross work. She had early become most skillful in knitting and she employed her 
time in knitting for the soldiers, shaping many an article of comfort for them. She 
lived to know that the signing of the armistice would soon come, recognizing that 
the world had thus been saved from the militarism of Prussia to benefit by the 
democratic principles that recognize the rights of all mankind. She was a lovable 
woman, her life enriched by broad experiences and liberal study and most of all by 
that deep human sympathy which was constantly manifest in a hand extended to 
assist others. She was ever indeed a helpmate to her husband and an inspiration 
to her family and friends, and 'her good works follow her.' " 



GEORGE BIEHN. 



Substantial equipment for fruit raising, combined with sound judgment and 
keen discrimination in the management of his business affairs, has won for George 
Biehn a most gratifying measure of success as an orchardist. He was born in 
Kenosha county, Wisconsin, November 26, 1856, a son of Henry and Margaret 
(Meyers) Biehn, both of whom were natives of Germany but came to the new world 
in childhood and were here married. The father was a farmer by occupation and 
followed that pursuit for many years in Wisconsin, where his death occurred. The 
mother survives and is now living in Racine, Wisconsin. 

George Biehn, mastering the branches of study taught in the public schools of 
his native state, completed a course in the high school at Kenosha. Wisconsin, after 
which he concentrated his efforts and attention upon farming to the age of nineteen 
years. He then started out in commercial circles, securing a clerkship in a store, and 
afte-ward he engaged in the conduct of a general store and grocery business of his 
own at Racine, where he remained until February, 1890. He then removed to the 
northwest and for a few years was a resident of Tacoma, Washington, during which 
time he was connected with the house of A. S. Johnson & Company, dealers in paints. 
In 1894 he removed to Yakima and opened a branch store for A. S. Johnson & Com- 
pany. In the same year he purchased ten acres of land in the Selah valley and he 
was the first to use water under the Selah-Naches ditch. There were only four or 
five houses in the valley at that time. At a subsequent period Mr. Biehn purchased 
forty acres additional and later he sold a part of this land but still retains twenty- 
eight acres. He took up his abode upon the ranch in 1896 and has nearly the entire 
tract planted to orchard, raising apples, pears, peaches and prunes. He built a fine 
hop house that is now used for a fruit packing house and everything about his place 



^^BP^^^^^^^B 


^K.J ^ 


^^X^'A. 


^H A ^M^ .^^H^^^ 


^m mOm^ wf^^tt 


li^l^id^H 



GEOBGE BIEHN 



HISTORY OF YAKIMA VALLEY 83 

is indicative of his care and supervision and his progressive spirit. In 1909 he 
erected one of the fine homes of the district and is now most pleasantly situated. 

In 188.T Mr. Biehn viias married to Miss Mary L. Johnson, a daughter of Samuel 
and Amelia Johnson, of Racine, Wisconsin, who were pioneer settlers of the north- 
west. Mr. and Mrs. Biehn have the following children; Edward, who is with the 
Yakima Valley Fruit Growers Association and makes his home in Yakima; Georgia, 
at home; Jerome, who is a member of the United States army; Byron, who is with 
the United States navy on the transport Leviathan; Gertrude, at home; Thelma, at 
home; and Stanley, thirteen years of age. 

Mrs. Biehn is a member of the Episcopal church but Mr. Biehn was reared in 
the I,utheran faith. He belongs to the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and to 
the Woodmen of the World. In politics he maintains an independent course. He 
has served as postmaster of Selah for a year and was school clerk for eight years 
but has had little time or inclination for public office as his developing business affairs 
have made constant demand upon his energy. He has been keenly interested in 
everything pertaining to fruit raising interests in this section and for four years he 
was a director of the Selah Irrigation District. He was also one of the organizers 
of the Yakima County Fruit Growers Association and assisted in organizing the 
Selah Fruit Products Company. What he has undertaken he has carried forward to 
successful completion and has for more than two decades been numbered among the 
representative farmers and orchardists of this part of the state. 



WILLIAM L. SHEARER. 

With the development and upbuilding of Toppenish, William L. Shearer has been 
closely associated. He served for a considerable period as its postmaster, has 
been identified with its commercial interests and at all times has worked for general 
improvement as well as individual success. Mr. Shearer was born in Monroe county, 
Missouri, October 31, 1862, a son of Joseph Mathew and Hester (Kennett) Shearer, 
who were natives of Kentucky and pioneer settlers of Missouri. The mother has 
now passed away, while the father is living retired, having put aside the active 
cares of business life. 

William L. Shearer, having acquired a public school education, started in the 
business world as a messenger boy for the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad 
Company and was thus employed from 1876 until 1890. He then came to Wash- 
ington and for fourteen years was in the service of the Northern Pacific Rail- 
way Company. In 1896 he arrived in Toppenish, having been appointed to the 
position of station agent, in which capacity he continued until 1904, when he left 
the railroad employ and in 1905 opened the first drug store of the town. This he 
conducted for about a year and then sold out. It was in 1906 that he organized 
the Yakima Produce & Trading Company in connection with A. W. McDonald and 
George Plank. They began the development of a large farm, having seventeen 
hundred acres of land which they have transformed into rich and productive fields, 
annually yielding very substantial harvests. This is devoted to diversified farming 
and stock raising and both branches of the business are proving profitable. In the 
meantime Mr. Shearer had served as postmaster of the city, having been appointed 
in 1898 and continuing in the office until Septcmlier, 1913. He took the office when it 
paid but seven dollars per month and remained with it until it was paying twenty- 
three hundred dollars a year. With the substantial development of the Yakima 
Produce & Trading Company, they bought out the Richey & Gilbert hardware 
store in 1914 and now conduct an extensive business in the line of shelf and heavy 
hardware and implements. Mr. Shearer was one of the pioneer business men of 
the town and since his earliest connection with its commercial interests has been 
a most active factor in its growth and upbuilding. His activities have been of a 
character that have contributed to public progress as well as to individual success 
and his worth as a citizen is widely acknowledged. 

On the 1st of January, 1890, Mr. Shearer was married to Miss Emma Hoffman, 
a native of Eagleville, Missouri, and a daughter of Robert and Rebecca Hoffman, 



84 HISTORY OF YAKIMA VALLEY 

of Illinois, who removed to Missouri in pioneer times. Mr. and Mrs. Shearer 
have become parents of four children; Paul, who is manager of the implement 
business owned by his father; Preston, who is now with the United States army, 
having been examined six times in order to get into the- service before he was 
accepted; Fred, who is a student in the University of Washington; and Helen, a 
little maiden of eleven summers, who completes the family. 

Mr. Shearer is an exemplary member of the Masonic fraternity, belonging to 
Toppenish Lodge, No. 187, A. F. & A. M., and he has also taken the degrees of 
the Scottish Rite. He belongs to the Toppenish Commercial Club, of which he 
formerly served as president. His political allegiance is given to the republican 
party and for three years, from 1914 until 1916 inclusive, he was mayor of Toppen- 
ish, giving to the city a businesslike and progressive administration in which he 
introduced many improvements and brought about various reforms. He has also 
been school director for twenty years. He made the first boundary lines for the 
first school district in the Yakima Indian reservation in 1898 and has served on 
the school board continuously since save for a period of three years. The cause 
of education finds in him indeed a stalwart champion and one whose labors have 
been most effective and beneficial. He is constantly reaching out along lines that 
look beyond the exigencies of the moment to the further development and upbuild- 
ing of this section of the state and he has accomplished much of great worth to 
town and community. 



MRS. ANN E. SYKES. 

Mrs. Ann E. Sykes is the first and only postmaster that Grandview has had. 
She was appointed to the position with the founding of the town in 1906 and has 
continuously served, making a most creditable record in the office. She is a native 
of Keithsburg. Illinois, and a daughter of George and Eliza Jane (Osborn) Pitman, 
the latter a daughter of Alexander Osborn, who was the third white settler in 
Knox county, Illinois, and the first white man to be married in that county. George 
Pitman, the father of Mrs. Sykes, was a native of Indiana and cast in his lot with 
the pioneer settlers of Illinois, where he was married. Thus two of the old families 
of the state were united. The maternal grandfather served in the Black Hawk 
war, which occurred in 1832 and settled the question of Indiana supremacy in that 
state. He lived there at the time when deer and other wild animals haunted the 
forests and both the Osborn and Pitman families participated in the work of re- 
claiming the region for the purposes of civilization. George Pitman was a farmer 
and live stock dealer and his daughter Ann was reared under the parental roof upon 
the old homestead farm in Illinois. 

At Cadillac, Michigan, she became the wife of Noah Sykes, who was a mill- 
wright and turner by trade. They removed from the Mississippi valley to Everett, 
Washington, where Mr. Sykes operated the Everett Turning Works, continuing 
active in the business there until 1904, when he met death by accident. He was a 
leading member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and also a prominent 
and influential member of the Congregational church, in which he served as deacon 
and was also a tenor singer in the choir. He was a man of many admirable traits 
of character and his sterling worth endeared him to all with whom he came in 
contact. The best traits of his character, however, were reserved for his own 
fireside and his loss came as a telling blow to the members of his household. 

In 1906 Mrs. Sykes came to Grandview. The town was established in that 
year and she became the first postmaster. She had had previous experience along 
this line at Coledale, Illinois, where she and her husband conducted a country store 
and had the postoffice for five years. She has remained continuously as postmaster 
of Grandview, covering a period of more than twelve years, so that her connection 
with postofiice affairs has extended over more than seventeen years. She erected 
the building which is now occupied by the postofiice and she at first had to carry 
the mail from Mabton. In order to supplement the postofiice salary in the early 
days she took in roomers. She was supporting her mother, who still lives with 



HISTORY OF YAKIMA VALLEY 85 

her at the advanced age of ninety-eight years. Mrs. Sykes conducted the postoffice 
for two years before it paid anything and she did not receive a salary for five 
years. The business of the office, however, has continually grown with the develop- 
ment of the surrounding country. Mrs. Sykes lived at Grandview for a year before 
a general store was established. She has therefore witnessed the entire upbuilding 
of the town and has been deeply interested in everything pertaining to its progress 
and development. She has given her political support to the democratic party and 
her religious faith is that of the Congregational church. She has been a brave, self- 
reliant woman, capable and resourceful, and is very popular among the people of the 
community. 



HOWARD GARRISON. 

■ Howard Garrison, who after four years' connection with the office of sheriff is 
resuming the practice of law in Ellensburg, was born in Centralia, Illinois, January 
25, 1875, a son of S. C. and Elizabeth Garrison, the former a farmer by occupa- 
tion. The son obtained a public school education and through the period of his 
boyhood and youth engaged in farming with his father and continued to assist in 
the development of the fields until he had reached the age of twenty-five. He was 
desirous, however, to concentrate his efforts and attention upon a professional 
career and with that end in view became a law student in uhe Northern Illinois 
College, from which he was graduated with the class of 1902. He practiced in 
Centralia from 1903 until 1906 and afterward in Springfield, Illinois, from 1906 until 
1909. In the latter year he came to the west and after living in several places 
removed to Ellensburg, Washington, in August, 1910, and entered upon the practice 
of law, in which he continued successfully until 1912. He was then appointed 
deputy sherifif and thus served until 1914, when he was elected to the office of 
sheriff and again was chosen for that position in 1916, so that he was associated 
with the sheriiT's office altogether for six years. With the close of his term in 1918 
he is now returning to the practice of law. 

On the 14th of February, 1906, Mr. Garrison was united in marriage to Miss 
Minnie Levesmeier, of Carbondale, Illinois. Their children are Howard B, and 
Mildred May. Mr. Garrison belongs to Elks Lodge No. 1102 of Ellensburg. His 
political allegiance is given to the democratic party, which he has always faithfully 
supported, being a firm believer in its principles. He has acted as chairman of the 
local exemption board and he has been greatly interested in everything that has 
had to do with the promotion of war activities and the support of the federal govern- 
ment during the great crisis in the world's history. 



HERBERT P. PRESTON. 

Herbert P. Preston, actively engaged in the milling business at Toppenish, was 
born in Waitsburg, Washington, December 21, 1874. His father, William G. Pres- 
ton, came to this state in 1861, when it was still a part of the territory of Oregon. 
He made his way to Walla Walla and was there engaged in the freighting business 
until 1865. He afterward established the first flour mill in the west in Waitsburg, 
Washington, in 1866, bringing the machinery around Cape Horn. The new venture 
proved a successful one and he continued the operation of the mill until his death, 
which occurred February 20, 1916. He was also interested in mercantile business; 
was director of the Merchants Bank of Waitsburg and the Schwabacher Company 
of Walla Walla; was identified witli the Puget Sound Dressed Meat Company and 
was much interested in farming and stock raising. In 1869 he wedded Matilda Cox, 
who survives him and now makes her home in Walla Walla. 

Herbert P. Preston, spending his youthful days under the parental roof, acquired 
a public school education and assisted his father in the mill until he reached the 
age of seventeen years, when he entered into connection with the grocery trade as 



86 HISTORY OF YAKIMA VALLEY 

an employe of the Schwabacher Company at Walla Walla. He continued there 
for many years and afterward went to Baker City, Oregon, where he conducted a 
grocery store for four years. He then went upon the road as traveling salesman 
for the Cudahy Packing Company, which he represented in Oregon, Washington 
and Idaho for five years. On the expiration of that period he turned his atten- 
tion to the brokerage business in Seattle, where he remained for six years, and 
in 1917 he built a flour mill at Toppenish, which he is now successfully conduct- 
ing. This mill has a capacity for one hundred tons of alfalfa chopped for stock 
feed, that amount being turned out every twenty-four hours. He also makes other 
kinds of stock feed and manufactures rolled oats and barley, together with barley, 
oat and corn ilour. The business is one of the substantial productive industries of 
the section and employs twenty-five men. 

On the 21st of December, 1912, Mr. Preston was married to Miss Corinne C. 
Hays, of Baker City, Oregon. He is well known as a member of the Elks lodge 
in Walla Walla and he belongs to the Commercial Club of Toppenish and to the 
Chamber of Commerce at Seattle. His business activity in various places has made 
him widely known and his enterprise has placed him among the leading and repre- 
sentative citizens of Washington. His political allegiance is given to the republican 
party and he is conversant with all the vital questions and issues of the day, but he 
does not seek nor desire office, preferring "to concentrate his eflorts and attention 
upon his business affairs. From time to time he has extended his activities, which 
have brought him into connection with many important interests. He is now a 
director of the American Savings Bank & Trust Company of Seattle and he has large 
farming interests at Walla Walla. He is also interested in a number of flour mills, 
including such plants at Waitsburg, Washington, and Athena, Oregon, and he is a 
stockholder in a number of banks. He has displayed sound judgment in his invest- 
ments and in all business transactions has quickly discriminated between the essential 
and the non-essential. Fortunate in possessing character and ability that inspire 
confidence in others, the simple weight of his character and ability has carried him 
into important relations with large commercial and financial enterprises. 



JOSEPH THEODORE STEENBERGEN. 

Joseph Theodore Steenbergen is the owner of one of the valuable ranch prop- 
erties of the Selah valley, having forty-seven acres of rich and productive land, 
largely devoted to the raising of apples. He comes to the northwest from Kentucky, 
his birth having occurred in Barren county on the 27th of August, 1868, his parents 
being William and Elizabeth (Gillock) Steenbergen, both of whom were natives of 
the Blue Grass state. The father was a son of Joseph Steenbergen, who was also 
born in Kentucky. William Steenbergen followed the occupation of farming for 
many years but is now living retired, still makng his home in his native state. His 
wife, however, has passed away. 

Joseph T. Steenbergen, after mastering the branches of learning taught in the 
public schools, took up farming as a young man and later was engaged in the 
lumber business in California in 1889. He afterward became identified with the hotel 
business in that state and in 1900 went to Alaska, devoting his attentions to mining in 
vraious sections of that country. Three times he made and lost a fortune, but 
with undaunted courage he persisted and eventually discovered the Engleside mine 
at Nome. A month later he was offered seventy-five thousand dollars for this prop- 
erty but he worked it out. In 1910 he left Alaska with the money earned in his 
mining operations in that country and came to the Yakima valley, where he pur- 
chased forty acres of land in the Selah. Subsequently he added seven acres to the 
original tract and he has the place all in orchard, largely devoted to apples and 
pears. His land is also seeded to alfalfa and an air of neatness and thrift pervades 
every part of the ranch and indicates the supervision of a practical and progressive 
owner. He has a fine home upon the place, also a large and substantial barn and 
every needed facility to promote his fruit raising interests. 

On November 27, 1912, Mr. Steenbergen was married to Miss Sue Dobson, who 




JOSEPH T. STEENBERGEN 



HISTORY OF YAKIMA VALLEY &9 

was born in Kentucky, a daughter of John Dobson. Their marriage was celebrated 
in her native state and they have become parents of two daughters; Helen, born 
September 27, 1915, and Ruth, born November 17, 1917. 

Mr. Steenbergen is a well known Mason, holding membership in Yakima Lodge, 
No. 24, F. & A. M., while in the Scottish Rite he has attained the thirty-second 
degree, and he is also a member of the Mystic Shrine of Seattle. His name is like- 
wise on the membership roll of Yakima Lodge, No. 318, B. P. O. E., and of the 
Yakima Commercial Club. His wife is a member of the Baptist church. His 
political endorsement is given to the democratic party but never has he been an 
aspirant for office. In matters of citizenship he is not remiss but prefers that his 
public service shall be done as a private citizen. His life's experiences have been 
broad and varied. He has visited many parts of the globe and many lands. During 
1911 he went to South America, spending some time in Peru, Bolivia and Ecuador, 
where he engaged in prospecting and also in touring the country generally. He 
crossed the Andes to the headwaters of the Amazon, traveling on pack mules for 
eight hundred miles. He made the trip over Mount Sarata at an altitude of seven- 
teen thousand feet. His extensive travels have convinced him that he prefers the 
Yakima valley to any other section that he has visited and, concentrating his efforts 
and attention upon the development of his business affairs, he is now engaged 
in the raising of very high-grade fruit and is the owner of one of the finest fruit 
ranches of the valley, fitted with splendid modern equipments. 



CHARLES H. NEWELL. 

It is a trite saying that there is always room at the top, yet there are few who 
attain leadership. The great majority are content to remain in a mediocre condi- 
tion, lacking the ambition or the energy that would bring them to the front. Charles 
H. Newell, however, does not belong to that class. He is a man of marked enterprise 
and keen sagacity in business affairs and, moreover, his record is that of unwearied 
industry. Starting out in life, he has eagerly utilized the opportunities which 
others have passed heedlessly by and in the course of years he became the fore- 
most dealer in horses in the state of Washington. Eventually he became a resident 
of Toppenish and with its upbuilding and development has since been closely asso- 
ciated, while at the same time his business interests extend to various other districts. 

Mr. Newell was born in Holmesville, Ohio, September 20, 1847, a son of Samuel 
and Mary Newell. The father went to California in the year 1849, attracted by the 
gold discoveries in that state, and there passed away. In 1859 the family left Ohio 
for Lawrence, Kansas, later went to Linn county, that state, and subsequently 
crossed the plains by team to Colorado, where Mrs. Newell became the wife of 
E. A. Hopkins. In 1864 they resumed their westward journey, traveling across 
the country to The Dalles, Oregon. In the same fall they settled in Washington 
county, Oregon, where they lived until 1871 and then removed to Klickitat county, 
Washington, where they took up a homestead claim which included the present 
site of the city of Goldendale. There both Mr. and Mrs. Hopkins passed away, 
the former in 1878, while the latter died in 1897. 

Charles H. Newell obtained a public school education in Oregon and after- 
ward entered the live stock business, in which connection his name has become 
widely known throughout the northwest and in other sections of the country. At 
times he has owned more horses than any other man in the state of Washington. 
He shipped the first train load over the Northern Pacific Railroad and as a member 
of the firm of Hoxter & Newell owned an extensive ranch near Goldendale. He has 
owned, bought and sold over one hundred thousand head of horses and has been 
doing business over the Yakima valley since 1871. He rode the ranges in this district 
when there were practically no settlers in this part of the state. He leased land 
from the Indians on the Yakima reservation as early as 1879 and has had lands in 
the district continuously since. In 1901 he came to Toppenish and built the first 
livery barn in the town. In 1902 he built the first hotel here and in 1908 he com- 
pleted a modern hotel, which is a fine cement structure containing fifty-five rooms. 



90 HISTORY OF YAKIMA VALLEY 

It was erected at a cost of fifty thousand dollars and is one of the best hotels in 
the valley. Mr. Newell and his partner. R. J. Davis, of Tacoma, own more than 
five hundred acres of land on the Yakima Indian reservation, devoted to general 
farming, and also have a large hay ranch. In addition to that property they lease 
several hundred acres beside. Their business interests are of a most extensive 
and important character and place them among the men of affluence in the district. 

In 1876 Mr. Newell was united in marriage to Miss Mary Wren, of Washington 
county, Oregon, a daughter of Michael Wren, who settled in that state in the '40s. 
To Mr. and Mrs. Newell has been born a son, Harold, who is now on his father's 
ranch in the summer seasons, while in the winter months he attends school. 

Mr. Newell has been a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows since 
attaining his majority and he also has membership with the United .Artisans. His 
political endorsement is given to the republican party. He does not seek to figure 
in any public light outside of business, concentrating his efforts and attention 
thereon, and as the years have passed he has developed his business affairs to 
mammoth proportions. Carlyle has said, "The obstacles in the paths of the weak 
become stepping stones for the strong," and this has been proven in the case of Mr. 
Newell, who has regarded difficulties in his path as an impetus for renewed effort 
on his part — effort that has brought him continually nearer and nearer to the goal 
of desired success. 



ERNEST WOODCOCK. 

Ernest Woodcock, who has been prominently identified with land development 
in the Yakima valley and is now well known as a leading fruit grower and capital- 
ist of the city of Yakima, was born in Williamstown, Massachusetts, October 23, 
1871, a son of Fenn B. and Frances (Taylor) Woodcock, who in 1876 removed 
westward from New England to Forest Grove, Oregon. They lived on Fuget 
Sound for a year and in 1878 came to the Yakima valley, locating seven miles west 
of the city of Yakima, the journey being made by wagon. The father purchased 
land the following year and a brother of Ernest Woodcock took up a homestead 
adjoining that place two years later. The father continued to devote his atten- 
tion to agricultural interests upon his claim to the time of his demise, which oc- 
curred in 1897, making a specialty through that period of dairying and the cattle 
business. 

Ernest Woodcock was but five years of age at the time of the removal to the 
northwest and in the public schools of this region he pursued his early education, 
which was supplemented by a course in Whitman College, from which he was 
graduated with the class of 1895. He afterward attended Columbia College for 
a year and then returned to Washington. He was married in 1896 to Miss Mary- 
Hunt, of Walla Walla, after which he conducted Eeles Academy at Colville, Wash- 
ington, for a year. His wife died that year and Mr. Woodcock returned home 
after the death of his father and conducted the ranch, also teaching in the Wood- 
cock Academy at Ahtanum, a school which had been established by his father. He 
afterward became principal of the academy and was thus closely and actively identi- 
fied with educational interests for seven years. On the expiration of that period 
he turned his attention to the land business in connection with Charles H. Hinman 
and organized the Yakima Realty & Inves.tment Company, which is still in existence 
and which his been one of the potent forces in the development and improvement 
of this section of the state. They planted si.K hundred acres to fruit, after which 
they sold some of the tract and kept the remainder. Mr. Woodcock has since 
engaged in land development work and has developed a large acreage for various 
purposes. The firm established the town of .Ahtanum and has conducted business 
under the name of the .Ahtanum Lumber & Produce Company for a time. 

In 1896 Mr. Woodcock was married to Miss Mary Hunt, of Walla Walla, who 
passed away in March, 1897, and in 1900 he wedded Etha Henderson, who was a 
graduate of Woodcock Academy and for one year was a student at Whitman Col- 
lege. Her father was James Henderson, of Yakima. By his first marriage Mr. 



HISTORY OF YAKIMA VALLEY 91 

Woodcock had a son, Marion, now twenty-one years of age and manager of the 
Ahtanum Lumber & Produce Company. He is a graduate of the high school of 
North Yakima. 

Fraternally Ernest Woodcock is connected with the Benevolent Protective Order 
of Elks and in politics he is a progressive republican. His religious faith is indi- 
cated by his membership in the Congregational church of Ahtanum, which held 
its forty-fifth anniversary on the 29th of April, 1918. His has indeed been an active 
and useful life, characterized by laudable ambition and actuated by high and honor- 
able purposes, and the worth of his work is acknowledged by all who know aught 
of his career. 



LEONARD E. SMITH. 

Leonard E. Smith is the owner of forty acres of land on the Cowiche. He was 
born in Will county, Illinois, January 26, 1872, a son of Joseph and Elizabeth 
(Sampson) Smith, both of whom were natives of Nottinghamshire, England. They 
came to the United States about 1853 and cast in their lot with the pioneer settlers 
of Will county, Illinois, where the father engaged in farming to the time of his 
death. The mother afterward made her home with her son Leonard and there 
passed away. 

In the public schools of his native county Leonard E. Smith pursued his educa- 
tion and through vacation periods and after his school days were over assisted 
in the work of the home farm until he had reached the age of twenty-four, when 
he left Illinois and removed to Iowa. He was then engaged in farming in Winne- 
bago county of the latter state, until March, 1902, when the opportunities and ad- 
vantages of the northwest attracted him and he made his way to Washington. Ar- 
riving in Yakima county, he purchased forty acres of land on the Cowiche and 
now has two acres planted to fruit. He conducts a dairy business and is engaged 
in the raising of hay and cattle, specializing in graded Jerseys. The various branches 
of his business are carefully conducted and his enterprise and energy are bringing 
to him merited success. 

On the 22d of January, 1896, Mr. Smith was married to Miss Ella Hassell, who 
was born in Iowa, a daughter of William and Emily Hassell, who came to Yakima 
county in 1903. The father died in 1917, but the mother survives and is still living 
in Yakima. They were farming people of this district. Mr. and Mrs. Smith be- 
came the parents of three children, but have lost two, Floy, the eldest, and Donald, 
the youngest, who died in infancy. The second child, Leonard, is at home. The 
family attend the Methodist church and Mr. Smith gives his political support to 
the republican party, keeping well informed on the questions and issues of the 
day. so that he is able to support his position by intelligent argument. He has 
never regretted his determination to come to the northwest, for he here found the 
opportunities which he sought and in their utilization has reached a desirable posi- 
tion as a business man and rancher. He is energetic and determined, working per- 
sistently and diligently as the years go by, and his efforts have brought excellent 
results. 



RALPH B. WILLIAMSON. 

Ralph B. Williamson, a member of the Yakima bar since 1911 and specializing 
in his practice in irrigation and water right law, in which he has acquired a more 
than state wide reputation, comes to the northwest from Iowa. He was born in 
Tama, Iowa, July 31, 1879, a son of Thomas L. and Kate Williamson. The father, 
who devoted his life to the banking business, is now deceased. 

The son acquired a public school education in his native state and in the pur- 
suit of his more specifically literary educationl he attended Cornell College of 
Iowa. He next entered Harvard University for a course in law, which he com- 



92 HISTORY OF YAKIMA VALLEY 

pleted by graduation with the class of 1905. Removing to the northwest, he 
located at Portland, Oregon, where he remained for a short time, and later he 
spent five years in the reclamation service of the United States government as a 
representative of the legal department. In 1907 he came to Yakima while still 
engaged in that work, but in January, 1911, he opened a law office and entered 
upon the private practice of his profession. In 1913 the firm of Williamson & 
Luhman was organized and has since continued. He has made a specialty of 
irrigation law and has been identified with much of the most important of recent 
water law litigation. 

On the 5th of August, 1908, Mr. Williamson was married to Miss Helen M. 
Scott, of Yakima, a daughter of W. H. Scott, and to them have been born two 
children: Richard Scott, whose birth occurred November 16, 1909; and Mary Helen, 
born August 31, 1914. 

Fraternally Mr. Williamson is a Mason. In 1915 he was president of the 
Yakima Commercial Club and under his direction many projects of the organization 
were satisfactorily completed and new ones incepted. His political allegiance is 
that of the republican party and for a number of years he 'was a member of the 
water code commission of the state. He assisted in drafting the code adopted by 
the legislature of 1917 and was largely instrumental in securing the passage of 
this act, generally believed to be one of the most important pieces of economic 
legislation passed by the legislature. There are few men who have equaled him 
in the extent of his experience and research in connection with questions relative 
to water rights and irrigation interests and his knowledge of law relative thereto 
enables him to speak with authority upon disputed questions of that kind. He 
takes a lively and earnest interest in matters pertaining to the public welfare, and 
is a permanent member of the legal advisory board appointed by President Wilson 
for Yakima county. 



A. B. FOSSEEN. 



A. B. Fosseen, familiarly and affectionately known as Ben, is an alert and 
energetic business man and one who holds to advanced ideas in the treatment of 
employes and of the general public. He is dealing in building supplies at Yakima 
and has gained a very substantial trade during the seven years of the existence of 
the firm — a trade that has come to him as the merited reward of persistent effort, 
earnest desire to please his patrons and straightforward dealing. His career is one 
which should certainly receive the thoughtful consideration of young men who start 
out empty-handed as Mr. Fosseen has done and who desire to work their way 
upward through legitimate business methods. 

Mr. Fosseen was born in Leland, Illinois, on the 6th of October, 1876, a son 
of Osman and Isabel Fosseen. The father was engaged during his active business 
career in various lines, following farming and merchandising at difTerent times, but 
eventually he retired and died in the year 1915. 

After completing his education in the University of Minnesota and thus becom- 
ing well equipped by thorough educational training for life's practical and responsible 
duties, A. B. Fosseen entered the lumber business in Minnesota and was there 
engaged until 1908, when he removed westward to Washington, making Yakima 
his destination. Here he entered the employ of the Hellison Lumber Company, 
with which he was connected until the 1st of January, 1911, when he established the 
firm of A. B. Fosseen & Company. It had long been his ambition to organize a 
company where fair play would be given vnployes and he has taken some of these 
in as members of the firm as fast as their ability has been proven. In this way and 
by his straightforward treatment of them, his fairness and his justice, he has built 
up a wonderful loyalty among the men in his service. He has always believed that 
honorable success is founded upon straightforward dealing with debtor and credi- 
tor alike, upon fairness to employes and by capable service to customers. When the 
bu.siness was organized Mr. Fosseen became president and treasurer, with H. F. 
Luhman as secretary, and both continue in office to the present time. W. E. Coleman 



HISTORY OF YAKIMA VALLEY 93 

is now vice president, with F. B. Siiicel as treasurer. Neither Mr. Luhman nor 
Mr. Sincel are directors of the company, the board consisting of Mr. Fosseen, Mr. 
Coleman, A. E. Rassmussen, VV. C. Rider and Eck Baughn. All are active in the 
business with the exception of Mr. Luhman, and Thomas S. Smiley and F. B. 
Baker are also stockholders in the concern. This company deals in building sup- 
plies, irrigation supplies, paints, oils, pumps, motors, coal, brick and cement and 
spraying supplies. They were tirst located in the Clcgg building and then on A 
and First streets. In 1917 they erected a large building, one hundred by one 
hundred feet, at the corner of Yakima and First streets. This is a one-story and 
basement structure with cement floor and has beautiful ofiices. The building is 
constructed of hollow tile and brick. The company is capitalized for thirty-five 
thousand dollars and now employs from twelve to twenty men according to the 
season. The prosperity of the undertaking may be attributed to three factors, 
namely; low cost of operation, volume of business and best grades of material 
obtainable. 

On the 22d of January, 1908, Mr. Fosseen was married to Miss Florence Vance 
Xeal, of Fargo, North Dakota, and they now have one son, Neal Randolph. Mr. 
Fosseen is a prominent representative of Masonry, ever loyal to the teachings and 
purposes of the craft. He belongs to the lodge and has attained the thirty-second 
degree of the Scottish Rite, while with the Nobles of the Mystic Shrine he has 
crossed the sands of the desert. He also is a member of the Benevolent Pro- 
tective Order of Elks, of the Commercial Club, the Country Club, the College Club 
of Seattle and Beta Theta Pi, a college fraternity. His political alegiance is given 
to the republican party and he served as secretary of the district exemption board. 
Mr.' Fosseen commands the highest respect of all who know him. He has many 
splendid qualities; not the least of which is his quick recognition of worth in others. 
He judges men by worth, not by wealth, and sterling traits of character can always 
win his regard. His course has never been such as to make him sacrifice his self- 
respect but on the contrary has gained for him the loyal friendship and admiration 
of all with whom he has been brought in contact. 



LEONARD TALBOTT. 

Leonard Talbott, who for four years served as postmaster of Toppenish, was 
born in Bement, Illinois, March 6, 1867, a son of Jefferson M. and Amanda Tal- 
bott, both of whom passed away in Illinois, where the father had devoted his life 
to the occupation of farming. 

Leonard Talbott acquired a public school education in his native state and after- 
ward became a telegraph operator, devoting twenty-five years of his life to service 
of that kind. In 1892 he removed to the northwest, making his way first to Montana, 
where he was agent for the Northern Pacific Railroad Company for three years 
at Billings and seven years at Red Lodge. In 1905 he came to Toppenish, Wash- 
ington, and was appointed railway agent for the Northern Pacific Company at this 
place. He continued in that position until 1908, when he entered the furniture busi- 
ness on his own account, conducting his store for six years. He sold out, however, in 
1914 and was appointed postmaster, in which capacity he served until his death 
September 20, 1918. 

In 1892 Mr. Talbott *was married to Miss Sadie F. Fox, of Mazeppa, Minne- 
sota, and to them was born a son, Robert F., whose birth occurred in Montana 
in 1896 and who is a graduate of the Toppenish high school, having completed the 
course in the first class to graduate therefrom — a class of but two members. He 
is now serving with the One Hundred and Sixty-first Infantry of the United States 
army and is in active duty in France. 

Mr. Talbott belonged to Toppenish Lodge, No. 178, A. F. & A. M., of which he 
was a past master at the time of his death, and he was regarded as a most loyal 
adherent to the tenets and purposes of the craft. He also belonged to the Knights 
of Pythias lodge, of which he was a past chancellor. In the Toppenish Commercial 
Club he was an active and earnest member and served as its president in 1910 and 



94 HISTORY OF YAKIMA VALLEY 

1911. His political allegiance was given to the democratic party and he was an 
earnest worker in its ranks. He served as the first mayor of Toppenish in 1907 
and was reelected to that position in 1909. His administration was of a practical 
and businesslike character and greatly promoted the interests of the town. When 
he came to Toppenish there were only a few houses in the place and its population 
was very small, but through the intervening years it had grown rapidly and Mr. 
Talbott was closely associated with its development and progress in many ways, 
at all times proving himself a loyal and public-spirited citizen. 



H. C. DAVIS. 



H. C. Davis, of Yakima, is a man of well balanced activities and powers 
and his intelligently directed efforts have brought him to a creditable and enviable 
position in financial circles of his city, for he is now the president of the Central 
Bank & Trust Company. He was born in Bellaire, Ohio, on the 21st of August, 1872, 
a son of T. C. and Sarah J. Davis, who in 1884 removed with their family to south- 
eastern Kansas, where the father purchased land, but failure overtook them there and 
a later removal was made to St. Clair county, Missouri, where the family home was 
maintained for twelve and a half years, during which period the father with the as- 
sistance of his sons engaged in farming. In 1902 the family came to the Yakima 
valley and the father again gave his attention to general agricultural pursuits up to 
the time of his retirement from active business life. 

H. C. Davis acquired his education in the public schools of Kansas and Missouri 
and upon the removal of the family to the northwest began working for wages. He 
was ambitious, however, to engage in farming on his own account and as soon as 
possible purchased some land. This he later traded and also at different times bought 
land until he is today the owner of a very fine ranch near Granger, Washington, 
which he has carefully developed and improved. He had thereon a fine herd of 
pure blooded Holstein cattle but sold these in 1918. In 1913 he held a sale of fifty- 
seven head of cattle, which brought the largest average price of any such sale held in 
this section of the country, an average of four hundred and sixty-two dollars per 
head. In fact the price was greater than had ever seen paid for any herd of cattle 
of that size in the world at the time. Mr. Davis has done much toward improving the 
grade of cattle raised in the Yakima valley and has thus contributed materially to the 
prosperity of the section. In the east he had largely devoted his time to stock feed- 
ing, and although he is no longer engaged in stock raising, he still keeps his land. 

At the present time Mr. Davis concentrates his efforts and attention upon the 
banking business, having become president of the Central Bank & Trust Company, 
which was organized on the 11th of, June, 1910, taking ever the old Farmers & Mer- 
chants Bank on the 8th of July of the same year. The latter had been organized 
August 12, 1907, by Philip .A.rmbruster, who became president, J. R. Marshall vice- 
president, and C. E. Eraser, cashier, while other directors were L. .A. Dash, F. A. 
Morgan, Orvis McCullough and Lee C. Delle. The capital stock was thirty thou- 
sand dollars, all paid in. The bank was located at the corner of Second avenue and 
Yakima street and in 1910 a removal was made to the corner of Fourth avenue and 
Yakima. In January, 1917, another removal was made, on which occasion they re- 
turned to the old location at Second avenue and Yakima, buying the building, which 
is a two-story structure one hundred and forty by fifty feet. The bank is splendidly 
equipped with mahogany fixtures and with the latest fireproof and burglar-proof 
vaults and safes and everything to protect the interests of depositors and of the bank. 
In 1910. upon the reorganization of the business under the name of the Central Bank 
& Trust Company, George C. Mitchell became the president, Ernest Woodcock vice- 
president, E. A. Beekman temporary secretary, with Charles H. -Mien, S. Grant Smith, 
G. H. Grotewohl and William Wiley as directors. R. S. Wickersham afterward 
became cashier and secretary but not a director. On the 4th of October, 1915, fol- 
lowing the resignation of Mr. Mitchell, W. R. Philips was chosen to the presidency 
and on the 4th of October. 1915, A. B. Hood was elected cashier and W. E. Gitchell 
became assistant cashier. On the same date G. C. Waller was elected treasurer. 



HISTORY OF YAKIMA VALLEY 97 

Another change occurred in the presidency when Mr. Philips resigned and D. L. 
Biiren was chosen to fill the vacant position on the 20th of September, 1916, at which 
date W. F. Gitchell was elected cashier. In January, 1916, H. C. Davis became one 
of the directors of the bank and on the 1st of September, 1917, was elected to the 
presidency. Mr. Woodcock has remained as vice-president and on the 1st of Sep- 
tember, 1917, E. S. Rowe, of Sandpoint, Idaho, was made cashier. The present 
directors are W. E. Coumbe, E. B. Marks. Ernest Woodcock, H. C. Davis and E. S. 
Rowe. The Central Bank & Trust Company was organized with a fully paid-up 
capital of fifty thousand dollars. The bank's statement of July 7, 1910, showed its 
resources to be one hundred and twenty-eight thousand seven hundred and forty- 
three dollars and eighty-nine cents, while the statement of December 30. 1916, showed 
the resources to be two hundred and six thousand four hundred and thirty-five dol- 
lars and that of December 24, 1918, indicates a notable growth, for the resources at 
that date amounted to more than five hundred and seven thousand dollars. To 
his duties as president Mr. Davis brought keen discernment, sound business judg- 
ment and unfaltering energy and he is proving his right to rank with the leading 
financiers of the city. 

On the 12th of February, 1895, Mr. Davis was married to Miss Sarah J. Baxter, 
who was born in Texas but was reared in Missouri, a daughter of Hale Baxter. The 
children of this marriage are: Opal J., twenty-one years of age; Elmer B., eleven 
year? of age: H. C, Jr.; and Koy. who has passed away. 

Fraternally Mr. Davis is connected with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows 
and his prominence in the society is indicated in the fact that he has served for four 
tertns as noble grand. He is also an active member of the Benevolent Protective 
Order of Elks. In politics he is a democrat where national issues and questions are 
before the people but at local elections he casts an independent ballot. He has been 
a candidate for the state legislature and the state senate and although the district nor- 
mally has a republican majority of over six thousand, he ran within one hundred 
and sixteen votes of election — a fact indicative of his personal popularity and the 
confidence reposed in him by his fellow townsmen. He deserves much credit for 
what he has accomplished in a business way, as his entire career has been actuated 
by a spirit of progress that has benefited the community as well as promoted his 
individual interests. 



CHARLES H. HIXMAX. 

Charles H. Hinman, a prominent fruit man of Yakima, who is now manager 
of the Fruit Growers' Association, was born in Missouri, January 7, 1871, a son of 
Henry V. and Jane L. Hinman. His parents removed to Kansas in 1873 and after 
twenty years' residence in the Sunflower state came to Washington in 1893, settling 
in Kittitas county, while subsequently they came to Yakima county. The father 
was register of the land office and passed away in Yakima in 1905, but the mother 
still survives. 

Charles H. Hinman acquired a public school education in Kansas and supple- 
mented it by study in the Kansas State .Agricultural College. He taught school 
in Washington for twelve years, becoming one of the successful and able educators 
of the state, imparting readily and clearly to others the knowledge that he had ac- 
quired. In 1902 he took up his abode in Yakima and became clerk in the land 
office. While thus engaged he devoted his leisure to the reading of law and en- 
tered the active practice of the profession as a land attorney, in which connection 
he remained for several years. He afterward turned his attention to the real 
estate business in connection with Ernest Woodcock and has contributed much 
to the development of the countryside through the planting of orchards and the 
sale of property well adapted to fruit production. He joined the fruit growers' 
organization as a charter member and for about two years served as its president, 
while in 1917 he became manager for the association and is now filling that re- 
sponsible and important position. 

In 1911 Mr. Hinman was united in marriage to Mrs. Caroline Satterwhite, of 



98 HISTORY OF YAKIMA VALLEY 

Sunnyside, Washington. He has four children, two by a former marriage: Charles 
Lee, who is now in the State University; and Lorene. The children of his second 
marriage are Carroll and Charlene. 

Mr. Hinman is connected with the Woodmen ot the World and the Knights 
of Pythias. In politics he is a republican, and while not a politician in the sense of 
office seeking, he has served as county superintendent of schools in Kittitas county. 
He belongs to the Presbyterian church and to the Commercial Club and his activi- 
ties and interests have always been along lines which have been far-reaching in 
purpose and result. He stands for public benefit and has done much to bring about 
progress and improvement in the Yakima valley. 



JOHN M. MEEKHOF. 

John M. Meekhof, a substantial and esteemed citizen of Yakima county, owns 
and operates a fruit farm two miles west of the city of Yakima. He was born in 
Holland on the 3d of April, 1860, a son of Mynerd and Bertha (Tallen) Meekhof 
and it was in that country that the father passed away. 

John M. Meekhof spent the first twenty years of his life in the land of his nativ- 
ity and then emigrated to the United States in 1880. Making his way into the interior 
of the country, he located near Cadillac, Michigan, where he began farming and was - 
thus actively and successfully engaged for many years. In 1909 he removed to the 
northwest and on the 5th of December of that year took up his abode on Whidbey 
Island, Washington. Subsequently he located in Everett, this state, and later spent 
a short time at Duval, Washington, while for a brief period he resided in Seattle. 
He next rented a large farm near Rainier, Washington, the cultivation of which 
claimed his time and energies until September, 1914, when he came to Yakima county 
and purchased a twenty-acre tract of land near Eugene. Later he purchased eighty 
acres of land near Wiley City where he was engaged in general agricultural pursuits 
for a year. During these years he was for some time near Snohomish and also in 
Tolt, Washington, where he had an hundred acre farm. In February, 1918, he dis- 
posed of the property and bought a small fruit farm two miles west of Yakima, where 
he now owns an attractive residence and is successfully carrying on his fruit-growing 
interests. 

In 1890 Mr. Meekhof was united in marriage to Miss Elizabeth Von der Heide, 
of Michigan, by whom he has four children, as follows: Jacob, who follows farming 
near Prosser; Bertha, at home; Mynerd, who is also yet under the parental roof but 
operates a farm near Prosser in association with his brother, Jacob; and Henrietta, 
at home. 

In politics Mr. Meekhof is a stanch republican, exercising his right of franchise 
in support of the men and measures of that party. He belongs to the Dutch Re- 
formed church of Moxee and guides his life by its teachings. Coming to the new 
world in early manhood, he eagerly availed himself of the opportunities for advance- 
ment offered on this side of the Atlantic and as the years have passed has won well 
merited prosperity, at the same time gaining the friendship and high regard of those 
with whom he has been brought in contact. 



PETER F. BESSESEN. 

Peter F. Bessesen, who is filling the position of assistant postmaster at Toppe.n- 
ish, was born near Portland, Oregon, on the 9th of September, 1888, a son of Sjur 
and Barbara Bessesen, both of whom were natives of Norway. In the year 1884 
they became residents of Oregon, and the father, who devoted his early life to sail- 
ing, afterward became a farmer of that state. He passed away February 7, 1896. 

Peter F. Bessesen acquired a public school education while spending his youth- 
ful days in his mother's home. After the death of her first husband she became the 
wife of J. M. Hildreth, who died in 1911, and later she married N. G. Van Dusen. 



HISTORY OF YAKIMA VALLEY 99 

In 1903 the family went to Yakima, where Peter F. Bessesen attended the high 
school. When his school days were over he took up the occupation of farming in 
connection with his stepfather and also conducted a large dairy. At a subsequent 
period he engaged in the meat business and in other lines and at one time he and his 
stepfather. Mr. Hildreth, conducted a butcher shop in the old town of Yakima, which 
they opened in 1902. there carrying on business until 1907. In the latter year they 
removed to Toppenish and Mr. Bessesen conducted a meat market in this town 
until 1912 and at the same time was identified with other business interests. He en- 
tered the post office in 1912 in the capacity of letter carrier and later was retained 
for inside work, while in 1917 he was appointed to the position of assistant postmas- 
ter and is now acting in that capacity. 

On the 10th of March. 1910. Mr. Bessesen was united in marriage to Miss Maude 
Calkins, of North Yakirna, and to them were born four children: Ivan Sjur and 
Pauline Peter, both of whom died of scarlet fever; Jack Peter F. ; and Ralph Alonzo. 

Mr. Bessesen is a member of the Loyal Order of Moose and also of the Fores- 
ters of America. His political views are in accord with the teachings and principles 
of the republican party and his religious faith is that of the Methodist church. He 
has spent his entire life in the northwest and has therefore been a witness of its 
wonderful growth and development. He has lived to see remarkable changes in the 
Yakima valley during his connection therewith and through the conduct of busi- 
ness interests has contributed in no small measure to its growth and success. 



THOMAS J. DONNELLY. 

An up-to-date eighty acre farm, well irrigated and highly productive, stands 
as evidence of the industry and foresight of Thomas J. Donnelly, a successful agri- 
culturist near Tieton. He was born in St. Louis, Missouri. December 16, 1873, a 
son of Patrick and Rose (Parland) Donnelly, natives of Ireland, who as young people 
emigrated to New York, where they were married, and thence removed to St. Louis. 
In 1874 they went to Klickitat county. Washington, taking up government land near 
the old block house, and there the father entered the sheep business. In 1887 they 
came to the Cowiche valley, in Yakima county, where Mr. Donnelly bought the 
Kelly ranch of one hundred and sixty acres. Closely confining himself to his 
farming interests, he derived a good annual return from his labors and was enabled to 
add to his holdings from time to time until he had accumulated over thirteen hun- 
dred acres of land. He gave up the sheep business in 1886 as the ranges were 
gradually taken up, then engaging in the cattle business and also in general farm- 
ing. In later life he retired in the enjoyment of a handsome competence and died in 
Yakima, being survived by his wife, who later married Benjamin Juru, a resident 
of Fruitvale. 

Thomas J. Donnelly was reared amid pioneer conditions and early in life be- 
came self-reliant. In the acquirement of his education he attended the public schools 
and subsequently assisted his father with the ranch work, thus laying a good foun- 
dation for his subsequent career. Later he took up an eighty acre homestead and 
engaged in dry farming, as the-re was no water. When the Tieton irrigation project 
came into being and the land could be supplied with plenty of water his interests 
improved wonderfully and he now has his farm nearly all under cultivation. His 
fine home, excellent barns, modern machinery and up-to-date equipment bespeak his 
prosperity and the progressive methods which he has ever followed. Besides raising 
hay and grain he gives close attention to stock, being very successful along this 
line. 

On the 12th of February, 1899, Mr. Donnelly was united in marriage to Miss 
Efific Elliott, a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. James Elliott, well known pioneers of 
Cowiche, who are now deceased. To this union have been born two children, 
Edwin and Myrtle. 

Mr. Donnelly is independent in regard to political affairs, preferring to follow 
his own judgment and supporting measures and candidates irrespective of party 
issues. Although not an active politician, he is, however, well informed on all 

(5) , . 



100 HISTORY OF YAKIMA VALLEY 

public questions, especially in regard to his locality, and has ever supported worthy 
movements undertaken for the betterment of the community. He is interested in 
the moral as well as material development and has done much toward bringing 
this about. He enjoys a high reputation among the agriculturists of his district and 
has many friends here. 



PETER BAGLEY. 



More than a quarter of a century has passed since .Peter Bagley became identi- 
fied with the mining interests of Kittitas county and in this connection he has made 
steady progress until in 1913 he was appointed to his present responsible position 
■ — that of general superintendent of the mines of the Northwest Improvement Com- 
pany at Cle Elum and Roslyn. He was born in Ireland, December 26, 1863, a son 
of James and Katherine Bagley, who came to the United StA-tes in the year of his 
birth. They made their way to Illinois and the father was connected with the build- 
ing of the Union Pacific Railroad until 1869. He then located in Seattle and through 
the intervening period the family has been identified with the northwest. Later he 
was at Newcastle, Washington, and while there working in the mines met an acci- 
dental death. His widow survived and passed away in Seattle. 

When a lad of but twelve years Peter Bagley began working in the mines at New- 
castle and later was employed in a similar way at Seattle for three years. He came 
to Roslyn in 1891, so that for twenty-eight years he has been a resident of this 
locality and throughout the entire period has been identified with its mining inter- 
ests. In 1901 he was advanced to the position of foreman of the Dip mine at 
Roslyn and in 1910 was made district superintendent, having charge over three 
mines. Promotion again came to him in 1913. when he was made genera! superin- 
tendent of the Northwest Improvement Company's mines at Cle Elum and at 
Roslyn. His work in this connection is of a most important character and his duties 
are discharged with thoroughness, system and notable ability. 

In 1887 Mr. Bagley was joined in wedlock to Miss Mary Barrett, of Newcastle, 
Washington, and their children are as follows: Nellie, the wife of Otto Albers, a 
resident of Chehalis, Washington; Margaret, the wife of John Lewis, of Roslyn; 
Rose, the wife of Walter Grimm, a resident of Chehalis but now serving in the 
United States army; Kate, the wife of Leonard Ackerman, who makes his home 
in Tacoma but is now on active duty in France with the United States army; May 
and E. J., both at home. 

Mr. Bagley exercises his right of franchise in support of the men and measures 
of the republican party but supported Grover Cleveland for the presidency when 
elected the second time. He is connected with the Foresters and with the Inde- 
pendent Order of Odd Fellows. His has been an active life in which he ha!» 
thoroughly mastered every task assigned him and his knowledge of every phase q' 
the mining business has brought him prominently to the front in this connection, 
for he has been ambitious, energetic and thoroughly reliable and his many substan- 
tial qualities have therefore gained for him promotion to his present place of re- 
sponsibility. 



PRESSON BROTHERS. 

The house of Presson Brothers is among the best known mercantile establish- 
ments of Yakima county, their store being in Mabton, where they carry a complete 
and well assorted line of general merchandise. The store was established in 1910 
under the name of King & Presson, the original founders being: Arthur King, presi- 
dent, and A. C. Presson, secretary and treasurer. B. F. Presson bought an interest 
in 1911, and became secretary and treasurer, and in November, 1916, the interest 
of Mr. King was acquired by the Pressons, when A. W. Presson became a member 
of the firm and the name was changed to that of Presson Brothers. Their estab- 



HISTORY OF YAKIMA VALLEY 101 

lishmcnt has a ground space of fifty by eighty feet and is one of the most modern 
in the valley. They carry complete lines of the various articles generally to be found 
in larger mercantile establishments and these goods are very carefully selected. 
While the highest quality is maintained, the prices are always at a comparatively \ovf 
level, the firm contenting itself with a reasonable profit. In their contact with cus- 
tomers the greatest politeness is maintained and it is seen to that every patron of 
the house goes away satisfied and pleased. The most honorable business standards 
maintain in the establishment and their methods are above reproach. They are 
modern and progressive young business men of considerable experience and it is 
therefore but natural that the name of Presson Brothers has become one of the 
best and most favorably known in Mabton and Yakima county. 

Their parents, I. N. and L. V. (Johnson) Presson, originally came from Ten- 
nessee, whence they removed to Missouri in 1879. There the father was for many 
years successfully engaged in farming and the nursery business, but in 1910 he and 
his son, A. C. Presson, came to Mabton and this has remained his home ever since. 
The wife and mother passed away several years ago in Missouri. In April, 1918, 
A. C. Presson enlisted in Company I, Quartermasters Corps, and is at present sta- 
tioned at Camp Meigs, Washington. He is to be highly commended for so readily, 
responding to the call of his country in order to fight the common enemy in Europe. 

Both B. F. and A. W. Presson are married and each has a family of three chil- 
dren. Both are democrats and faithfully support the principles and candidates of the 
party although neither is desirous of holding office. However, they are always inter- 
ested in matters pertaining to the development of this section and are ever ready to 
give their support to measures undertaken to promote the interests of Mabton and its 
inhabitants along material, moral and intellectual lines. 



GEORGE F. McAULAY. 

George F. McAulay, who for more than fifteen years has been an active practi- 
tioner at the bar of Yakima, was born in Caseville, Michigan. October 9, 1870, a son 
of Arthur K. and Nancy T. (Fisher) Mc.A.ulay. In 1895 the family removed to 
Baker, Oregon, where the parents resided until 1912 and then became residents of 
Yakima, where the father passed away in 1914. The mother, however, is still living. 
Mr. McAulay had devoted his life to the occupation of farming. 

In the public schools of his native state George F. McAulay pursued his early 
education and later attended the Ohio Northern University from which he was grad- 
uated in the class of 1895 with the degree of B. A. In preparation for a profes- 
sional career he entered the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor and won his 
Bachelor of Laws degree upon graduation with the class of 1902. He then prac- 
ticed for a short time at Baker. Oregon, but in the fall of that year removed to 
North Yakima, where he has since made his home and has continuously followed his 
profession, winning a place among the leading lawyers of the valley. He prepares 
his cases with great thoroughness and care and his practice is extensive and of an 
important character. At no time has his reading ever been confined to the limitations 
of the questions at issue; it has gone beyond and compassed every contingency and 
provided not alone for the expected but for the unexpected, which happens in the 
courts quite as frequently as out of them. His legal learning, his analytical mind, 
the readiness with which he grasps the points in an argument, all combine to make 
him one of the capable lawyers of the Yakima valley. 

In 1897 Mr. McAulay was married to Miss Annie M. Bankerd, of Lewisburg, 
Ohio. Their children, five in number, are John H., Annie, Jean, Martha and Agnes. 

Fraternally Mr. McAulay is connected with Yakima Lodge No. 24, F. & A. M., 
and with Rose Croix Chapter, in which he has attained the eighteenth degree of the 
Scottish Rite. He is an active member of the Methodist Episcopal church and for 
many years has served as trustee and also as president of the board of trustees. He 
is also a trustee of the Young Men's Christian Association and takes an active inter- 
est in all of those uplifting influences which work for the benefit of the individual. 
In politics he is a democrat and has served as chairman of the democratic county 



102 HISTORY OF YAKIMA VALLEY 

central committee of Yakima county. For three years he served on the Yakima 
Board of Education. In June, 1917, he left Yakima for Brazil, South America, in 
behalf of a syndicate of local men who hold landed interests in that country, the 
immediate purpose for going being the investigation of titles and economic condi- 
tions. He traveled in several Brazilian states and came in contact with many of the 
representative men of that country. He arrived home in February, 1918. He belongs 
to the Washington State Bar Association and to the Yakima County Bar Associa- 
tion and his interests and activities are always directed along lines which tend to 
advance the material, intellectual, social and moral progress of the community. 



MATTHIAS F. STANTON. 

Death often removes from our midst those whom we can ill afford to lose — 
those whose life activity has been of such worth that it seems they should be spared 
for years to come. A deep feeling of regret swept throughout Yakima county when 
it was learned that Matthias F. Stanton had been called to the home beyond. He 
was a native of Indiana, his birth having occurred near Laporte on the 2d of Febru- 
ary. 1837, his parents being William and Anna (Fosher) Stanton. His father was 
born near Liberty, Indiana, May 5, 1807, and his mother's birth occurred in the 
same locality on the 14th of March, 1803. M. F. Stanton's father belonged to an old 
eastern family of English descent. 

Having arrived at years of maturity, Matthias F. Stanton married Felicia E. 
Whitlock, a native of Oregon and a daughter of Mitchell and Malvina (Engle) 
Whitlock, the former a native of Missouri, while the latter was born in Illinois. 
Mrs. Whitlock was a daughter of William Engle, who brought his family to the 
northwest in 1845, settling in Clackamas county, Oregon, as one of the earliest of its 
pioneer residents. In that state he remained till the time of his death, passing 
away in Marion county, Oregon. Mitchell Whitlock took up his abode in Marion 
county, Oregon, in 1845, having made the long and arduous journey across the 
plains, and he and his wife were married in Clackamas county. Their home, how- 
ever, was established just across the line in Marion county, and there they continued 
to reside until called to the home beyond, his death occurring in 1898, while his 
widow survived until 1906. 

Matthias F. Stanton and Felicia E. Whitlock were married in Oregon on the 
21st of October, 1869, and in the following month removed to Yakima county, 
where Mr. Stanton had previously taken up government land on the Ahtanuni in 
1868. They were among the first setttlers of the region. The work of development 
and improvement had scarcely been begun and there was little to indicate the 
rapid changes which were soon to occur and transform this into a populous and 
properous district. All mail and supplies had to come from The Dalles, Oregon, 
a distance of one hundred miles. Mr. Stanton engaged in freighting and other 
lines of work and also gave much time and attention to the development of his 
ranch, while later he engaged in the cattle business. His persistency of purpose 
and his unfaultering energy constituted the basic elements in his successful busi- 
ness career. He continued to reside in the Yakima valley until the time of his death, 
which occurred on the 29th of September, 1902. He was active as a supporter of 
the republican party in early days but later maintained an independent political 
attitude. He was a member of the Christian church, guiding his life according 
to its teachings, and his worth was widely acknowledged. 

To Mr. and Mrs. Matthias F. Stanton were born five children: Daisy, who 
died at the age of sixteen years; Anna M., at home; Matthias, who is a rancher on 
the Ahtanum; Percy, who is operating the home farm; and Esther, who became the 
wife of Frank W. Brown, a rancher on the Cowiche. Matthias Stanton is a native 
son of Yakima county, having been born on the Ahtanum, June 14, 1877. He 
married Florence E. Merritt, of Yakima county. 

Matthias F. Stanton is survived by his widow, a woman of chirming personality 
who has resided in the valley since early pioneer days and has therefore witnessed 




MATTHIAS F. STANTON 



HISTORY OF YAKIMA VALLEY 105 

the entire growth and development of this region. The name of Stanton has ever 
been an honored one in the district and is inseparably interwoven with events and 
business interests which have left an unmistakable impress upon the history of 
this region. 



H. A. BOOSE. 



H. A. Boose, cashier of the First National Bank of Sunnyside, was born in Penn- 
sylvania, March 6, 1873, a son of John R. and Mary (Turner) Boose, who are still 
living in the Keystone state, where the father is engaged in the insurance business. 
The son acquired a public school education there and, making good use of his oppor- 
tunities, qualified for teaching, which profession he took up in Pennsylvania. He 
devoted nine years to teaching, six years of which were passed in his native state 
and three in Illinois. He came to Washington in 1900, settling at Sunnyside, and 
here purchased wild land. He developed and improved a fine farm of forty acres, 
at which time there was no town here. In 1907, however, he became identified with 
the banking interests of Sunnyside but still makes his home upon the farm. 

The First National Bank of Sunnyside was organized in December, 1906, and 
opened the following March. The first officers were: Lee A. Johnson, president; 
C. M. Scott, cashier; R. C. McCredie, assistant cashier; and H. M. Lichty, vice 
president. In 1914 Mr. Johnson passed away. R. C. McCredie was president from 
1913 until 1915, when he was succeeded by F. J. Taylor. Otto K. Strizek was presi- 
dent from 1915 until September, 1917, when F. E. Langer succeeded to the position 
and served until April, 1918, when A. B. Snider became the president. Mr. Scott 
continued to act as cashier until 1911, when R. C. McCredie was elected to the posi- 
tion and continued to serve in that capacity until 1913. Mr. Boose then became the 
cashier and has since continued in the office, covering a period of five years. His 
close application, unflagging enterprise and uniform courtesy have been salient fea- 
tures in the continued success of the bank, which is capitalized for fifty thousand 
dollars. The company purchased the present corner and the building now occupied. 
Today the bank has a surplus of sixty-five hundred dollars, undivided profits of 
almost five thousand dollars, and its deposits amount to three hundred and sixty- 
eight thousand dollars. Mr. Boose is putting forth every possible efifort to aid in 
the upbuilding of the bank and make it what it is today — one of the strong financial 
institutions of this part of the state. 

On the 20th of October, 1898, Mr. Boose was married to Miss Nora A. Fike, a 
native of Illinois, and they have four children, Grace, Earl, Harold and Maurice, the 
last named being nine years of age. 

Mr. Boose's political allegiance is given to the republican party and while he has 
never been an office seeker he has served on the board of education and acted as its 
clerk. His religious faith is indicated by his membership in the Presbyterian church. 
He is a man of genuine personal worth as well as business ability, and his many 
sterling traits of character and his loyalty in citizenship have gained him an en- 
viable place in the regard of his fellow townsmen. 



LEON CHARRON. 



Leon Charron is the owner if a highly cultivated tract of land of fifty-five acres. 
He was one of the pioneers in the district in which he makes his home and originally 
had a ninety-five acre tract of land but sold forty acres of this for the townsite of 
Moxee, for the town had not yet sprung into existence at the time of his arrival in 
that locality. Mr. Charron is a native of Canada. He was born in Montreal, October 
5, 1852. a son of Louis and Aurelia Charron, both of whom passed away in Canada. 

Through the period of his boyhood and youth Leon Charron remained in his 
native country and was twenty-five years of age when in 1877 he took up his abode 
at Seattle, Washington. He spent two years on the western coast at that time 



106 HISTORY OF YAKIMA VALLEY 

but in 1879 returned to Montreal, where he lived until 1880, when he went to Crook- 
ston, Minnesota. For two decades he continued to make his home in that state and 
ill 190O he came to Yakima county. In the intervening period of eighteen years he 
has been engaged in farming. He located on the Moxee, where he purchased ninety- 
five acres of land, but afterward furthered the development and improvement of 
the district through the sale of forty acres for the townsite. He still owns town 
property and yet retains possession of fifty-five acres of his original tract, which is 
devoted to the production of hay, potatoes, sugar beets and other crops. This was 
all wild land when it came into his possession and it scarcely seemed that nature 
could so quickly respond to the labors of man, but irrigation and efifort have wrought 
most wonderful results, making this a highly productive region. 

In 1880 Mr. Charron was married to Miss Corinne Brussard, a native of Canada, 
who in her girlhood days became a resident of Minnesota, where she passed away 
in 1885. The children of that marriage are: Eli, who is engaged in ranching on the 
Moxee, where he has one hundred acres of land; Lucien, who is married and has 
three children, two daughters and a son, residing with him upon his ranch of forty 
acres on the Moxee: Leo, who rents his father's place; and Louis, deceased. In 
1889 Mr. Charron was again married, his second union being with Corrine Jubuc, 
who is also a native of Canada and went to Minnesota in her girlhood days. The 
children of this marriage are: Valentina, the wife of Albert Captistan, a rancher on 
the Moxee, by whom she has two daughters; Emma, the wife of Arthur Stmars, a 
ranchman, by whom she has one son; Maria, Ida and Rose, all at home; and Louis, 
who is in college. 

The parents are members of the Holy Rosary CathoHc church. Mr. Charron was 
one of its founders and has been most active in its work and generous in its support. 
Mr. Charron has long been closely identified with the development and progress of 
his section of the state and has made valuable contribution to the work of upbuild- 
ing and improvement. He is now the owner of one of the excellent ranch properties 
of the district, upon which he has a fine artesian well eight feet in diameter and 
thirteen hundred feet in depth, from which comes a flow of water yielding thirty- 
five hundred gallons per minute. This well furnishes Moxee with its water supply. 
The water is of the purest quality and the well is the finest in the valley. Mr. Charron 
has always displayed the most progressive spirit in the development of his property 
and at the same time has cooperated heartily in all plans and movements for the 
general good. 



ELLIOTT M. SLY. 



The Kennewick Produce Company's report for 1917, published in 1918, shows 
that this remarkable cooperant enterprise closed the year's business with over a half 
million dollars transactions. Its wonderful success must be ascribed in large measure 
to the business foresight, ability and experience of Elliott M. Sly, the manager. Mr. 
Sly is a native of Illinois, his birth having occurred in Lockport, September 3. 1869, 
and he is a son of Eugene R. and Emma J. (Spicer) Sly, the former a well known 
manufacturer. The parents now make their home in Michigan. In April. 1908, 
Elliott M. Sly came to Kennewick, where he followed farming for a year and then 
was elected to the position of manager of The Produce Company, which he has ever 
since ably filled. 

In June, 1896, Mr. Sly was united in marriage to Miss Ethelyn V. Seegmiller, of 
Michigan, and to them have been born three children: William, aged twenty-one, 
who is now serving his country in the United States marines; Randolph, aged sev- 
enteen; and Eugene, aged eleven. 

In his political aftiliations Mr. Sly is a republican, but the enormous amount of 
work which he does in connection with The Produce Company prevents him from 
taking an active part in political affairs although he is always interested in public 
matters, especially those pertaining to the growth and development of the great 
commercial institution of which he is executive. 

The Produce Company of Kennewick, Washington, was established in 1905 



HISTORY OF YAKIMA VALLEY 107 

by a number of agriculturists as the Kennewick Fruit Growers Association in order 
to facilitate the selling of fruit. The first officers were: O. L. Hanson, president; and 
\Y. E. Cruikshank, secretary and treasurer. In their business they specialized in 
the handling of strawberries and so continued for four years. In 1909 Elliott M. Sly 
was elected manager of the organization and they then began to handle all kinds of 
fruit and also started selling feed and poultry supplies. In April, 1910, the name was 
changed to the Kennewick Fruit & Produce Company and they built a warehouse in 
Kennewick having a floor space of seventy by one hundred feet. A great many of 
these improvements and expansions must be attributed to the unabating energy and 
executive ability of Mr. Sly. In 1912 they moved into the building which they now 
occupy and which they erected. It is well constructed and fully adapted to the 
purpose for which it was intended. At the end of 1910 the organization discontinued 
the fruit business and became entirely a mercantile institution and in 1915 the name 
was changed to The Produce Company. The main building of the company is fifty 
by one hundred and twenty feet and comprises a basement and two stories. There 
is also a warehouse seventy by one hundred feet, a machinery building fifty by one 
hundred and twenty-five feet and several other structures. Branches are maintained 
at Prosser, White BlufTs, Finley and Pasco. To further indicate the scope of their 
activities it may be mentioned that they are interested in the grocery, feed, seed, 
poultry supply, fruit growers supply, farm implement and a number of other lines of 
business. Between 1917 and 1918 the gross merchandise sales of the four coopera- 
tive stores amounted to five hundred and eleven thousand dollars, while the total for 
the year 1918, reached six hundred and forty thousand dollars. It may be of interest 
to many to here note that during this year the war tax item alone amounted to six 
thousand, six hundred dollars. Among the interesting items are the sums which 
the company paid the farmers for eggs, butter and other farm produce. These 
amounted to sixty-three thousand three hundred and sixty-two dollars and fifty-nine 
cents, not including hay in carload lots, which brings the total to seventy-five thous- 
and five hundred and sixty-two dollars and ten cents. One item among the farm 
produce is especially notable and should therefore be mentioned — that of eggs, 
which amounted to tWenty-nine thousand five hundred sixty-three dollars and six 
cents. In addition the company paid forty-four thousand and forty-one dollars and 
forty-two cents to local business firms for merchandise and equipment. 

The Produce Company publishes an interesting paper under the name of The 
Produce Company News, which is issued monthly and has a circulation of over three 
thousand. It is not only filled with news items of direct interest to the farmers in a 
vocational way but has many other interesting articles in its columns. The president 
of the company is C. C. Williams. F. H. Lincoln is treasurer and assistant manager, 
while E. M. Sly acts as secretary and manager, he being at the head of all the various 
departments of the organization. The continuous prosperity of the company is 
due to cooperation and Mr. Sly has been a great factor in keeping together the many 
heads who belong to the organization and coordinating influences and forces seem- 
ingly representing opposing points. Great credit is therefore due him and his un- 
tiring efforts are appreciated by all who know aught of his work. 



L. H. KUHN. 



L. H. Kuhn, cashier of the First National Bank of Zillah, was born in Shelby, 
Iowa, January I, 1883. His parents, Robert E. and Emma V. (Williams) Kuhn. 
removed to Emerson in 1883 and there the father organized the Emerson State Bank 
and also laid out the town. He continued to reside at that place until 1900, when 
he established his home at Lincoln, Nebraska, where his remaining days were passed 
and where his widow still resides. 

L. H. Kuhn completed his education at the Western Reserve Academy at Hud- 
son. Ohio, and for a few years was a resident of Lincoln, Nebraska. In 1905 he came 
to Tacoma and entered into active association with the National Bank of Com- 
merce, in which he spent two years in a clerical capacity. Subsequently he was with 
the Northwest Trust & Savings Bank of Seattle for a year and a half and in 1909 



108 HISTORY OF YAKIMA VALLEY 

he came to Zillah, where he has since been identified with the First National Bank, 
which was established in December. 1909. with J. D. Cornett as president, R. D. 
Herod as vice-president. J. H. Bartley, cashier, and L. H. Kuhn, assistant cashier. 
The last named succeeded to the cashiership on the 9th of January, 1910, and has 
since acted in that capacity, while H. H. Green has been vice president since 1911. The 
bank is capitalized for twenty-five thousand dollars. It has had a successful exist- 
ence, the business steadily growing. The building occupied was built especially for 
the purpose used, the bank occupying the first floor, with office rooms above. 

In October. 1913, Mr. Kuhn was married to Miss Eva Munson, of Tacoma, and 
they have one child. Robert Munson. In his fraternal relations Mr. Kuhn is a Mason 
and an Elk. He belongs to Yakima Lodge No. 318, B. P. O. E., to Meridian Lodge 
No. 196, A. F. & A. M.. of Zillah, of which he is a past master, and that he has at- 
tained high rank in the order is indicated in the fact that he is one of the Nobles of 
Afifi Temple of the Mystic Shrine at Tacoma. His political endorsement is given to 
the republican party and his religious faith is indicated by his membership in the 
Presbyterian church. He is actuated in all that he does by high principles and his 
many sterling traits of character have gained him the warm regard of all with whom 
he has been associated. Prompted by a progressive spirit, he gives earnest aid and 
support to all measures for the general good and his work for the city has been 
efficiently resultant. 



LORENZO D. ALLEN. 

Lorenzo D. Allen not only has valuable farming interests near Granger which 
require his constant attention but he has also served as supervisor of drainage dis- 
trict No. 27 since it was organized. A native of Marion county, Iowa, he was born 
July 19, 1871, and is a son of L. D. and Eliza (Mills) Allen, the former a native of 
Wales and the latter of Williams county. Ohio. When quite a young man the father 
arrived in New York but did not long remain in the eastern metropolis, removing to 
Iowa, of which state he became a pioneer farmer. There he devoted his efforts to 
agricultural pursuits until death claimed him. His wife passed away in Minnesota. 

Lorenzo D. Allen was reared in Marion county, Iowa, early becoming acquainted 
with agricultural labors and methods, and in the acquirement of his education he 
attended the schools near his father's farm. He remained at home until he was 
twenty-seven years of age, largely operating the farm, but at that time started out 
for himself as his mother had died. His enterprising spirit is evident from the 
fact that from the early age of seventeen he had been buying land, but he always 
made his home with his mother, his father having died when he was only twelve 
years of age. In the meantime the family had removed to Morrison county, Minne- 
sota, where Mr. ./Mien of this review became a successful farmer. Having heard 
many favorable reports in regard to the advantages which awaited one in the Yakima 
valley, he in 1902 decided to make the change and came to Yakima county, where he 
at first rented land for five years. He then was enabled to acquire title to forty acres 
of raw land, which was covered with sagebrush and located a mile north of Granger. 
I->om this wild tract he has developed a fine ranch which now yields him a comfort- 
able annual income. In 1906 he built a fine brick residence, the first in his part fii the 
county, which has since remained the family home. He has ever used progressive 
methods and new ideas in raising his produce, which largely consists of hay and 
corn, and he also operates a dairy and thus augments his income. He has specialized 
in corn for the last sixteen years, developing ".Mien's Pride," which is in great 
demand throughout the valley, and he has sold nine tons for seed. 

On the 17th of June. 1898, Mr. Allen was united in marriage to Mary Backosky, 
a native of Wisconsin, and a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Vensel Backosky, who re- 
moved to Minnesota in the '90s. To this union were born five children: George, Eva. 
Hazel. Mary and Henry. 

Mr. and Mrs. Allen are highly respected in their neighborhood and they have 
mar;y friends in and near Granger. In his political affiliation Mr. Allen is a repub- 
lican and the confidence and trust reposed in him by the public have found expres- 



HISTORY OF YAKIMA VALLEY 111 

sion in his election to the position of supervisor of drainage district No. 27, in 
which official position he has served since the district was organized. There is 
great credit due him for what he has achieved in life, as he began his business 
career empty-handed and is now numbered among the prosperous agriculturists 
of Yakima county. 



EMIL MEESKE. 



Emil Meeske is a well known and prosperous orchardist of the Yakima valley, 
residing two and one-half miles west of the city of Yakima, where he owns a valu- 
able tract of land comprising ten acres. His birth occurred in Germany on the 30th 
of August, 1865, his parents being Louis and Lottie Meeske, who emigrated to the 
United States in 1880 and took up their abode in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where they 
remained for three years. On the expiration of that period they removed to Sauk 
Rapids, Minnesota, where the father passed away. The mother accompanied her son 
Emil on his removal to the northwest in 1901 and continued a resident of Yakima 
until called to her final rest. 

Emil Meeske spent the first fifteen years of his life in his native country and de- 
voted his youthful days to the acquirement of an education. In 1880 he came with 
his parents to America and preparatory to entering the business world he learned 
the carpenter's trade, which for many years he successfully followed in Minnesota. 
It was in 1901 that he decided to come to Washington, arriving in Yakima on the 
20th of June of that year, while in 1902 he purchased ten acres of land on Summit 
View which he planted to apples, pears and peaches. He conducted the orchard most 
successfully until disposing of it in 1912, and two years later he bought his present 
place of ten acres situated two and one-half miles west of Yakima, nine acres thereof 
being now planted to apples, pears, peaches and plums. Prosperity has attended his 
undertakings as a horticulturist and the value of his property is considerably en- 
hanced by a handsome new residence which he erected thereon. 

In 1897 Mr. Meeske was united in marriage to Miss Clara Wischnefski, of Minne- 
sota, by whom he has four children, namely: Marie. Louis, Lillie and Carl. All are 
still under the parental roof. Mr. Meeske gives his political allegiance to the demo- 
cratic party, while his religious faith is indicated by his membership in the Lutheran 
church. His life has at all times been governed by high and honorable principles 
and his many friends recognize in him a man of genuine personal worth and many 
excellent traits of heart and mind. 



SIMON W. SHAFER. 

Simon W. Shafer, who since the fall of 1917 has cultivated forty acres of land 
four miles northwest of Sunnyside, was born in McLean countv, Illinois. June 12, 
1893, a son of W. I. and Betty (Thomas) Shafer. The maternal' grandfather of Mr. 
Shafer was Samuel Thomas, a veteran of the Civil war. The father is a native of 
Eureka, Illinois, and a son of Simon Shafer, who was born in Pennsylvania and re- 
moved to Illinois during the pioneer epoch in its history. In 1905 he came to the 
northwest, settling in Yakim^ county, after which he lived retired in Sunnyside until 
his demise. His son, W. I. Shafer, became a farmer in Illinois and there followed 
agricultural pursuits until the spring of 1908. when he brought his family to Yakima 
county and purchased forty acres of land three and a half miles northwest of Sunny- 
side, whereon he resided until 1916. He then sold that property and bought forty 
acres under the Outlook pumping plant. It was then a tract of wild land but he has 
brought it all under a high state of cultivation, has built a good home thereon and 
added many other modern improvements, together with all the equipment of the 
model farm of the twentieth century. His wife was born in Indiana and they are 
numbered among the highly esteemed residents of the community in which they 
make their home. 



112 HISTORY OF YAKIMA VALLEY 

Their son, Simon \\". Shafer. acquired a public school education and farmed with 
his father until he reached the age of twenty years, when he started out upon his 
business career by renting land, which he continued to cultivate for two years. Dur- 
ing that period he carefully saved his earnings until his industry and economy had 
brought him sufficient capital to enable him to purchase forty acres four miles north- 
west of Sunnyside, of which he became the owner in the fall of 1917. During the 
intervening period of two years he has engaged in the raising of hay, corn, potatoes 
and wheat upon his place and also conducts a dairy business. 

On the 10th of January, 1917, Mr. Shafer was married to Miss Joyce Clapsaddle, 
who was born in LaSalle county,' Illinois, a daughter of Frank J. and Etta (Car- 
penter) Clapsaddle, the former a native of Dekalb county, Illinois, while the latter 
was born in LaSalle county. Her father was a son of Andrew Clapsaddle, a native of 
Herkimer county, Xew York, who became a resident of Illinois when it was a frontier 
state, there taking up government land upon which not a furrow had been turned 
nor an improvement made. He at once began to develop the property and thus con- 
tributed to the progress of the section of the state in which he lived. The maternal 
grandfather of Mrs. Shafer was Ethan Carpenter, who was born in Westchester 
county, New York, and also became a resident of Illinois in pioneer times. The 
parents of Mrs. Shafer came to Yakima county in 1910 and purchased sixty acres of 
land four and a half miles northwest of Sunnyside. There the father carried on 
farming until the spring of 1918 but now makes his home in the city. He made a 
specialty of raising fine seed corn in addition to carrying on the work of general 
farming. Mr. and Mrs. Shafer have become parents of a daughter, Barbara Delle, 
born December 2, 1917. Both are members of the Christian church and are highly 
esteemed in the community where they make their home. They are young people 
of sterling worth and well merit the high regard which is uniformly accorded them. 



HEXRY HUNTINGTON LOMBARD. 

Henry Huntington Lombard is a well known real estate dealer and capitalist of 
Yakima. Real estate activty in the west has not only included the purchase and 
sale of property and the promotion of realty transfers for others but has included 
as well the development of large tracts of land, adding greatly to the prosperity of 
various regions. Henry Huntington Lombard is the senior partner in the firm of 
Lombard & Horsley, a firm that was established in 1889 and which has developed 
its interests until it has won a place among the foremost real estate dealers of the 
Yakima valley. The width of the continent separates Mr. Lombard from his birth- 
place, for he is a native of New Bedford, Massachusetts. He was born February 2, 
1865, a son of Henry H. and Eunice K. Lombard. The ancestral line is traced back 
to Thomas Lombard, who arrived at Cape Cod. Massachusetts, in 1623. At the time 
of the Revolutionary war I Colonel Richard Lombard responded to the cause of the 
colonists and aided in winning American independence. Rev. Solomon Lombard, a 
Congregational minister, removed to Gorham, Maine, and became the first repre- 
sentative of the ministry in that state. He was the founder of the branch of the 
family from which Henry Huntington Lombard is descended. Solomon Lombard 
became a prominent judge in the colony. For generations the family was repre- 
sented in New England, but in 1869 Henry H. and Eunice K. Lombard removed to 
Iowa and it was in the public schools of that state their son, Henry H., acquired his 
education. He was a lad of but four years at the time of the removal to the west 
and his boyhood and youth were therefore largely passed in Iowa. In 1887, when 
twenty-two years of age, he went to Topeka, Kansas, and for two years was em- 
ployed by the Santa Fe Railroad Company. In March, 1889, he arrived in Yakima 
and it was in the same year that he entered into partnership with 'Frank Horsley, 
organizing the firm of Lombard & Horsley. They engaged in the furniture business, 
buying out the establishment of A. H. Reynolds & Company, and were active in that 
line until 1909, when they sold out. In 1904 they became actively interested in de- 
velopment work in the construction of the Union Gap ditch and organized the Union 
Gap Irrigation Company, which purchased the Fowler ditch and developed the 



HISTORY OF YAKIMA VALLEY 113 

Parker Heights district, which they sold in 1909 after expending two hundred and 
fifty thousand dollars on improvements. They developed over five hundred acres of 
fruit land and still farm more than four hundred acres of this. They have since 
sold and developed large tracts of land throughout the district and now have the 
Beulah tract. They are conducting a general investment and developing business 
and the interests of Mr. Lombard have reached extensive and gratifying proportions. 
He has seen the possibility for work along this line and has put forth every effort 
in his power to promote the growth and settlement of the state through the utiliza- 
tion of its natural resources. Energetic and far-sighted in business, he has carried 
forward his interests to successful completion and though he started out in life 
empty-handed, he has made for himself a place among the capitalists of the Yakima 
valley. 

On the 26th of June, 1906. Mr. Lombard was married to Miss Aimee Porter, of 
Roseland, Washington, and their children are George Porter, Henry H., Creede 
Wilson, Eunice, Janet and Richard. 

Fraternally Mr. Lombard is connected with the Benevolent Protective Order 
of Elks and he has membership in the Commercial Club. In politics he is a repub- 
lican and in 1908 he served as mayor of Yakima, giving to the city a businesslike and 
progressive administration, and at all times he has stood for progress, development 
and improvement in this section of the state and has contributed much to its growth. 



E. W. AND H. C. CRANDALL. 

E. W. and H. C. Crandall are owners of twenty acres on Naches Heights which 
they are carefully cultivating and bringing to a high state of fertility. The brothers 
are representatives of old New England families. E. W. Crandall was born in Dane 
county, Wisconsin, November 28, 1863, a son of Silas H. and Harriett N. (Stillman) 
Crandall. The father's birth occurred in Montville, Connecticut, while the mother 
was born in Allegany county, New York. The former was a son of H. B. Crandall, 
who was born at Waterford, Connecticut, in 1798, and in 1838 removed to Rock 
county. Wisconsin. There he took up government land where Milton Junction now 
stands and continued to reside thereon to the time of his death. The house which 
stood upon the old homestead is still owned by his daughter. The maternal grand- 
father of the Crandall brothers was John C. Stillman, of New York, who went to 
Rock county, Wisconsin, in the fall of 1839 and he, too, cast in his lot with the ear- 
liest settlers, aiding in reclaiming a wild and undeveloped region for the purposes of 
civilization. The parents of E. W. and H. C. Crandall were married in Wisconsin and 
began their domestic life upon a farm in that state, where they continued to reside 
until called to their final rest, occupying the old homestead property throughout the 
entire period. They were among the highly respected residents of that community, 
closely associated with its agricultural development. 

E. W. Crandall. spending his youthful days under the parental roof, acquired a 
public school education and was early trained to the work of the fields, becoming 
familiar with the best methods of tilling the soil and caring for the crops. He pur- 
chased land in North Dakota but never removed to that state and continued in active 
identification with the farming interests of Wisconsin until 1908, when he came to 
Yakima county, where he rented land for seven years. Subsequently he spent one 
year on the Parker Bottoms and for six years was in the employ of L. O. Meigs. In 
the fall of 1917 he purchased twenty acres of land on Naches Heights and now has 
nine acres in apples, while the balance is plow land. He has built a house upon this 
place and is rapidly transforming it into one of the most valuable and highly produc- 
tive ranch properties of the district. 

H. C. Crandall, the younger brother, was born in Rock county. Wisconsin, May 
20. 1868. The brothers have always been associated in their farming interests and 
have won a very creditable position among the representative agriculturists of the 
region in which they live. They have never married and they always looked after 
their mother, who for twenty years was an invalid. Their sister Minnie acts as their 
housekeeper, managing household affairs while the brothers concentrate their efforts 



114 HISTORY OF YAKIMA VALLEY 

and attention upon the development of the farm. In their political views they are 
republicans and their aid and influence is given to all plans and measures for the 
general good. They have reached a very creditable position as ranchmen of the dis- 
trict and what they have undertaken they have accomplished. They follow progres- 
sive methods in their farm work and their energy and enterprise are producing re- 
sults greatly to be desired. 



WILLIAM J. TAYLOR. 

No history of the Kittitas valley would be complete without extended reference 
to William J. Taylor, who has lived in this section from pioneer times and whose 
rame is connected with many of the early events which have shaped the annals of 
this region. Mr. Taylor was born in Marion county, Oregon, September 28, 1852, a 
son of Melville and Cyrena (McDonald) Taylor, both of whom were natives of Mis- 
souri. The father was a son of John Taylor, a cousin of Zachary Taylor, at one time 
president of the United States. The grandfather was born in Kentucky and became 
a pioneer settler of Indiana, whence he afterward removed to Missouri. In 1847 he 
crossed the plains, making his way to Marion county, Oregon. He traveled with 
wagon and ox team, following the old-time trail and meeting with many hardships 
and difficult experiences while en route. His son William had crossed the plains in 
1845 with Dan Waldo and they took up government land side by side in Marion 
county. The grandfather secured a donation claim and at once began the develop- 
ment and improvement of the place, which he continued to successfully farm to the 
time of his death. He had a family of six sons and one daughter, all of w^hom be- 
came residents of Oregon. 

Melville Taylor, father of William J. Taylor, was a charter member of the 
Marion county lodge of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, He, too, was asso- 
ciated with the early pioneer development and progress of Marion county and in 
later life he removed to Lane county, Oregon, where he continued to devote his at- 
tention to general agricultural pursuits until he passed away in .^.ugust. 1914, when he 
had reached the venerable age of eighty-six years. His wife started across the 
plains from Missouri with her parents, who were accompanied by their seven chil- 
dren, and all died while en route save two of the daughters and one son, being vic- 
tims of the cholera. This was in the year 1849. Mrs. Taylor and the other two chil- 
dren continued on their way to Oregon, where the marriage of Mr. and Mrs. Taylor 
was afterward celebrated. Mrs. Taylor passed away on the 8th of November, 1894, 
at the age of sixty-one years, ten months and twenty-five days. To Mr. and Mrs. 
Melville Taylor were born seven children, of whom William J. is the eldest. The 
others are: James Sylvester, who is engaged in ranching on the Hood river in Ore- 
gon; Cordelia, the widow of James Gore and a resident of Vancouver, B. C; Joseph, 
a dentist who practices his profession in Vancouver, Washington: Clarence, who is 
ranching in Lane county, Oregon: Frank, who owns and operates a ranch near 
Corvallis, Oregon; and Elvin, who is living on the old homestead. 

William J. Taylor acquired a public school education in one of the little pioneer 
temples of learning on the western frontier. The building was constructed of logs 
and was furnished after the primitive manner of the times. He had to walk three 
miles to this school. He was fourteen years of age when he started out in the busi- 
ness world on his own account, going to Seattle, Washington, which at that time 
contained only two stores. In the fall of 1870 he made his way to Yakima county, 
traveling on horseback from Seattle and bringing with him the first negro that was 
ever seen in Yakima county. He bore the name of Johnson and he took up a ranch 
near where Ellensburg now stands. 

At the time of his arrival here William J. Taylor had a cash capital of but twenty 
dollars. With all of the early events which have left their impress upon the history 
of Ellensburg and the Kittitas valley he was closely associated, either as a witness 
or as an active participant therein. He assisted in building the second store in El- 
lensburg in the spring of 1872. He also aided in building the first house in the Kitti- 
tas valley constructed of lumber, it standing on the old Smith ranch. He assisted in 



HISTORY OF YAKIMA VALLEY 115 

whipsawing the lumber for the first lumber floor in the valley. It was rough lumber 
and they had a dance upon it and danced it smooth. After coming to this district 
Mr. Taylor worked lor three years on the Bull ranch and for three years on the 
Smith ranch. He then succeeded in getting some horses and cattle of his own and 
through all the intervening period has been connected with the live stock business. 
He purchased his first ranch in 1877 but afterward traded the property for a horse 
and saddle. About the same time he bought the right to another tract of one hun- 
dred and sixty acres four and a half miles northeast of Ellensburg, which he owned 
until the '90s and then sold. 

On the 16th of January, 1877, Mr. Taylor was united in marriage to Mary Grewell, 
a native of Chariton, Iowa, and a daughter of Thomas and Melinda (Dixon) Grewell, 
the former a native of Ohio, while the latter was born in Illinois. They became pio- 
neer settlers of Iowa and after living there for some time removed to the northwest 
in 1863, making the journey with ox teams across the country to Vancouver, Wash- 
ington. The father, however, died while en route. The mother afterward married 
again and in 1873 accompanied her second husband to Ellensburg, where they en- 
gaged in ranching southeast of the city. To Mr. and Mrs. Taylor have been born 
three children: Archie, who died at the age of three years; Minnie, the wife of Pete 
Mitchell, residing in Ellensburg; and Frank, who is filling the office of deputy sheriff 
of Kittitas county. He married Emma Abraham and has three children. Mrs. Taylor 
taught the first school in Denmark, then Yakima, now Kittitas county, in 1876-77. 

In his political views Mr. Taylor has always been a stalwart democrat but not 
an office seeker. He has done much active work in behalf of the welfare and pro- 
gress of the county, however, as a private citizen and has contributed in substantial 
measure to the upbuilding of the section in which he lives. He took the first bunch 
of horses across the Cascades to Seattle for sale and from early days to the present 
time has been a prominent figure in connection with the stock raising interests of the 
Kittitas valley. His business afTairs have been wisely and carefully conducted and 
his sound judgment is manifest in the success which has come to him. He has indeed 
witnessed many changes during the period of his residence here. The district was 
wild and undeveloped at the time of his arrival. The trees stood in their primeval 
strength and the open lands were covered with the native grasses and brush. There 
was little to indicate that a wonderful transformation would soon be wrought. Mr. 
Taylor and other pioneer settlers, however, recognized the advantages of the region 
and. acting upon the dictates of their faith and judgment, they settled here and have 
lived to see this district take its place with the most populous and prosperous dis- 
tricts of the state. They certainly deserve much credit for what they have accom- 
plished in the way of general improvement and development and the names of Mr. 
and Mrs. William J. Taylor are written high on the list of honored pioneers. 



THOMAS H. HOWAY. 

Thomas H. Howay, successfully conducting a hardware and furniture business 
in Grandview, was born in St. Clair county, Michigan, June 26, 1868, a son of Henry 
and Elizabeth Howay, who were natives of Canada. They became pioneer settlers 
of Michigan, where the father engaged in business as a contractor and builder. Both 
he and his wife have passed away. 

Thomas H. Howay pursued a high school education at Yale, Michigan, and 
started in the business world as a clerk in a hardware store before his schooldays 
were over. He continued to clerk and work for others for some time and later con- 
ducted business on his own account at Memphis, Michigan. Subsequently he spent 
two years in the employ of T. B. Rail Company at Detroit, Michigan, and in 1897 
he came to Washington, making his way to Seattle, where he secured a position with 
the Seattle Hardware Company." After clerking there for two years he represented 
the house upon the road as a traveling salesman throughout the northwest for a 
period of eleven years and for six years more was manager of the sporting goods 
department. In May, 1910, he came to Grandview, where he bought out A. G. Holli- 
day, the first hardware merchant of the town. He now occupies a building fifty by 
one hundred and fifty feet and carries an extensive line of shelf and heavy hardware, 



116 HISTORY OF YAKIMA VALLEY 

furniture and implements. The business has reached substantial proportions, due to 
the enterprising methods and thorough reliability of the owner. 

In 1900 Mr. Howay was married to Miss Margaret Cavan, who was born in Paris, 
Ontario, a daughter of Michael and Agnes (Torrance) Cavan, both of whom have 
now passed away. The children of this marriage are: Thomas Cavan, who is at- 
tending the Moran School for Boys; Dorothy, a high school pupil; and John Henry, 
eleven years of age, who is a most enterprising and energetic boy. He has earned the 
money to buy four fifty-dollar Liberty Bonds and has thirty dollars in War Savings 
Stamps. In order to do this he worked in a printing office, picked apples, turned off 
the lights in the town and in fact did anything that would enable him to turn an 
honest penny. It is certainly a splendid record for a boy of his years. 

Mr. Howay belongs to the United Commercial Travelers and is a member of the 
Presbyterian church. In politics he is a Roosevelt republican and is a public-spirited 
and progressive citizen, interested in all that has to do with the welfare, upbuilding 
and progress of community, commonwealth and country. In business he is a self- 
made man and a successful merchant, one who is contributing in substantial meas- 
ure to the commercial development of his adopted town. 



REV. CONRAD BRUSTEN. 

Conrad Brusten, S. J., pastor of St. Joseph's Catholic church of Yakima, was 
born in Germany in 1863 and came to the United States in 1889, when a young man 
of twenty-six years. He afterward attended St. Louis University and was or- 
dained to the priesthood in St. Louis, Missouri, on the 27th of June, 1900. He sub- 
sequently taught philosophy in Spokane for a year and in 1902 and 1903 was super- 
ior at St. Regis Mission, at Colville, Washington. In 1903 and 1904 he was again 
in St. Louis, where he pursued postgraduate studies, and from August until De- 
cember, 1904, he was located in Seattle. On the 11th of the latter montli he came 
to Yakima, being assigned to the pastorate of St. Joseph's church, of which he 
has since had charge. 

This church grew out of the Old Mission. It was established on the Ahtanum 
in 1871. but a new church was organized in Yakima City in 1878 and in 1885 was 
removed to North Yakima. It is today the oldest church of the Yakima valley. 
The present house of worship was completed in December, 1905, and in 1910 the 
school building was erected. The boys' school gives instruction from the fifth 
grade work up to the high school and has an attendance of eighty-five. St. Joseph's 
Academy was established as an Indian school in 1887, but now has all white pupils 
to the number of three hundred. St. Elizabeth's Hospital, also an auxiliary of the 
church, was established in 1889 and in 1913 a splendid new hospital building was 
erected, equipped with everything necessary for the conduct of the most advanced 
surgical work. St. Joseph's parish numbers fourteen hundred communicants. The 
work of the church has been thoroughly organized and under the direction of 
Father Brusten has been carried steadily forward. His labors have indeed proven a 
power in the development of Catholic interests in the Yakima valley. 



FRANK HORSLEY. 



Frank Horsley is a member of the firm of Lombard & Horsley, in which con- 
nection he has taken most active and helpful part in promoting development work in 
the Yakima valley. He was born in Muscatine county, Iowa, April 16. 1856, and is 
a son of William and Laura (McGill) Horsley. The mother died in Iowa and the 
father afterward came to Yakima, while his last days were spent in California, where 
he passed away at the age of ninety-five years. He was born in England and came 
to the United States when a youth of eleven. His life was devoted to farming and 
thus he provided for his family. 

Frank Horsley is indebted to the public school system of Iowa for the educa- 




REV. COXRAD BRUSTEN 



HISTORY OF YAKIMA VALLEY lig^ 

tional opportunities which he enjoyed, and in his youth and young manhood he gave 
his attention to farm work, while later he took up the fruit and produce commission 
business in Des Moines, Iowa, gaining considerable knowledge of horticultural inter- 
ests in this way. In July, 1889, he arrived in Yakima and entered into partnership 
with H. H. Lombard in organizing the firm of Lombard & Horsley. They purchased 
an established furniture business and continued active in that line for a number of 
years but before closing out their interests in that connection they turned their 
attention to the real estate business and development work. Through all the inter- 
vening period they have been active in that field and have developed a large tract 
of fruit land and have thus contributed in great degree to the material growth and 
improvement of the valley. Their efforts have been conducted along most progres- 
sive lines and scientific methods have been employed in the cultivation and propaga- 
tion of their orchards. Their work has been a strong element in promoting the value 
of properties in this locality and as the result of their labors they have won a sub- 
stantial measure of success. 

In 1887 Mr. Horsley was united in marriage to Miss Angenette Lombard, a sis- 
ter of his partner, H. H. Lombard. She died on the 27th of June, 1915, and Mr. 
Horsley afterward wedded her sister, Sue M. Lombard, on the 25th of October, 1917. 
The children of the first marriage are; William H., now residing in Seattle; and 
Frank Sears, sixteen years of age. 

Mr. Horsley is identified with the Benevolent Protective Order of Elks and also 
with the Knights of Pythias lodge, in which he has filled all of the chairs. His 
political allegiance is given to the republican party and he served for four years as 
county commissioner, making an excellent record in the office. He is now a member 
of the school board and he stands at all times for progress and improvement in pub- 
lic affairs, to which end he is a member of the Commercial Club, actively cooperating 
in all well defined plans and measures for the general good. He has gained a wide 
acquaintance during the long period of his residence in Yakima, covering almost 
thirty years, and throughout the entire period the integrity of his business methods 
has never been questioned, while his enterprise and insight are recognized as salient 
features in the growth and upbuilding of this section of the state. All who know 
him speak of him in terms of warm regard both as a business man and citizen and his 
record at all times measures up to high standards. 



FRANK J. TAYLOR. 



Frank J. Taylor, of Sunnyside, Washington, is one of those men who by their 
labors have greatly contributed toward the development of the Yakima valley along 
various lines. He still owns a fine farm, which is run by his son, and also is prom- 
inently connected with banking interests, but most of his time is devoted to the man- 
«^ement of the local telephone company. A native of Iowa, he was born in Fayette, 
October 5, 1866, a son of Milton M. and Hessie M. (Crawford) Taylor, both of whom 
have passed away, the former in Iowa, while the latter's death occurred in Sunnyside, 
Washington. They were among the honored pioneer people of their neighborhood 
in Iowa and the father filled a pulpit of the United Brethren church. 

Frank J. Taylor was reared amid the influences of a refined home and under 
the guidance of good Christian parents. After having absorbed an ordinary school 
education he attended a business college in Des Moines, Iowa, and then took up the 
occupation of farming, in which he was successfully engaged in his native state 
"until 1904. The far west, however, had attractions for him and he therefore in 1904, 
severed home ties and removed to the Yakima valley, buying sixty acres of land 
i:ear Sunnyside, which under his direction has been brought to a high state of cul- 
tivation. The property is now very valuable, as all modern improvements have been 
instituted and the latest facilities in machinery have been installed thereon. The 
buildings are in excellent condition and everything about the place shows the pro- 
gressive methods which Mr. Taylor has always followed. The farm is devoted to 
various lines of agriculture and is now under the management of his son, Fred' 
Dewey. 



120 HISTORY OF YAKIMA VALLEY 

For many years Frank J. Taylor has been connected with the local banking busi- 
ness, being a director of the First National Bank of Sunnyside. He served as presi- 
dent for one year and is now holding the position of vice-president, his business 
ability and sound judgment having been of great importance in the growth of the 
institution. In 1905 he was one of the main factors in the organization of the Farm- 
ers Independent Telephone Company, which in 1907 was incorporated as the Sunny- 
side Telephone Company. On July 1, 1917, the City Telephone Company was or- 
ganized, which is owned by the Valley Telephone Company and the Sunnyside Tele- 
phone Company. Mr. Taylor is manager of both the Sunnyside Telephone Company 
and the City Telephone Company and the excellent service which is furnished by 
these institutions is largely due to the unremitting attention which he gives to these 
business interests. His entire time is taken up with his duties in this connection and 
he has received the warm commendation of the people of the neighborhood on ac- 
count of the excellent service furnished. 

On the 2d of April, 1890, Mr. Taylor was united in marriage to Miss Addie 
Wilbur, also a native of Iowa, and to this union two children were born: Blanche, 
now the wife of Harold Elliott and they reside on their ranch near Sunnyside; and 
Fred Dewey, born in 1898, who is now in full charge of his father's farm. 

Mr. Taylor has always taken a most laudable part in all movements undertaken 
in the interests of his community as a member of the Sunnyside Commercial Club. 
Fraternally he belongs to the Modern Woodmen of America and his religious be- 
lief is that of the Methodist church. In his political views he is independent, giving 
his support to those candidates whom he regards most worthy of office regardless 
of party affiliation. He has many friends in the valley, all of whom speak of him in 
terms of the highest admiration and respect, recognizing in him a successful business 
man of the highest qualities of character. 



WILLIAM THRUSH. 



The efiforts of William Thrush along orcharding and general agriculture in the 
Yakima valley have been exceedingly satisfactory and he now owns valuable prop- 
erty near Granger, six acres of whicl^ are in orchard, while the rest is devoted to 
hay, corn and potatoes. He also conducts a small dairy and derives from this a 
gratifying addition to his income. A native of Nebraska, he was born in Dodge 
county, June 8, 1861, and is a son of Charles and Martha (Reese) Thrush, the former 
a native' of England and the latter of Wales. Shortly after their marriage which 
was performed in England, they Came to the United States and a few years later, 
in 18.S6, went to Omaha, Nebraska, which city at that time consisted of two log 
shanties. For one year they remained in the wilderness on the Missouri but subse- 
quently they removed to Florence, Nebraska, where Charles Thrush built the first 
house. In 1858 they proceeded on their westward course, starting for Salt Lake City, 
Utah, but stopped at Genoa, Nebraska, where they remained for a short time. They 
then went to Dodge county of which they became pioneers, as in those days Indians 
and buffaloes were still plentiful. There the father not only became a promment 
rancher but also prospered in the freighting business. He took up a homestead and 
in addition bought land from the Union Pacific Railway Company, to the cultiva- 
tion of which property he devoted the remainder of his days, both he and his wife 
dying in that county. Mr. Thrush was a minister in the Church of Latter-day Saints 
but never devoted his whole time to that work. 

William Thrush of this review grew up on his father's place in Dodge county, 
Nebraska, amid the conditions of the western frontier. Many were the privations 
which the family underwent but in the school of hardship he developed a strong and 
good character. He early became acquainted with agricultural methods and in the 
acquirement of his education attended the public schools of his neighborhood, con- 
tinuing with his father until he was twenty-five years of age. At that time he 
rented land and engaged in its cultivation until he came to the Yakima valley in 
1903, having heard manv favorable reports in regard to this district. He acquired 
title to twenty acres of land two miles north of Granger, which was seeded to alfalfa. 



HISTORY OF YAKIMA VALLEY 121 

He has since greatly developed this property, has erected thereon a comfortable resi- 
dence and has given considerable attention to fruit raising, now having a profitable 
orchard of six acres, while the remainder of his land is devoted to hay, corn and 
potatoes. Live stock interests are also represented in his interests, as he conducts 
a small dairy. 

On the 26th of March, 1902, Mr. Thrush was married to Miss Harriet Moore, a 
native of Nebraska and a daughter of J. P. and Ida L. (Fox) Moore, natives of 
Indiana, who during pioneer days settled in Nebraska. Mrs. Moore has passed away 
but her husband survives and is still a resident of that state. To Mr. and Mrs. Trush 
have been born a son and a daughter: William P., and Hazel June, who are attending 
high school. The latter is quite proficient in music and with her talent often delights 
the friends of the family. 

Mr. and Mrs. Thrush have made many friends since coming to Granger and all 
who know them speak highly of them. He has given his aid and co-operation to 
measures of public importance which he considers worth while and is in every way 
a public-spirited citizen and a valuable addition to his district. In politics he is in- 
dependent, following his own judgment rather than party lines. He is a valued mem- 
ber of the Modern Woodmen of America. 



L. O. MEIGS. 



L. O. Meigs, a well known attorney of Yakima, was born on Grand Manan 
island. Canada. April 28, 1879, a son of Lorenzo E. and Mary E. (Wormell) Meigs. 
The father was a millwright and shipbuilder, who in the '60s removed to California 
but afterward returned to Canada, although he later again became a resident of Cali- 
fornia and once more went to Canada. In 1890 he made his way to the Palouse coun- 
try of Washington. 

L. O. Meigs acquired a public school education in Canada and in Washington 
and afterward attended the State College of Washington, while in 1902 he completed 
a law cpurse in the L^niversity of Michigan at Ann Arbor. He then located in Yakima 
in the same year and has since followed .his profession in this city. For a time he 
practiced as a member of the firm of McAulay & Meigs. They have been joined by a 
third partner, forming the present firm of Preble, McAulay & Meigs. 

In 1902 Mr. Meigs was married to Miss Laura M. Crawford, a daughter of P. L. 
Crawford, of Oakesdale, Washington. The children of this marriage are: Doris, 
eleven years of age: and Robert C, aged Five. 

Fraternally Mr. Meigs is widely known as an exemplary representative of Ma- 
sonry. He has attained the thirty-second degree of the Scottish Rite and he is now 
venerable master of Yakima Lodge of Perfection No. 11, and is orator of the Rose 
Croix. He is also a past exalted ruler and life member of Elks Lodge No. SIS, and ' 
is very prominent in both organizations. He also belongs to the Modern Woodmen 
of America. In politics he is a recognized leader in the ranks of the republican party 
and was speaker of the house of representatives in the regular and special sessions 
of 1909, having been elected to represent his district in the general assembly. He has 
served for a term as a member of the city council of Yakima and has occupied the 
position of city attorney for three years. While the practice of law has been his 
real life work, he has become heavily interested in fruit lands and has given much 
attention in recent years to the propagation of apple orchards, realizing the possi- 
bilities for the cultivation of that fruit in this state. 



LE ROY W. TAYLOR. 

Le Roy W. Taylor, who since 1910 has been the cashier of the First National 
Bank of Wapato, was born in Mount Pleasant, Iowa, on the 6th of December, 1872, 
a son of M. M. and Ella H. (Hare) Taylor, who were pioneer settlers of that state. 
The father engaged in the milling business and in 1884 left Iowa for the northwest, 

(6) 



122 HISTORY OF YAKIMA VALLEY 

making Tacoma, Washington, his destination. In later years he became prominently 
identified with financial interests in this state and was president of the Washington 
National Bank of Tacoma. In 1898 the family went to Alaska and the father con- 
ducted a store in the Atlin district, there remaining until 1903. In that year lemoval 
was made to Connell, Washington, where M. M. Taylor opened the Franklin County 
Bank. He was president of this institution, which was later called the Connell Na- 
tional Bank, and after some^ time was sold to the Union Securities Company. Mr. 
Taylor figured prominently for many years as a banker of the northwest but is now 
living retired in Yakima. His wife passed away in December, 1916. 

L. W. Taylor supplemented his public school education, acquired in Tacoma, by 
further study in Washington College. He was with his father in ."Maska and after- 
ward in the bank at Tacoma and thus received thorough business training and ex- 
perience. He afterward became cashier of the Connell National Bank. His father 
owned the townsite of Connell and established the town. It was in October, 1909, 
that Mr. Taylor of this review came to Wapato as assistant cashier of the Firsts 
National Bank and served in that capacity until 1910, when he was elected to his pres- 
ent position. As the bank's cashier he has proved a most capable, courteous and 
obliging official. He is always ready to extend credit whenever it will not endanger 
the interests of depositors, for he has recognized that the bank is the most worthy of 
credit which most carefully safeguards the interests of its depositors. 

On the 28th of June, 1905, Mr. Taylor was married to Miss May Inman, of Con- 
nell, Washington, and they have made many friends during the period of their resi- 
dence in Wapato. Mr. Taylor is a member of Wapato Lodge No. 171, A. F. & A. M., 
of which he is a past master. He also belongs to Yakima Lodge No. 318, B. P. O. E. 
and is treasurer of the Wapato Commercial Club. His political endorsement is 
given to the republican party and he is a recognized leader in its local ranks. He is 
now serving for the second term as mayor of Wapato and for several years was a 
member of the city council, having at all times exercised his official prerogatives 
in support of valuable plans and measures for the general good. His religious faith 
is that of the Episcopal church. He is widely and favorably known both as a busi- 
ness man and citizen, and his cooperation has been of the greatest value and worth 
in the upbuilding of the city along financial and civic lines. In addition to his other 
interests he has a fine fruit and stock farm on the Columbia river and his invest- 
ments have been most judiciously and profitably made. 



FRED T. HOFMANN. 

Fred T. Hofmann, who is filling the position of county clerk of Kittitas county 
and makes his home in EUensburg, has long been identified with public service here 
and his record is one over which there falls no shadow of wrong or suspicion of evil, 
for he has always been most loyal to the interests entrusted to his care. He was born 
in Portage, Columbia county, Wisconsin, January 15, 1881, a son of Fred F. and 
Bertha Frieda Hofmann, both of whom were natives of Columbia county, where they 
were reared and married. The father is now engaged in the hotel business at Wa- 
basha, Minnesota, where he has resided for some time. 

Fred T. Hofmann pursued his early education in the public schools of La Crosse, 
Wisconsin, and was afterward graduated from the high school at Wabasha, Minne- 
sota. He then entered the hotel business there and was actively engaged along that 
line until July, 1905. Subsequently he became connected with the National Cash 
Register Company as salesman, traveling in Washington, and he thus represented 
that corporation until 1907. He came to EUensburg in .August, 1908, and was em- 
ployed by the dining car department of the Northern Pacific Railroad Company as 
manager of the eating house at this place for a year. In 1909 he was appointed to 
the position of deputy county auditor and acted in that capacity for two terms. He 
was next elected city clerk of EUensburg and occupied the office from January, 1913, 
until January, 1915, or for two terms, and later was elected county clerk, in which 
position he is now serving for the second term. His record in office is a most cred- 
itable one and his loyalty to duty is one of his marked characteristics. 



HISTORY OF YAKIMA VALLEY 123 

On the 23d of April, 1908, Mr. Hofmann was united in marriage to Miss May- 
belle A. Dorrance, of Swanville, Minnesota, a daughter of John A. and Cynthia E. 
Dorrance. The children of this marriage are Helen Marion, Dorothy Blanche and 
Elsbeth Maybelle. 

Mr. Hofmann is well known in fraternal circles. He belongs to the Elks lodge 
No. 1102 at Ellensburg, also to Wapahasa Lodge, No. 14. A. F. & A. M., and to the 
Royal Arch Chapter. Both he and his wife are members of the Congregational 
church of Lake City. Minnesota, and both are stanch supporters of the republican 
party. Mr. Hofmann served as county clerk and ex-officio clerk of the superior 
court. At the beginning of the war he volunteered for service in France, but was 
rejected on account of defective hearing. He was afterward accepted by the Y. M. 
C. A., but was not called for active service. As her husband had enlisted, and having 
three children to take care of, Mrs. Hofmann then made the run for county clerk, 
and was elected by the largest majority of any candidate having opposition. 
Both are very prominent in musical circles and are deeply interested in the art. 
Mr. Hofmann has conducted what is known as Hofniann's Orchestra for several 
years and in which he plays the violin. His wife is a fine pianist and also a vocal- 
ist of more than ordinary ability. They are very protninently and favorably known 
in Ellensburg, occupying an enviable position in social circles. 



EDWIN H. KIELSMEIER. 

Comparatively speaking Edwin H. Kielsmeier is yet a young man, but has 
already become one of the prosperous horticulturists of the Zillah district in the 
Yakima valley. He was born in Manitowoc. Wisconsin, January 5, 1883, and is a 
son of Henry and Anna (Gaterman) Kielsmeier, pioneer farmers of Wisconsin. 
In 1890 the family removed to Denver, Colorado, and there they remained for ten 
years, the father being connected with railroad work as car inspector. In 1901 he 
removed to Hancock county, Iowa, but in December of the same year the family 
came to Yakima county, where he bought forty acres of land three and a half miles 
southeast of Zillah. which at that time was all sagebrush. He immediately set him- 
self to the task of clearing the land and bringing the same under cultivation, trans- 
forming the raw land into fertile fields. In 1905 he built a fine residence and made 
other valuable improvements upon his property. In 1910. he and his wife removed 
to Los Angeles. California, where they now live retired. In their family were two 
children, Edwin H. and Ruben, the later being engaged in business in Los Angeles. 
He married and has two children. 

Edwin H. Kielsmeier was but a young boy when the family removed to Denver 
and in that city he received his public school education. He subsequently assisted 
his father in farming and remained with him until twenty-four years of age. He then 
bought sixteen and a half acres adjoining his father's farm, seven acres of which he 
planted to orchard, while the balance is plow land. He now has a substantial farm- 
house and barns upon his place and in addition to operating his own land rents 
his father's ranch, which has an orchard of twenty-two acres upon it, the remainder 
also being plow land. The orchards are devoted to apples, peaches and pears, while 
four acres are in grapes. Mr. Kielsmeier has thoroughly studied the subject of 
orcharding and applies the latest methods and ideas to his labors with surprisingly 
satisfactory results. He has instituted up-to-date equipment to facilitate the work 
and in every way handles the property in a businesslike manner. He now resides 
on his father's farm. 

On December 22, 1905, was celebrated the marriage of Mr. Kielsmeier and 
Miss Ida Durham, a native of Faribault, Minnesota, and a daughter of Isaac W. 
and Mary (Gutcheff) Durham, who in March, 1902. came to the Yakima valley. 
Mr. Durham acquired ten acres of land near our subject's place, which is devoted 
to fruit raising. 

Mr. and Mrs. Kielsmeier are members of the Christian church, to which faith 
they are devotedly attached. He is a member of the Grange, and his political affili- 
ation is with the republican party. He is one of the foremost fruit raisers and 



124 HISTORY OF YAKIMA VALLEY 

packers of his section of the valley and upon his place there are two packing houses, 
which are thoroughly equipped in order to facilitate the disposition of the fruit. In 
every way Mr. Kielsmeier is an up-to-date and energetic business man who ever 
follows honorable methods and in the course of years he has made many friends in 
business as well as in private life. 



REUBEN A. AND ARCHIE E. HAYS. 

The Hays brothers, composed of Reuben A. and Archie E.. are actively identi- 
fied with the farming and fruit raising interests of Selah The former was born in 
Champaign county. Illinois, October 21, 1870, and the latter was born in Montgomery 
county, Indiana. February 24, 1875. Their parents were George W. and Martha Jane 
(Burns) Hays, who in 1876 removed from Indiana to Mattoon, Illinois, where they 
resided for a quarter of a century. In 1901 the family came to the northwest with the 
Yakima valley as their destination. They purchased thirty-five acres of land in the 
Selah valley and in 1908 added to this a tract of fifteen acres, making fifty acres in all. 
Of this place forty-five acres is planted to orchard, the family specializing in the 
production of apples, pears and cherries, of which they annually harvest good crops 
and make extensive shipments. 

To Mr. and Mrs. George W. Hays were born nine children: Herman, who is 
a rancher living near Zillah. Washington; Reuben A. and Archie who run the old 
home place: Alva, who is engaged in ranching near Zillah and has a wife and one 
child: Lawrence., who is engaged in the fruit business in Yakima and has a wife 
and two children; Syvflla, the wife of Harry Morgan, a rancher living on Nob hill; 
Stella, the wife of Foster Barnsley, a rancher of Valley, Washington; Fay, at home; 
and Emma, who died at the age of two years. The mother is a member of the 
Seventh Day Adventist church. The family is one of prominence in the community, 
where for eighteen years they have made their home. Throughout this entire 
period the Hays brothers have been identified with the development and progress 
of this region along horticultural lines. They were young men at the time of their 
arrival and at once became active factors in the development of the home place, which 
they are still operating. They have developed one of the leading ranches of the 
county, devoted to orcharding. Their land and their trees are always kept in excellent 
condition, scientific methods being manifest in the care of both, and the crops 
produced are therefore most gratifying. 

Fraternally Archie E. Hays is connected with the Knights of Pythias. Both 
brothers vote the republican ticket but have never sought office, although in matters 
of citizenship they manifest a public-spirited devotion to the general good. 



AUSTIN MIRES. 



There are names that cannot be effaced from the pages of history; work that 
has left an ineradicable impress upon modern progress and future development; 
activity that has directed the trend of events and shaped the standards of present 
day life in the Yakima valley, and such has been the record of Austin Mires, lawyer 
and statesman, of EUensburg. He was born in Parrish, Des Moines county, Iowa, 
February 11. 1852, a son of John Harris and Anna (Deardorff) Mires. The father's 
family comes of French ancestry and the line is traced back to Peter and Catherine 
(Cought) Mires, who \yere the parents of Andrew Mires, born March 16, 1766. He 
married Susanah Livingston, whose birth occurred March 10, 1769, and was a 
representative of one of the old colonial families. Their son, Solomon C. Mires, 
grandfather of Austin Mires of this review, was born in Morgantown, Virginia. 
April 30, 1788, and in young manhood went to Ohio, casting in his lot with the 
pioneer settlers in the vicinity of Zanesville. He served as a soldier in the War 
of 1812, participating in the battle of Tippecanoe. In his later life he removed to 
California, where his remaining days were passed. He wedded Mary Bates, a rela- 



■ 


1^9 


^^^^^^^^Ik 




^H 


^H^ . '^^" .^^^^^^^^^^1 


■ 


f / '^y^^^^^^^H^H|^^H 


V 




rSi 


(■^^1 



AUSTIN MIRES 



HISTORY OF YAKIMA VALLEY 127 

live of Edward Bates, of Missouri, who was a member of President Lincoln's 
cabinet, and they had a family of nine children. After the death of his wife, Solomon 
Mires wedded a Mrs. Slaughter and they had three children. For over a third of 
a century he was a member of the Methodist church. 

John Harris Mires, father of Austin Mires, was born in Licking county, Ohio, 
near Newark, January 8, 1823. At an early day he went to Iowa and after having 
worked on the Mississippi river for a short time as pilot on a steamboat, settled in 
Des Moines county, that state, whore he engaged in farming until 1853. He then 
crossed the plains to Oregon, settling in what is now Douglas county, where he 
carried on general agricultural pursuits until his death in the year 1886. He married 
Mrs. Anna (Deardorff) Byars, widow of Flemming Byars and a daughter of John 
and Catherine ( Harshbarger) Deardorff, while the latter was a daughter of Christley 
and Barbary (Ammcn) Harshbarger. John Deardorff. whose name was originally 
Dierdorff, was born in Bedford county, Virginia, April 26, 1779, and his wife was born 
in Virginia on the 6th of October, 1781. They were married in the Old Dominion in 
1804 and afterward removed to Ohio, while subsequently they became residents of 
Indiana and afterward of Iowa, making their home on a farm at the Parrish post- 
office near Burlington, in Des Moines county, where their remaining days were 
passed. There Mrs. DeardorfT died in 1871. By her marriage she liad become the 
mother of twelve children, of whom Anna, who was born in Ohio, September 18, 
1817, became the wife of J. H. Mires. It is of interest to know that the ancestry of 
the Harshbarger family can be traced back four hundred years to Switzerland. 

Mr. and Mrs. John H. Mires began their domestic life upon a farm in Des Moines 
county, Iowa, ten miles west of Burlington and a half mile from her father's place. 
In 1853, however, they made the long journey across the plains w-ith ox teams, leav- 
ing their old Iowa home on the 30th of March and arriving at Milwaukee, Oregon, in 
September. At that time Austin Mires was a little more than a year old. In June, 
1854, the parents removed with their family to the I'mpqua valley and settled on a 
farm eight miles west of Oakland, in what is now Douu;las county, the father pur- 
chasing the possessory right from Bob Stewart, giving him two yoke of oxen and a 
wagon in payment. The parents remained upon that place until called to their final 
rest. Mr. Mires passing away on the 3d of .April. 1888, while his wife died January 
IS, 1894. She had been married prior to her marriage to John Harris Mires, her first 
husband having been Flemming Byars, to w-hom she gave her hand in marriage Sep- 
tember 13, 1838. They had five children: William Henry, born July 7, 1839; Rebecca 
Frances, born November 29, 1840: Mary Katherine, born October 3, 1842: Elizabeth 
Barton, born January 14, 1845; and David Nathan, who was born January 13. 1847. 
and died April 8, 1848. The husband and father passed away March 30, 1848, and it 
was on the 27th of March, 1851. that Mrs. Byar? became the wife of J. H. Mires. 
This marriage was blessed with six children: Austin, born February 11, 1852; Benton, 
born September 26, 1853; Anna, born July 11. 1855; Margaret, born September 23, 
1857; Addie, June 15. 1859; and John Solomon, February 20, 1863. 

Austin Mires acquired his early education in the L^mpqua Academy at Wilbur, 
Oregon, from which he was graduated with the class of 1876. He also attended 
Christian College at Monmouth. Oregon, when that institution was under the super- 
vision of T. F. Campbell, and later he engaged in teaching for several years in Doug- 
las county, Oregon. For about a year he was employed in a printing office at Rose- 
burg, Oregon, and for three years was United States railway mail agent on the route 
from Portland to Roseburg, Oregon, when the latter was the terminus of the Oregon 
& California Railroad, now the Southern Pacific. Resigning that position in Sep- 
tember, 1880, he went immediately to Ann Arbor, Michigan, where he pursued a full 
law course in the Michigan State LTniversity, winning the LL. B. degree on March 
29, 1882. While pursuing his studies there he served as private secretary to Thomas 
M. Cooley, then dean of the law department of the university and chief justice of the 
supreme court of Michigan. 

In .\pril. 1882, Mr. Mires returned to his old home in Oregon and immediately 
entered into partnership with W. R. Willis at Roseburg in the practice of law. On 
the meeting of the state legislature in the fall of 1882 he was elected chief clerk of 
the state senate of Oregon and served in that capacity through the term. In the 
following spring he removed to Ellensburg, Washington, where he has since engaged 



128 HISTORY OF YAKIMA VALLEY 

in the practice of his profession. Throughout the intervening period Mr. Mires 
has been active in promoting the interests and shaping the policy of Ellensburg and 
of the valley. When the city was incorporated in 1886 he was chosen its first mayor 
and his service in behalf of the municipality was so satisfactory to the general public 
that he was reelected for a second term. When the Northern Pacific Railroad was 
being built through the county in 1885 and 1886 he acted as local attorney and as- 
sisted in securing the right of way through Kittitas county. When the Ellensburg 
National Bank was organized he was chosen its vice-president and attorney and 
served in those positions for six years. He was again called to public ofifice when on 
the 14th of May, 1889, he was elected a delegate to the constitutional convention that 
met at Olympia on the 4th of July of that year and framed the present constitution 
of the state. He was made chairman of the committee on water and water rights 
and served also as a member of the committee on judicial article, of which Hon. 
George Turner, afterward United States senator, was chairman. On the 22d of 
July, 1890, he was appointed by Governor E. P. Ferry, a member of the board of 
equalization and appeal for the state of Washington and continued in the ofifice for 
three terms. This board was created by legislative act and constituted a special 
court, having to do with all applications for the purchase of state tide lands and also 
heard and determined all contests and controversies pertaining thereto. This board 
was abrogated by the legislature of 1894. 

From President McKinley, in the fall of 1899, Mr. Mires received appointment to 
the position of supervisor of census for the second district of the state of Washing- 
ton and continued to act in that capacity while the census was being taken in 19(_K). 
Governor McBride appointed him in February, 1904, a member of the commission 
to draft an irrigation code for the state. He was appointed in 1904 to fill out the 
unexpired term of prosecuting attorney of Kittitas county to succeed his law part- 
ner, C. V. Warner, and at the regular election in November. 1904, was chosen to that 
office for the full term of two years as the candidate of the republican party. Re- 
fusing to again become a candidate, he retired from the position in January, 1907. 
For six successive years he was connected with the office of prosecuting attorney for 
Kittitas county. During seven terms he has served as city attorney of Ellensburg, 
has been city treasurer three terms and school director for one term. His ofificial 
activities have covered a broad scope and at all points he has proven his loyalty to 
his country and her best welfare. Mr. Mires has ever been a stalwart champion of 
the republican party and was a warm admirer of Theodore Roosevelt and the policies 
which he advocated. 

During all these years Mr. Mires has continued in the private practice of law and 
his clientage has been large and distinctively representative in character. He has 
followed his profession in both the superior and supreme courts of his state and has 
become the possessor of a law library of over a thousand volumes, with the contents 
of which he is thoroughly familiar. He also has in his home an extensive general 
library. His real estate and mining interests are valued at about twenty-five thou- 
sand dollars. In 1912 he served as a presidential elector, supporting Roosevelt and 
aiding in carrying the state for that year. His life has indeed been one of great ac- 
tivity and usefulness. In the constitutional convention he was responsible for article 
17. section 1, Declaration of State Ownership. "The state of Washington asserts its 
ownership to the beds and shores of all navigable waters in the state up to and 
including the line of ordinary high tide in waters where the tide ebbs and flows; and 
up to and including the line of ordinary high water within the banks of all navigable 
rivers and lakes." In 1918 Mr. Mires became a candidate for the republican nomina- 
tion for congress but was defeated. 

On the Sth of March, 1884, Mr. Mires was married to Mary L. Rowland, who 
was born in McMinnville, Oregon, May 24, 1862, a daughter of Jere T. and Hester 
E. (Simmons) Rowland. On the 8th of August, 1871, they arrived in the Naches 
valley of Washington and took up their abode on a squatter's claim. Mrs. Mires 
attended school in Oswego, Oregon, in 1872 and 1873. In 1874 the family home was 
established near the town of Robbers Roost, now Ellensburg, where Mr. H. H. 
Davies, her stepfather, took up a homestead. In 1877 Mrs. Mires made a trip ori 
horseback over the Cascade mountains requiring seven days and forded the Yakima 
river three times within that period and also forded the Snoqualmie river thirty-three 



HISTORY OF YAKIMA VALLEY 129 

times. On her return trip she took a steamer from Seattle to Tacoma, then pro- 
ceeded by train to Kalama and by steamer of Portland, Oregon, from which city she 
proceeded by steamer to The Dalles. From that point she traveled by freighting 
wagon to Ellensburg, being twelve and a half days in completing the trip. In 1880 
she made another trip over the Cascade mountains on horseback, but the trails were 
better then and the time required was but three and a half days. Thus both Mr. and 
Mrs. Mires have been closely identified with the pioneer development of the north- 
west and have witnessed almost the entire growth and progress of this section. To 
them have been born three children: Anna Wanda, who was born October 14, 1885, 
and is the wife of Edward George, living at Olympia, Washington; John Rowland, 
who was born October 14, 1885, and is a graduate of the Oregon Agricultural Col- 
lege, while at present he is practicing the profession of civil engineering at Astoria, 
Oregon; and Eve Helen, who was born June 2, 1893. She is a graduate of the State 
Normal School at Ellensburg, Washington, and is now successfully teaching in 
Ellensburg. 

Fraternally Mr. Mires is connected with the Masons, which order he joined at 
Ann Arbor, Michigan, and he also has membership with the Benevolent Protective 
Order of Elks, the Fraternal Order of Eagles and with the Red Men. Such in brief 
is the life history of Austin Mires. Those who read between the lines, however, 
will glimpse the picture of pioneer life and conditions in Washington that existed 
during his boyhood days. He worked on the farms in the Umpqua valley, attended 
the rural schools, chopped wood, broke horses, hunted deer, taught school, worked 
in a printing office in Roseburg, cooked for the United States surveyors and served 
for three years as United States railway mail agent. Such experiences brought him 
up to the point where he entered upon the study of law and made his initial step in 
the practice of his profession, since which time his advancement has been continuous. 
Not only has he acted as an interpreter of the law in the application of legal prin- 
ciples to points in litigation in the courts but has aided in framing the organic law 
of the state and in many ways has left the impress of his ability and his individuality 
upon the history of Washington. He is honored wherever known and most of all 
where he is best known and in the community where he lives he enjoys in an unusual 
degree the respect, confidence and esteem of those amid whom he has lived for 
many years and who have been daily witnesses of his career — a career that has 
brought him out of humble surroundings to a place of prominence as one of the 
honored and representative men of the state. 



E. WILBUR HEDDEN. 

E. Wilbur Hedden is the owner of a pleasant home, situated in the midst of a 
five-acre orchard, which he also owns, and in connection with the cultivation of his 
property he is manager of a ten-acre orchard belonging to W. D. Cammack. Mr. 
Hedden was born in Orange. New Jersey, on the 27th of February, 1858, a son of 
Morris and Martha (Norman) Hedden. The father was a contractor and both he 
and his wife have passed away. 

The son acquired a public school education and made his initial step in the 
business world by becoming actively connected with the lumber trade in New York 
city, where he remained for ten years. He afterward devoted three years to news- 
paper work in New York and subsequently spent a decade in the life insurance 
business in the eastern metropolis. His identification with the Yakima valley dates 
from 1910, at which time he made his way to the coast on a visit. He was so well 
pleased with the country, its opportunities and its prospects, that he purchased five 
acres of orchard, upon which he erected a modern residence. He has since given 
his attention to the further development and improvement of his place and has also 
acted as manager for the W. D. Cammack orchard of ten acres. He is raising apples 
and pears and produces fine varieties of both. He is a man of ready adaptability, 
which has enabled him to turn from urban interests and become a successful fruit 
raiser. He is now a member of the Yakima Valley Fruit Growers' Association, 



130 HISTORY OF YAKIMA VALLEY 



which he joined upon its organization, and he has several times served as president 
of his local district. 

In 1882 Mr. Hedden was joined in wedlock to Miss Mary M. Crane, who passed 
away in 1913, leaving a son, Morris, who is a chemist with the Crown Willamette 
Paper Company. On the 24th of January, 1917, Mr. Hedden was again married his 
second union being with Miss Alice M. Young, of Minneapolis. They are consis- 
tent members of the Presbyterian church, doing all in their power to promote the 
growth of the church and extend its influence. Mr. Hedden gives his political 
endorsement to the republican party, being a firm believer in its principles as 
factors in good government. There have been no spectacular phases in his career, 
but he has worked earnestly and persistently since starting out in the business world, 
and as there has been no waste of time or opportunity in his career he has made 
steady and substantial progress. 



JULIUS T. HARRAH. 

Actuated by a spirit of enterprise in all that he has undertaken, quick to rec- 
ognize and utilize opportunities, Julius T. Harrah has become one of the capitalists of 
the northwest. His investments in this section of the country are large and promi- 
nent among his holdings is the Commercial Hotel in Yakima. The story of his life 
is the story of earnest endeavor intelligently directed and the steps in his orderly 
progression are easily discernible. Mr. Harrah is of South American birth. He was 
born in Sao Paulo, Brazil, on the 8th of June, 1884, a son of George and Thamazinha 
(Messiter) Harrah, the latter a daughter of the British ambassador to Brazil. The 
former was a civil engineer who went to Brazil at the age of nineteen years. He was 
born in Philadelphia, in 1840 and was a son of Charles J. Harrah, a prominent 
banker, who was the organizer of the Midvale Steel Company, was president of the 
Philadelphia Rapid Transit Company, controlling the street car system of that city, 
and otherwise prominently connected with the business interests and development 
of Philadelphia. The Metropolitan Opera House of that city now stands on the 
site of the old family homestead.' His son, George Harrah, made the trip from 
Philadelphia to South America on a sailing vessel. He became a civil engineer and 
built the first tunnel in Brazil. He was also the builder of several railroads and 
erected depots at various large towns of that country. In later life he went to 
Havana, Cuba, where he erected a palatial residence containing fifty-seven rooms 
and there his remaining days were passed, his death occurring in 1908. He became 
the second largest stockholder of the two leading railways of Brazil and was other- 
wise prominently identified with the development and upbuilding of that country. 
His family numbered four children who are yet living, two sons and two daughters. 
Mr. Harrah, whose name introduces this review, acquired his education largely 
through twelve years' study in Europe — in London, Paris, Heidelberg and other 
points of the old world. On coming to the United States it was with the expecta- 
tion of settling at Detroit, but in 1909 he made his way westward to visit the Seattle 
exposition. He became interested in the northwest and decided it was the best 
place in the world. He then began investing in this section of the country, puchas- 
ing orchard land, and he built a beautiful summer home with swimming pools and 
everything necessary for the promotion of comfort and happiness. In fact this is 
one of the finest summer homes of the United States. In familiarizing himself with 
conditions in the northwest, Mr. Harrah recognized the fact that Yakima needed 
better hotels. He was charged five dollars for a beefsteak at one of the hotels and 
he decided that this section of the country needed a better deal in hotel management 
and conduct if visitors were to be drawn to the city. He therefore purchased a half 
interest in the Commercial Hotel in 1911, the year in which it was started, and he 
later bought out the interest of the others and is now sole proprietor. The building 
was completed in that year and contains one hundred and sixty rooms, of which 
sixty-five are with bath. The dining room will seat five hundred and thirty-five 
people at one time. There is a large banquet room and fine ballroom which will 




JULIUS T. HAERAH 



HISTORY OF YAKIMA VALLEY 133 

accommodate seventy-five couples, and there are seven excellent sample rooms. One 
of the interesting features of the hotel is the handsome bridal chamber. Moreover, 
the hotel is noted for its splendid cuisine, u-hich makes it very popular with travel- 
ing men and automobile parties. Mr. Harrah is now remodeling and refurnishing 
this splendid hotel. In connection therewith is operated the best equipped laundry 
of the city and the hotel furnishes employment to about seventy-five people. 

Mr. Harrah's investments in the northwest amount to over five hundred thou- 
sand dollars and he has extensive interests elsewhere. The town of Harrah was 
named in his honor and its growth as a market place is indicated in the fact that 
in the past year it shipped more freight than Kennewick. Mr. Harrah has developed 
over two hundred acres of fine land in the vicinity of Yakima and is also prominently 
known as a breeder of fine Holstein cattle and fine Morgan horses. The fruit pro- 
duced in his orchards is unsurpassed throughout the valley, seventy-six per cent of 
it being of extra fancy variety. His orchards are largely devoted to the raising of 
winesap apples. 

On the 7th of June, 1906, Mr. Harrah was married to Miss Constance Raymond, 
of Xew Jersey, who was born in Massachusetts and is a daughter of Charles Henry 
Raymond, of New York. The children of this marriage are: George, who was born 
in Havana, Cuba, February 27, 1907; June, born December 9, 1910, on the ranch in 
Yakima county, and Jule, born June 22, 1915. 

Mr. Harrah is a member of Yakima Lodge, No. 24, .A. F. & A. M., and has 
attained the thirty-second degree of the Scottish Rite in Tacoma Consistory, No. 
3. He is also a Shriner of Afifi Temple. He is a life member of the Benevolent 
Protective Order of Elks and is one of the largest stockholders in the Masonic 
Temple Association Building. He is the president of the Automobile Club and 
president of the Country Club and is one of the trustees of the Commercial Club. 
He also belongs to The Willows, a hunting club with grounds twenty miles south of 
Yakima. His political allegiance is given to the republican party. He is an en- 
thusiastic motorist and has driven his cars over eight hundred thousand miles. Dur- 
ing the period of his residence in the northwest he has become thoroughly familiar 
with every phase of the development of the Yakima valley and has made valuable 
contribution to the work that has been done. 



GUY O. SHUMATE. 



Guy O. Shumate, a well known member of the Yakima bar, was the first city 
attorney under the commission form of government and is a recognized leader in 
democratic circles in his county. He was born in Sioux City, Iowa, on the 1st of 
July, 1877, and is a son of Edgar H. and Nora J. (Andrew) Shumate. The father, 
who devoted his life to the occupation of farming and to the profession of school 
teaching, has now passed away, but the mother survives and makes her home in 
Oklahoma City. 

Guy O. Shumate was a young lad when his parents removed from Iowa to 
Ohio and in the public school of the latter state he pursued his elementary educa- 
tion, while later he became a student in the Lebanon (Ohio) Normal school. He 
afterward attended the State University of Oklahoma, where he pursued a law 
course and was then admitted to the bar in Oklahoma City on the lOth of February, 
1908. For a year thereafter he practiced there but was attracted by the opportuni- 
ties of the northwest and in 1909 came to Yakima, where has since maintained 
his office. He continues in the general practice of law and he is most thorough in 
the preparation of his cases and clear and strong in their presentation. He has 
been connected with much important litigation and the court records bear testimony 
to his ability in the number of favorable verdicts which he has won. 

On the 30th of September, 1903, Mr. Shumate was married to Miss Annie J. 
Brooks, of Yakima, and they have become the parents of an interesting little family 
of three children: Mildred, Lorraine and Irene. Mr. and Mrs. Shumate are well 
known socially and the hospitality of the best homes is freely accorded them. Mr. 



134 HISTORY OF YAKIMA VALLEY 

Shumate belongs to the Masonic fraternity and is also an active member of the 
Elks lodge. His political allegiance is given to the democratic party and he served 
as city attorney of North Yakima for three and half years, being the first one to 
hold that office under the commission form of government. He is now chairman 
of the democratic county central committee and does everything in his power to 
promote the success of his party. He belongs to the Commercial Club and his 
aid and cooperation can always be counted upon to further any of its progressive 
projects. 



W. O. SANDERS. 



When the well developed home property of W. O. Sanders came into his posses- 
sion it was covered with sagebrush. With determined purpose and characteristic 
energy he began its development and the transformation which he has wrought is 
notable, for he today has a valuable and well improved property that annually pro- 
duces large crops. Mr. Sanders was born in Greene county, Pennsylvania, October 
14, 1872, a son of Madison and Amy (Mitchell) Sanders, both of whom were natives 
of Pennsylvania and have passed away. The father devoted his life to the occupation 
of farming and in following that pursuit provided for his family. 

W. O. Sanders obtained a public school education and in 1888 took up the 
printing business. Later he became agent for the Adams Express Company and oc- 
cupied that position for si.x years. At a subsequent period he spent two years as as- 
sistant cashier of the Citizens National Bank of Waynesburg, Pennsylvania, and then 
again gave his attention to the printing business. The year 1905 witnessed his arrival 
in Yakima, at which time he entered the employ of the Yakima Daily Republic and 
was associated with that paper until 1912. He was next with the Yakima Bindery 
for three years, in charge of the printing department, but wishing to benefit by the 
opportunities offered in connection with the productivity of the soil in this region, 
he purchased twenty acres of land on Naches Heights in 1912 and planted six acres 
to apples, while the remainder is plow land, devoted largely to the raising of hay 
and grain. He took up his abode upon this ranch in 1915 and has since built an 
attractive home thereon. The place today bears no resemblance whatever to the 
tract of land which came into his possession and which at that time was all covered 
with sagebrush. In 1918 he bought ten acres adjoining his original purchase. He has 
been very successful in the development and improvement of his place and his labors 
have been productive of excellent results. 

On the 15th of October, 1895. Mr. Sanders was united in marriage to Miss Ger- 
trude Clutter, who was born in Greene county, Pennsylvania. Mrs. Sanders is a 
member of the Baptist church. Mr. Sanders gives his political allegiance to the 
republican party and is prominent in community affairs, serving at the present time 
as president of the Naches Heights Commercial Association. He is interested in 
all that has to do with the welfare and progress of the community in which he lives 
and cooperates heartily in any well devised plan for the general good. 



AUBREY CHESTER GOODWIN. 

Aubrey Chester Goodwin, who follows farming near Thorp, is one of the native 
sons of Kittitas county. He was born upon the old Goodwin homestead May 20, 
1884, a son of Thomas B. and Sarah (Cumberland) Goodwin, who are mentioned 
elsewhere in this work. He acquired a public school education and in his youthful 
days engaged in ranching with his father. He afterward rented his father's farm in 
connection with his brother Stanley and subsequently they purchased farm land, 
which they cultivated together for a time, but eventually Aubrey C. Goodwin sold 
his interest to his brother. He afterward leased the old home place, which he con- 
tinued to cultivate for two and a half years. He next conducted a livery stable in 
Ellensburg, where he lived for two years, and later he was engaged along various 



HISTORY OF YAKIMA VALLEY t35 

lines for a few years. He afterward again took charge of the home farm, which he 
then conducted for two years, and in 1918 he purchased fifty-eight acres of land a 
mile west of Thorp. Upon this place he has a fine house and large, substantial barns 
and in fact his is one of the well improved properties of the neighborhood. He is 
engaged in raising grain and hay and his business affairs are wisely and systemati- 
cally conducted, bringing him substantial success. 

On the 1st of May, 1907, Mr. Goodwin was married to Miss Ethel McMillan, of 
Ellensburg, and they are widely and favorably known in the section of the county 
in which they make their home. In politics Mr. Goodwin is a democrat where 
national questions and issues are involved but at local elections casts an independent 
ballot. He has always preferred to concentrate his efforts and attention upon his 
business affairs and he is a representative of a family that has always been identi- 
fied with progressive farming. His father brought the first car load of farm machin- 
ery into the Kittitas valley, shippinR it to The Dalles, Oregon, and hauling it by 
team the rest of the way. His stock included the first headers and binders ever 
used in the district. Throughout all the intervening years the Goodwin family have 
stood in the vanguard of progressiveness along' all those lines which have to do with 
agricultural development and their worth as citizens is widely acknowledged. 



ED J. AUMILLER. 



For a quarter of a century Ed J. Aumiller has lived in the Yakima valley, where 
fie is successfully engaged in farming, his attention being divided between the 
production of fruit and the raising of alfalfa and corn. He was born in LaSalle 
county, Illinois, on the 28th of April, 1872, a son of William and Anna (Markell) 
Aumiller. The father was a carpenter, came to Yakima in the year 1894 and now 
follows farming near the city. His wife passed away in 1912. 

After completing a high school education in Illinois, Ed J. Aumiller learned the 
carpenter's trade and was employed along that line in connection with the buildings 
of the World's Columbian Exposition at Chicago in 1893. In the latter part of that 
year he made his way to Yakima and has since been identified with the northwest. 
In 1896 he purchased twenty acres of land three miles southwest of the city of 
Yakima and at once began its improvement. In the intervening years he has steadily 
carried forward the work of development, but after a time he sold ten acres of his 
land. He now has five acres planted to apples, pears and cherries and" his orchards 
are in excellent bearing condition. The remainder of his land is devoted to the 
raising of alfalfa and corn. 

On the 2Sth of December, 1900, Mr. Aumiller was married to Miss Laura Wright, 
a native of London, England, and a daughter of Mathew and Emily Wright, who 
crossed the Atlantic to Canada during the girlhood days of Mrs. Aumiller, who some 
years afterward came to Washington, To this marriage have been born seven chil- 
dren, Mabel, Esther. Florence, Clarence, Lucille, Grace and Robert. Mrs. .Aumiller 
is a member of the Presbyterian church. 

Mr. Aumiller votes with the republican party but has never been an aspirant for 
office. During the twenty-five years of his residence in the Yakima valley he has 
witnessed much of its development, growth and progress. He has seen its arid lands, 
on which nothing grew but sagebrush, transformed into rich fields and productive 
orchards and has long borne his share in the agricultural development of the district. 



MICHAEL SCHULLER. 

A valuable property of eighty acres on the Tieton stands as a monument to the 
life activities of Michael SchuUer, who was one of the progressive and enterprising 
agriculturists of his neighborhood. .\ native of Wisconsin, he was born in March, 
1862, and was a son of Michael and Mary Schuller, pioneers of that state. There he 
was reared and received his education, early in life becoming acquainted with agri- 



136 HISTORY OF YAKIMA VALLEY 

cultural methods. In 1888, at the age of twenty-six years, he decided to move west- 
ward in order to profit by the opportunities presented in a newer country and came 
to Yakima county, Washington, where he worked for wages. Saving his earnings, 
he began operating rented land and in 1898 he and his wife bought eighty acres and 
also homesteaded eighty acres on the Tieton. To the cultivation of this property Mr. 
SchuUer devoted himself industriously, ever following progressive methods until he 
made this one of the valuable farms of the neighborhood. He built a handsome resi- 
dence, erected suitable barns, instituted modern machinery, and added other neces- 
sary equipment. After his death Mrs. Schuller sold half of the property but still 
retains eighty acres. 

On June- 4. 1891, Mr. Schuller was united in marriage to Ann Sleavin, a native of 
New York, and a daughter of Andrew and .A.nn Sleavin, who in 1863 removed from 
the Empire state to Minnesota, locating in Winona county, where Mr. Sleavin took 
up agricultural pursuits, there passing away. His widow and the rest of the family 
subsequently came to Yakima county in 1888, and in this district she resided for many 
years. She died October 1, 1916. To Mr. and Mrs. Schuller were born six children: 
Mary, deceased; .Angela; at home; Edward, who is now serving in the United States 
army; Nicholas Joseph, at home; Francis, deceased; and Theresa, at home. 

Mr. Schuller was a devoted member of St. Joseph's Catholic church, which his 
widow and the remaining members of the family now attend. He was much inter- 
ested in the higher things in life, particularly in educational progress, serving as 
school director in his district and thus instituting a number of improvements which 
have been of great benefit to the community. In his political affiliation he was a 
democrat and ever true to the principles of that party although he was not a politi- 
cian in the commonly accepted sense of the word, preferring to devote himself to 
his farming and his family. In his death the family lost a beloved husband and 
father and many lost a sincere and faithful friend. He was ever moved by the most 
honorable principles and his word was as good as his bond. There was nothing in 
his life of which he might ever need be ashamed, but on the contrary there were 
many acts which could be cited as being of great credit to him. However, Mr. 
Schuller was a modest man and was content in his own assurance of having pursued 
a righteous course in life. It is therefore but natural that he is greatly missed by 
those who knew him and who venerate his memory. As a pioneer he contributed 
toward material upbuilding along agricultural lines and thus made possible the pros- 
perous conditions that now maintain in the Yakima valley, while as a citizen he was 
ever loyal to American ideals and American standards. 



THOMAS E. GRADY. 

Thomas E. Grady, a member of the Yakima bar, who since December, 1917, has 
filled the office of city attorney, was born in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin, November 
19, 1880, a son of Thomas and Eliza Grady. The father has devoted his life to the 
occupation of farming but since 1907 has lived retired in Yakima, enjoying a well- 
earned rest. 

Thomas E. Grady, spending his youthful days under the parental roof near 
Chippewa Falls, acquired a public school education, passing through consecutive 
grades to the high school. He also attended business college and later entered the 
University of Minnesota for the study of law, as he had determined to make the 
practice of the profession his life work. He completed the course there and was 
graduated with the class of 1904. In looking about for a favorable field of labor he 
decided upon the northwest and in June, 1905, arrived in Yakima and was appointed 
deputy prosecuting attorney. After serving for a brief period as court reporter he 
took up private law work and has been engaged in general practice, although he has 
held several other offices in the strict path of his profession. In March, 1911, he was 
appointed judge of the superior court and was elected to the office in 1912, serving 
continuously until 1917. He made a most excellent record upon the bench by the 
fairness and impartiality of his decisions and his course was at all times character- 
ized by a masterful grasp of the problems presented for solution. In December,. 



HISTORY OF YAKIMxA. VALLEY 137 

1917, he was appointed city attorney and is now acting in that capacity. No one 
better realizes the necessity for thorough preparation of cases, and his legal learn- 
ing, liis analytical mind and the readiness with which he yrasps the points in an argu- 
ment all combine to make him one of the able lawyers practicing at the Yakima bar. 

On the 3d of June. 1908, Mr. Grady was united in marriage to Miss Alice M. 
Beane, of Spokane, and to them have been born three children: Thomas E., who was 
born July 22, 1911; James E., born December 11, 1916; and Howard M., born Febru- 
ary 12, 1918. 

Mr. Grady is a member of the Benevolent Protective Order of Elks and is a 
past exalted ruler. He was also district deputy of the Grand Lodge for eastern 
Washington. He likewise has membership in the Commercial Club and is thoroughly 
in sympathy with its purposes concerning the upbuilding of Yakima and the develop- 
ment of its civic welfare. His political allegiance has always been given to the re- 
publican party and aside from the offices already mentioned that he has filled he has 
served as a member of the city council of Yakima. He belongs to that class of 
young men who are upbuilding the west and whose labors have been of far-reaching 
and beneficial effect. 



A. C. WALLIN. 



A. C. Wallin now lives largely retired upon a valuable farm property of twenty 
acres in the upper Naches valley which he bought in 1909, ten acres of which are 
devoted to orcharding, but he is still active in the affairs of this world, appearing to 
be much younger than his age would indicate. Although past seventy-for years of 
age he still retains his mental and physical vigor to a remarkable degree. He is an 
honored veteran of the Civil war, having served in that memorable conflict from 
August, 1862, until its close. He participated in a number of the most noted engage- 
ments of the war and the loyalty which he gave to hist country in times of stress has 
remained with him throughout his life. Outside of his agricultural interests Mr. 
Wallin has also been quite successful as a teacher, thus contributing to educational 
development in the district in which he lived. 

-A native of Brooklyn. New York, he was born August 14. 1844, and is a son of 
Richard and Harriet (Gale) Wallin, natives of Kidderminster, England, the father 
born May 11. 1819, and the mother on the l7th of February of the same year. When 
nineteen years of age they were married and subsequently came to the United States. 
The father was a carpenter by trade. Perceiving greater opportunities in the then un- 
developed middle west, he removed in 1857 to Crawford county, Wisconsin, taking 
with him his nine children. There he took up one hundred and sixty acres of gov- 
ernment land and this tract he farmed until death claimed him. Four of his sons, 
including our subject, voluntarily served in the Civil war. 

A. C. Wallin was reared under the parental roof in Brooklyn and in that city 
largely received his education, removing with the family to Wisconsin when thir- 
teen years of age. After laying aside his textbooks he assisted his father but on 
the 11th of August, 1862, enlisted in Company A, Thirty-first Wisconsin Infantry, 
and he still has in his possession his original enlistment papers. Through the suc- 
ceeding years until the close of the war he served bravely and unflinchingly, stoutly 
performing his duties. He went through the siege of Atlanta, was at Sandysville 
when that engagement was fought and participated in Sherman's march to the sea 
and in the battle of Bentonville, North Carolina. After the close of the war he re- 
turned to Wisconsin, where he took up farm work during the summer season and 
attended normal school at Whitewater, Wisconsin, during the winter months. He 
also went to Chicago, where he took a commercial course. Being thus well prepared 
for teaching, he turned his attention to that profession and for twenty years acted 
as principal and superintendent of schools at Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin. He then 
became connected with railroad work, acting in the capacity of accountant for the 
Wisconsin Western Railway for eleven years. He was next for two years engaged 
in the abstract business on his own account but at the end of that time came to 
Yakima county, taking up his home on the farm which was cultivated by his sons 



138 HISTORY OF YAKIMA VALLEY 

and which he had acquired in 1909. This property comprises twenty acres on the 
upper Naches, ten acres of which are devoted to orchard. The residence on the place 
has been remodeled and modern improvements have been installed throughout, so 
that the property is now considered one of the most valuable of the district. 

On the Sth of September, 1883, Mr. Wallin was united in marriage to Miss Mary 
E. King, a native of Mansfield, Ohio, and a daughter of L. O. and Sarah (Beldon) 
King, the family being numbered among the pioneers of that state. The Kings are 
of Revolutionary stock and long occupied a prominent position in the city of Cleve- 
land. To Mr. and Mrs. Wallin were born four children: Oscar K., who follows agri- 
cultural pursuit-6 on the upper Naches and is married: Jennie B., who married E. W. 
Bailey, an agriculturist, also located in the upper Naches valley; Mary E., a resident 
of Seattle; and Helen H., a trained nurse, being a graduate of the Deaconess Hospital 
of Spokane. 

Oscar K. Wallin, who was born November 30,. 1884, is one of the leading and 
most successful orchardists of his section, having devoted much study to that line 
of business. He received an excellent education, rounding out his ordinary school 
course by two years' attendance at the University of Wisconsin. Being impressed 
with the great opportunities offered in the Pacific coast country, he then made an 
extensive trip over the west, in the course of which he came to the Yakima valley. 
Here he selected a ranch which his father bought and which under his able man- 
agement has become a valuable property. He married Aline Ross, of Delavan, Wis- 
consin, a highly cultured lady, who was at the time of her marriage a teacher in the 
schools of Sioux City, Iowa, in which position she was employed for two years. 
Oscar K. Wallin shipped the first carload of seed corn ever sent out from Yakima 
county in 1917, most of which he raised on his own land. This statement indicates 
along which line of agricultural endeavor he gives his closest attention. He received 
for this carload twenty-eight hundred dollars. 

A. C. Wallin is a charter member of P. W. Plummer Post No. 37, G. A. R., in 
which he has held all the chairs. Since 1870 he has been a member of the Independ- 
ent Order of Odd Fellows, belonging to Crawford Lodge No. 98, of Wisconsin, and 
also having held all of the offices in that organization. He is very prominent in the 
Masonic fraternity, belonging to Lodge No. 106, A. F. & A. M., of Prairie du Chien, 
W'isconsin, and also to the chapter. He is a past master of the lodge, having held 
the office of master for five years, and he has ever been very active in Masonic work, 
the principles underlying that organization guiding him in his conduct toward his 
fellowmen. Along political lines Mr. Wallin votes independently, giving his support 
to the candidates whom he considers best qualified irrespective of party issues, in 
fact Mr. Wallin has not voted a straight ticket for years. In 1918, however, he voted 
the straight republican ticket, being largely inflcnced in his action by the seemingly 
uncalled-for pressure exerted upon the public in favor of the democratic organization 
from administrative headquarters. To all worthy movements which have been under- 
taken in any of the districts in which Mr. Wallin has lived he has ever given his 
unqualified support, readily supplying means and effort in order to bring about mate- 
rial and mental growth. He has not only become a substantial citizen who now en- 
joys life in rest and comfort, but has also rendered service to his county in times 
of peace as well as in times of war. His son now ably represents the interests of the 
family, his name standing high among the successful men of the Naches valley, where 
many of those who know him are proud to call him friend. 



WILLIAM H. HARRISON. 

One of the foremost factors in promoting the interests of a community is real 
estate dealing and William H. Harrison, president and manager of the Sunnyside 
Land & Investment Company, is therefore one who has greatly contributed toward 
the upbuilding of his district. The business was organized by C. E. Woods and 
Elza Dean, who later sold out to A. G. Flemming and E. B. Jones. Subsequently it 
was acquired by M. G. Duncan and Oliver Dean, after which George Irish purchased 
it. In September, 1908, William H. Harrison became president and manager; A. G. 




WILLIAII H. HARRISON 



HISTORY OF YAKIMA VALLEY 141 

Flemming, vice-president, and H. L. Miller secretary and treasurer, the latter buying 
into the business in April, 1909. The Sunnyside Land & Investment Company, as its 
name indicates, buys and sells land, including not only farming properties but also 
city plats, and is largely engaged in loaning money, mostly upon real estate security. 
This part of the business is very important and in this way the company has assisted 
many agriculturists of the neighborhood to successfully tide over hard times. Its 
principles are of the highest and its methods are exemplary. 

William H. Harrison was born in Marion, Iowa, in 1878, his parents being 
Thomas and Sarah (Waters) Harrison. The family removed to Sunnyside, Wash- 
ington, in March. 1900, buying wild land and also taking up a homestead claim near 
Sunnyside. This property the father developed and there continued to make his 
home until he passed away. 

Mr. Harrison of this review had a public school and business college education 
and in the fall of 1899 came to Sunnyside, preceding the family and taking up a home- 
stead on the 30th of October, 1899. He greatly improved this place, which he sold 
in 1908, at which time he became head of the Sunnyside Land & Investment Com- 
pany, but also continued in farming until 1917, in which year he sold his ranch. 

On the 14th of August, 1912, Mr. Harrison was united in marriage to Miss 
Genevieve Persis Searle, of Minnesota, and to this union has been born a son, 
William H., Jr. In his political views Mr. Harrison is a republican, while fraternally 
he is a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. In the financial life of 
the town he also has a part, being a director of the Sunnyside Bank. He also belongs 
to the Sunnyside Commercial Club, in whose progressive movements he takes an 
active part. All projects, for the upbuilding of his locality and the welfare of the 
public receive his heart}' support and he is ever ready to aid in furthering the ma- 
terial, moral and intellectual development of the district. 



LOUIS H. DESMARAIS. 

Louis H. Desmarais, now identified with the farming interests at Moxee City, 
was born on the St. Lawrence river sixty miles east of Montreal, Canada, February 
2, 1871, a son of Israel and Sophia (Desmarais) Desmarais. His parents removed to 
Crookston, Minnesota, in 1881, when he was a lad of ten years, and there the father 
engaged in farming until November, 1900, when he came to the Yakima valley and 
took up his abode on the Moxee river. He bought fifty acres of land but afterward 
sold that property and purchased ten acres on Nob Hill. This he planted to fruit 
and successfully developed his orchard but afterward sold out. His last days were 
spent in the home of his son, Louis H., and there he passed away in August, 1917. 
His widow survives and is yet living with her son. 

Louis H. Desmarais, a lad of ten years at the time the family home was estab- 
lished in Minnesota, acquired his education in the public schools of Canada and of the 
United States. He assisted his father from early boyhood in the work of the farm 
and afterward became actively engaged in ranching. While still living in Minnesota 
he purchased land and there carried on agricultural pursuits until 1900, when he came 
to Washington. Reaching the Yakima valley he purchased thirty acres of land and 
afterward disposed of that property. In 1901 he bought sixty acres east of Moxee 
City and has extended the boundaries of the farm until it now embraces one hundred 
acres. He had the entire place planted to hops at one time, becoming one of the 
most extensive hop raisers of the Yakima valley, and in the cultivation of that crop 
he met with substantial success. He is now engaged in raising corn and other cereals 
in addition to hops and has a splendidly improved ranch property, equipped with sub- 
stantial buildings and well kept fences and the best farm machinery. 

On the 27th of November, 1899, Mr. Desmarais was united in marriage to Miss 
Regina Crevier, a native of Canada, and to them have been born seven children: 
Beatrice, Henry, Maurice, Rachel, Irene, Phillip and Andrew. The parents and 
children are all members of the Holy Rosary Catholic church, in which they have 
taken an active part while generously contributing to its support.. 

In his political views Mr. Desmarais is a republican but not an office seeker. He 



142 HISTORY OF YAKIMA VALLEY 

has always preferred to concentrate his efforts and attention upon his business affairs 
and aside from ranching he assisted in organizing the Moxee State Bank in 1914 
and has since been its president. 



HOWARD LLOYD MILLER. 

Among the successful real estate men of the Yakima valley is Howard Lloyd 
Miller, who was born in Lanark, Illinois, July 7, 1883, and is a son of Joseph E. and 
Emma B. (Harrington) Miller, both of whom are still residents of that state. The 
father has been engaged in the implement and coal business for the past twenty- 
eight years at Milledgeville. 

H. Lloyd Miller received his education in the public schools of his native city 
and was graduated from the high school there in 1901. At the age of eighteen he 
began his business career, becoming connected with a dry goods store at Milledge- 
ville, where he conducted business on his own account. In 1906 he disposed of his 
interests in that city and removed to Pendleton, Oregon, in the following year, but 
as he did not find the prospects of that town favorable he did not locate there and 
came to Sunnyside in the same year. In April, 1909. he bought an interest in the 
Sunnyside Land & Investment Company, of which he has since been secretary and 
treasurer. This enterprise, which is largely engaged in the buying and selling of farm 
properties but also deals in city land, has greatly prospered through his business 
ability, foresight and advanced methods. Another department of the business is 
their large loan agency. 

On the 15th of August, 1906, Mr. Miller was united in marriage to Ruth A. 
Deets and to this union has been born a son, Howard Lloyd, Jr., who is now six 
years of age. Mr. and Mrs. Miller are popular among the younger social sets of 
the valley and their hospitable home is ever open to their many friends, who find 
much pleasure in gathering at their fireside. 

Outside of his connection with the Sunnyside Land & Investment Company 
Mr. Miller has other interests which prove him to be one of the foremost business 
men of his section of the state. As vice president of the North Coast Lumber Com- 
pany his ability is of great importance to the successful direction of this enterprise 
and he is also secretary of the Hillcrest Improvement Company. He is a republican 
and steadfastly supports that party, in whose principles he thoroughly believes, but 
has never had the time nor felt the inclination for public office, preferring to do his 
duty as a citizen at the ballot box. Fraternally he is a member of the Yakima 
lodge of Elks No. 318. He has always taken a deep interest in the development of 
his section and is a valued member of the Sunnyside Commercial Club. Moreover, 
the affairs of his state and nation are dear to his heart and he now plays an im- 
portant part as chairman of the Community Council of Defense, giving much of his 
time to all efforts made for winning the great World war. 



MISS KATHRYN SEVERYNS. 

Among the prominent citizens of Prosser who are efficiently serving in an 
official capacity is Miss Kathryn Severyns, who now holds the important position of 
county auditor of Benton county, the duties of which office she assumed on the 
1st of January, 1919. She is a daughter of J. H. and Mary (Francois) 
Severyns, both of whom were natives of Belgium and came to the United States in 
early life. They located in Custer county, Nebraska, where Mr. Severyns took up a 
homestead in the early '80s and he continued to devote his attention to the develop- 
ment of the same until 1893, when the family removed to California, where he passed 
away. In 1901 Mrs. Severyns with her four sons and her daughter Kathryn came to 
Prosser, which has remained their home ever since. The sons are: Andrew, an 
attorney at Port Angeles, Washington; Joseph, who is serving in the United States 
navy; William, a well known attorney of Seattle; and John, who is engaged in the 
hay and grain business at Sunnyside. 



HISTORY OF YAKIMA VALLEY 143 

Miss Severyns was graduated from the high school at Prosser with the class of 
1910 and subsequently took a commercial course in Spokane in order to thoroughly 
fit herself for a career as a business woman. After completing her education she 
returned to Prosser and became a member of the stafi of the county auditor. In 
due course of time she was made deputy auditor and so faithfully and ably did she 
discharge her duties that she was elected auditor in the fall of 1918. She had prev- 
iously become thoroughly acquainted with every detail of the office, so that she is 
now abundantly able to handle the business affairs of that position independently. 
She is very popular with the public: has always proved obliging and helpful; and 
is fully entitled to the confidence reposed in her. In the social circles of her city 
Miss Severyns is well known and well liked and wherever she goes she makes friends 
who thoroughly appreciate her ability. She is a pleasant, entertaining .young lady 
of social graces, who never fails to enliven any society. 



HOWARD F. BLEDSOE. 

Howard F. Bledsoe has long been identified with commercial interests in Ellens- 
burg, where he is now conducting a grocery store and also dealing in automobile 
supplies and accessories. He was born in Colorado, Texas, October 27, 1883, a son 
of Henry and Mary Bledsoe. The father died at Fort Worth, Texas, in the year 1888 
and the mother now lives with her daughter, Mrs. A. B Dunning, in Kittitas county, 
Washington. 

Howard F. Bledsoe pursued his education in the public schools and afterward 
took a complete commercial course with the International Correspondence Schools. 
He started upon his business career as clerk in a dry goods store at Alvarado, Texas, 
and afterward went to St. Louis, Missouri, where he was associated with the Ely- 
Walker Dry Goods Company. Later he located at Las Vegas, New Mexico, where 
he again engaged in clerking, and subsequently he settled at Seattle. In October, 
1907, he arrived in Ellensburg, where for a year he occupied a position as clerk in 
the store of C. L. Collins. He also spent a similar period with the Hub Clothing 
Company and in September, 1909, he purchased a grocery store in connection with 
George Pearson, with whom he was thus identified until November. 1910, when Mr. 
Pearson sold out. Mr. Bledsoe was then alone in business until March, 1913, when 
he admitted Lenox Wilson to a partnership and the association has since been 
maintained. They are proprietors of a well appointed grocery store, carrying a large 
and carefully selected line of staple and fancy groceries, for which they find a ready 
sale by reason of their fair prices, their honorable dealing and their earnest efforts 
to please their patrons. They also carry a line of automobile supplies and accessor- 
ies and their trade in that connection is gratifying. 

On the 22d of .\ugust. 1909, Mr. Bledsoe was united in marriage to Miss Vera 
De Weese, of Ellensburg, a daughter of the Rev. William De Weese, and their chil- 
dren are four in number: Esther, Charles, Keith ^nd Helen. 

The religious faith of the family is that of the Methodist church, and both Mr. 
and Mrs. Bledsoe are highly esteemed as people of sterling worth, while the hos- 
pitality of the best homes of the locality is freely accorded them. Mr. Bledsoe votes 
with the democratic party and his interest in community affairs is manifest in his 
membership in the Chamber of Commerce. He stands for all that is progressive in 
relation to the public welfare and cooperates heartily in all those plans and meas- 
ures which are a matter of civic virtue and of civic pride. 



GEORGE E. GIFFIN. 

George E. Giffin, who since 1910 has been identified with the drug trade in 
Grandview and is now owner of a well appointed store, was born in Covington, 
Ohio, July 25, 1874, a son of John V. and .-Knna (Young) Giffin, the former a native 
of Hamilton county, Ohio, while the latter was born in Van Wert county, that state. 

(7) 



144 HISTORY OF YAKIMA VALLEY 

The paternal grandfather, Samuel B. Giffin, was a native of Pennsylvania but became 
a pioneer settler of Ohio, where he followed the occupation of farming. His son, John 
V. Giffin, was a carriage manufacturer, and both he and his wife are now deceased. 

George E. Giffin, after acquiring a public school education, attended the Ohio 
Normal University at Ada, Ohio, from which he was graduated with the class of 
1893. He started upon his business career by serving a two years' apprenticeship at 
the drug trade in Columbus, Ohio, after which he engaged in clerking until 1897, when 
he purchased a drug store in that city. The following year he entered the United 
States army, in the hospital service, and was on active duty in that connection for 
three years, spending two years of the time in the Philippines and witnessing the 
entire struggle that has become known as the Spanish-American war. He was 
made acting .hospital steward. 

Following his return to his native land Mr. Giffin in 1901 opened a drug store 
in Columbus, Ohio, where he conducted business until 1907, when he came to Wash- 
ington and for eight months was located at Chesaw. In February, 1908, he pur- 
chased a ranch near Grandview and resided thereon for a year. He afterward spent 
three months in Reno, Nevada, and subsequently six months in Columbus, Ohio. He 
then went to Pasco, Washington, where he lived for a few months, after which he 
purchased a drug store at Spirit Lake, Idaho, where he remained for nearly a year. 
He next resided at Medford, Oregon, for three months, after which he returned to 
Grandview in 1910 and engaged in clerking in a drug store until March, 1911, when 
he purchased the store of which he has since been proprietor. He has also retained 
the ownership of the ranch and has five acres planted to orchard, while the re- 
mainder is devoted to diversified farming. This place he rents and from it obtains a 
substantial income. 

On the 9th of June, 1903. Mr. Giffin was married to Miss Xellie Burris, who was 
born in Columbus, Ohio, a daughter of L. T. and Sadie (Shull) Burris, the former 
now a retired railway conductor formerly connected with the Pennsylvania Railroad 
Company. 

Fraternally Mr. Giffin is a blue lodge and chapter Mason and is a past master 
of Grandview Lodge No. 191. His religious faith is that of the Methodist church and 
in these associations are found the rules which govern his actions and control his 
attitude toward his fellowmen. In politics he is a republican and in 1916-17 he served 
as mayor of Grandview and for several terms has been on the board of aldermen. 
.■\s a public official he has exercised his prerogatives in support of many plans and 
measures for the general good and at all times is actuated by a public-spirited devo- 
tion to the best interests of his community. He is highly esteemed as a merchant, 
as a citizen and as a man, having a wide circle of friends in this community. 



GEORGE MILLDRUM. 

George Milldrum, a citizen of worth living near Yakima, was born on the 24th 
of February. 1842, in England, a son of Thomas and Jane (Richards) Milldrum, both 
of whom have passed away. Mr. Milldrum was engaged in mining and engineering 
in his native country. In 1882 he came to the United States and took up his abode in 
Miner county. South Dakota, where he secured government land and developed and 
improved a farm. He resided thereon until 1915, when he came to Yakima county, 
but he still owns his South Dakota farm. Seven times since making his initial trip 
to the new world he has crossed the .\tlantic, visiting his old home in England and 
renewing his acquaintance with the friends of his youth and early manhood. In 
his home place Mr. Milldrum has seven and a half acres and he also owns two and 
four-fifths acres on Orchard avenue. His land is planted to orchard and he raises a 
variety of fruit, all of excellent size and flavor, readily finding a profitable market. 
His land is highly cultivated and therefore very valuable. 

Mr. Milldrum was united in marriage to Miss Mary .\nn Odgers, a native of 
England, and they became the parents of ten children. The mother passed away and 
later Mr. Milldrum wedded Jean Richards, who was also born in England. There 
was one child by that marriage. The children of Mr. Milldrum are as follows: 



HISTORY OF YAKIMA VALLEY 145 

George, who is living in Alberta, Canada, northwest of Edmonton; Thomas, who is 
a clerk, living in Alabama; Mary Annie, living in California; Richard, deceased, and 
Joseph, who follows farming on the Tieton, in Yakima county. The others have 
passed away. 

Mr. Milldrum is a member of the Christadelphian church, which was founded by 
Doctor Thomas soon after the Civil war. He has always been a great student of the 
Scriptures, reading the Bible many times, and his entire life has been guided by its 
teachings, while at all times he has endeavored to closely follow the Golden Rule. 



JAMES HENDERSON. 

James Henderson, who makes his residence in Sunnyside, is one of the success- 
ful business men of Mabton, where he conducts a profitable drug store. Moreover, 
he has been engaged in agricultural and horticulural pursuits and in that manner 
has contributed toward development in those two industries. He was born at Fox 
Lake, Wisconsin, January 10, 1868, of the marriage of John and Isabel (Sanderson) 
Henderson. When our subject was two years old they removed to Minnesota, taking 
up their home near Willmar, where the father successfully followed agricultural pur- 
suits until his death. His wife has also passed away. 

James Henderson spent his boyhood days in Minnesota under the parental roof 
and received his first lessons in an old-fashoned log schoolhouse near his father's 
home. Subsequently he improved his education by a high school course. He then 
served an apprenticeship in Minnesota as a druggist and successfully passed the 
examination before the state board in January, 1894, taking active charge of a drug 
store at Paynesville which he had owned for some months previous. He came to 
Sunnyside in March, 1894, and here established the first drug store in February, 1895, 
in the conduct of which he was very successful until disposing of the same in 1906. 
He then retired from active business afifairs for about two years, devoting his time 
to the management of his property, but in October, 1908, returned to his old occu- 
pation and acquired the drug store owned by .-Mexander & King at Mabton and has 
conducted the same ever since with growing success. He carries a complete line 
of the best drugs and also has a stock of such sundries as are usually carried in 
stores of this kind. His prescription trade is large and the public appreciates the 
fact that prescriptions filled at his store are always carefully compounded. Although 
Mr. Henderson is counted among the business men of Mabton he still maintains his 
residence in Sunnyside, the latter town having now been his home ofr over twenty- 
three years. 

On -August 27, 1892, Mr. Henderson married Miss Isabel Brown, of Paynesville, 
Minnesota, and to this union were born the following children: Marion, who is with 
the First National Bank of Yakima; Blanche, at home; Bernice, now in Ellensburg; 
.\my, who is attending high school; and Ruby, who assists her father in his busi- 
ness. Mr. and Mrs. Henderson are well known in Sunnyside and Mabton and their 
hospitable home is always open to their many friends. 

Mr. Henderson has always taken a very laudable part in all affairs pertaining 
to public improvement and the cause of education has been especially dear to his 
heart, he having served as a member of the school board for many years. He was 
the first mayor of Sunnyside, giving the city a beneficial administration out of which 
has grown much good. At present he is serving as game commissioner of Yakima 
county. He is a large landowner but does not farm his property, confining himself 
to a general supervision thereof. He it was who in 1894 planted one of the first 
orchards in the Sunnyside country and in fact he is numbered among the honored 
pioneers of his section. He is very fond of hunting and his reputation as a sportsman 
and taxidermist among his neighbors is the highest and he has the largest private 
collection of mounted birds and other animals in the state of Washington. It is of 
the greatest interest to all who arc students of outdoor life and is greatly admired 
by his many friends and those who come from afar to view it. Fraternally Mr. Hen- 
derson is a member of the Elks Lodge No." 318, of Yakima, and the Modern Wood- 
men of -America, while his political allegiance is given to the democratic party. The 



146 HISTORY OF YAKIMA \"ALLEY 

family attend the Episcopal church, in the work of which they take an active and 
helpful interest. As one of the honored pioneers of Yakima county Mr. Henderson 
has many friends among its population and all who know him speak of him in terms 
of high regard and deep respect, conceding his superior qualities as a man and a 
citizen. 



FRED E. THOMPSON. 

One of the important business enterprises of Yakima is the Thompson Ftuit 
Company, of which Fred E. Thompson is the president. Actuated in all that he 
does by a progressive spirit, he is constantly reaching out along broadening lines 
that result to the benefit and upbuilding of the community as well as to the advance- 
ment of his individual success. Mr. Thompson is a western man by birth, training 
and preference and in his life displays the enterprising spirit which has been the 
dominant factor in the upbuilding of this section of the country. He was born near 
Tacoma, Washington, on the 29th of May, 1863, a son of L. F. and Susanna (Kin- 
caide) Thompson. The father was born in Jamestown, New York, while the mother 
was a native of Hannibal, Missouri, and they were married in Steilacoom, Washing- 
Ion, in 1857, having become pioneers upon the Pacific coast. The father made his 
way to California in the year 1849, attracted by the gold discoveries on the Pacific 
coast. The mother was a daughter of William Kincaide, who arrived in Washington 
with his family in 1853, when his daughter was about fifteen years of age, having 
made the journey across the plains from Hannibal, Missouri. In the year 1852 L. Y. 
Thompson had removed from California to Washington and became the owner of 
one of the first and probably the first sawmill on the Puget Sound. This was de- 
stroyed during the Indian war of 1855. Later he became the pioneer hop grower 
ot the Sound country turning his attention to that industry in 1863, when he planted 
five acres to hops. He became a large hop grower and dealer and very successfully 
conducted his business along that line. Later he turned his attention to real estate 
and banking and became one of the prominent factors in financial circles in the state. 
He was a member of the first legislature of Washington territory and was the young- 
est representative in that body. Later he served as a member of the state legislature 
at the first session after the admission of Washington to the Union, at which time he 
was the oldest member. He was born in 1827 and passed away in 1905, while his 
w-idow survived until 1916. He had always given his political allegiance to the 
repiiblican party and was a very prominent factor in its ranks in the early days. 
In fact he left the impress of his individuality upon the history of the state in 
connection with its development along many lines. 

Fred E. Thompson pursued his education on the coast and attended a business 
college in San Francisco. Like his father, he became interested in the hop business, 
taking up the work in the spring of 1884 and continuing therein until 1891. In No- 
vember, 1888. he purchased farm property in the Yakima valley and in 1891 established 
his home in North Yakima. Becoming interested in the question of fruit raising, he 
started an orchard and was one of the first commercial orchardists of the Yakima 
valley. Mr. Bicknell having planted two acres to peaches the previous year. Mr. 
Thompson, however, planted ten acres to peaches and apples and planted the first 
Elberta peach tree and the first D'Anjou pear tree. He also set out the first Rome 
Beauty apple tree, all these being planted in 1889. He has constantly enlarged his 
orchards since that time and when he sold, his original place in 1904 he had devel- 
oped one hundred and ten acres in fruit growing. In 1906 he organized the Thomp- 
son Fruit Company, which now owns one hundred and sixty acres in fruit in the 
Parker bottoms. They are the largest fruit growers in the northwest, having extensive 
orchards of peaches, pears and prunes. Mr. Thompson is also interested in the 
Cascade Orchard Company, which was organized in 1910 and has three hundred and 
twenty acres of land. He is likewise connected with the Sunset Orchard Company, 
which was organized in 1912 and_ cultivates eighty acres planted to apples, pears and 
crabapples. He does an extensive business in marketing fruit as well as in raising. 
He shipped the first carload of fruit ever sent from the Yakima valley across the 




FRED E. THOMPSON 



HISTORY OF YAKIMA VALLEY 149 

Mississippi river, this being about 1893 or 1894. The company employs twenty-five 
men throughout the entire year and two hundred and twenty-five people in the har- 
vest season. In 1917 they produced over one hundred and fifty-five carloads of 
fruit or about two thousand tons. The work of Mr. Thompson has been of the 
greatest possible benefit to this section of the state, showing what can be accom- 
plised through the utilization of the natural resources of the state when scientific 
methods of orcharding are employed. He closely studies every phase of the busi- 
ness, knovv's the nature of the soil, the needs of the trees and the best methods of 
spraying and caring for the fruit in every possible way. 

In 1893 Mr. Thompson was married to Miss Veola Kirkman, of San Francisco, 
and they have one daughter, Hazel, who is a graduate of the Berkeley university 
and is now assistant superintendent of schools in Yakima. Mr. Thompson belongs 
to the Masonic Fraternity and the Benevolent Protective Order of Elks and he 
gives his political allegiance to the republican party. His position of leadership as 
a fruit grower of Yakima valley has made him widely known throughout this and 
other sections of the state and his e.xample has been followed by many to the profit 
of the individual and the benefit of the commonwealth. 



DAVID C. REED. 



David C. Reed, manager of and one of the partners of the Yakima Title Guaranty 
& Abstract Company of Yakima, is also prominently known as one of the chief pro- 
moters of the splendid public school system of the city. In fact, no history of Yakima 
would be complete without e-xtended reference to him, so important a part has he 
played in relation to the development of the educational system. He arrived in this 
city in 1906. although he has been a resident of the Pacific coast from 1879, having 
been a youth of eighteen years when he removed westward to California. 

Mr. Reed was born in Homewood, Pennsylvania, on the 6th of January, 1861, a 
son of John and Isabella (Craig) Reid, who were natives of Scotland and came to 
the United States in 1852. The father spelled his name Reid, but his son adopted the 
orthography which he now uses. The father was a soldier of Company C, of the One 
Hundred and First Regiment of Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry, and died in .An- 
dersonville prison. He had a family of ten children and two of his sons were also 
soldiers of the Civil war, Walter J. serving as orderly sergeant with General Kearney 
and later with General Meade. He was wounded at the battle of Gettysburg. He 
became a prominent resident of the northwest, arriving in Yakima in 1878, taking 
up a claim from the government near what are now the fair grounds of the city. 
As the years passed he played a very prominent and important part in shaping public 
thought and action and his influence was ever on the side of progress and improve- 
ment. He served as mayor of Yakima and gave to the city a businesslike and pro- 
i>ressive administration. Later his fellow townsmen, appreciative of his worth, 
ability and public spirit, called upon him to represent the district in the state senate 
and he was a member of the upper house of the general assembly when death called 
him in 1908. The otlier brother who was a soldier of the Civil war was James C. 
Reid. who died in the prison at Salisbury, North Carolina, ere the war was brought 
to a successful close. Another son of the family, John Reid, came to the Yakima 
valley with his brother Walter in the year 1878. He, too, became a prominent factor 
in the public life of the community, serving as secretary of the State Fair .Associa- 
tion and at one time as mayor of the city, so that the name of Reid is most honorably 
interwoven with the history of Yakima. The mother died in Pennsylvania. 

David C. Reed was but four years old at the time of his father's demise and his 
early education was acquired in the Soldiers' Orphans' School at Lniontown. He 
afterward worked his way through Duflf's College and through the University of 
California, and throughout his entire life he has remained a man of studious habits, 
constantly promoting his knowledge through reading and research. It was in the 
year 1879 that he made his way westward to California, where his sister Isabel, lived, 
and there he took up the profession of teaching, which he followed in that state for 
twenty-seven years, becoming recognized as one of its most eminent and able educa- 



ISO HISTORY OF YAKIMA VALLEY 

tors. It was in California that he attended the Los Angeles Xormal School and he 
also became a student in the Throop Polytechnic Institute at Pasadena, from which 
he was graduated in 1898, in order that he might know the real value of manual 
training. He also pursued a course in kindergarten work and he was thus able to 
speak with authority on these questions when later he became a prominent factor in 
connection with the public schools of Yakima. While still a resident of California he 
served as principal of the schools 6f Redding and of Yreka and later became super- 
intendent of public schools at Eureka, California, and county superintendent of 
schools in Plumas county. For ten years he occupied the responsible position of 
superintendent of schools at Redlands, California, and thus made valuable contribu- 
tion to the educational development of that state during the twenty-seven years of 
his connection with its public school system. In 1906 he arrived in Yakima to accept 
the superintendency of the schools of this city, in which capacity he continued until 
1911, and during his connection with the ofifice various school buildings were erected, 
including the high school, the Lincoln, Garfield, McKinley, Fairview and Summit View 
schools. Practically all of this work was done under the immediate direction of 
Mr. Reed and during his superintendency the attendance of the high school increased 
from one hundred and fifty to five hundred, while the number of teachers was in- 
creased from forty-eight to ninety. It was Mr. Reed who was instrumental in intro- 
ducing the commercial course, also domestic science, manual training, the agricuIturaJ 
course and the arts course, thus making the high school most efficient in its scope 
and purposes. The graded schools also more than doubled in attendance during his 
superintendency and he ever had the ability to inspire teachers and pupils under him 
with much of his own zeal and interest in the work. While in California he organized 
many of the manual training schools of the southern part of that state and all 
acknowledge that he laid the foundation for the present splendid school system of 
Yakima of which every citizen is justly proud. He was also a member of the library 
board of Yakima when the public library Was built. 

In 1911 Mr. Reed gave up school work to enter into active connection with the 
Yakima Title Guaranty & Abstract Company, which had been organized in 1906 by 
J. O. Cornett. George S. Rankin, W. J. Reed, Sylvester Peterson, E. G. Peck. H. 
Stanley Coffin, H. M. Helliesen and W. L. Lemon. Of these Mr. Peck became the 
president, Mr. Peterson the vice-president, secretary and manager, and Mr. Lemon 
the treasurer. They first had their offices at No. 7 North First street but in 1908 
the company erected a building at the corner of A and Second streets and has since 
occupied it. In 1910 H. H. Lombard was elected to the presidency and so continues. 
David C. Reed became the secretary in 1911 and in 1917 was made both secretary 
and manager, so that he is the active executive officer of the business. In 1912 W. J. 
Aumiller became treasurer and in 1912 I. H. Dills was elected vice-president. The 
corporation is capitalized for one hundred thousand dollars. It guarantees titles to 
real estate and has very complete records of Yakima county property. The business 
has been developed to extensive proportions and the company has today over fifty 
leading citizens of Yakima among its stockholders. 

In 1897 Mr. Reed was married to Miss Jean MacMillan, of Carnegie, Pennsyl- 
vania, and their children were: Emily Judson, now a student at Smith College in 
Massachusetts; and Jeannette, deceased. 

The family attend the Presbyterian church and Mr. Reed also belongs to the 
Masonic fraternity, the Knights of Pythias, the Independent Order of Odd Fellows 
and the Commercial Club. In the Masonic order he is well known as a member of 
lodge, chapter, commandery and Mystic Shrine and he is a past master of the lodge 
with which he held membership in California. His political endorsement is given 
to the republican party but the honors and emoluments of political office have had no 
attraction for him. Outside of his professional duties and his business he has pre- 
ferred to choose the point at which he would render service to the public. He has 
taken an active part in promoting moral as well as intellectual progress in the com- 
munity and has been most active in bringing about the erection of the Young Men's 
Christian Association building at Yakima. His life has ever been characterized and 
actuated by the highest principles and ideals. He is continually extending a helping 
hand, not in that indiscriminate giving which fosters vagrancy and idleness, but in 
intelligently directed eflfort to assist his fellowmen. He gives liberally when material 



HISTORY OF YAKIMA VALLEY ISI 

aid is needed, but he also makes it his purpose to stimulate the pride, ambition and 
self-reliance of the individual by speaking an encouraging word. He is known as 
one of the best loved men of Yakima. 



EUGENE R. CRAVEN. 

Eugene R. Craven is the owner of a valuable farm property of one hundred and 
eighty-three acres, in the midst of which stand a fine residence and substantial barns, 
while all of the equipment of the farm is thoroughly modern and indicates his pro- 
gressive spirit. Mr. Craven is a native of Curtis, Nebraska. He was born April 4, 
1888, of the marriage of Sylvester and Emma Alice (Jessup) Craven, who were na- 
tives of Indiana but went to Iowa at an early day and afterward became pioneer set- 
tlers of Nebraska. In 1889 they removed to Puyallup, Washington, where the father 
engaged in the butchering business. He afterward went to EUensburg and he now 
makes his home on the Columbia river. His wife, however, passed away in 1901. 

In the same year Eugene R. Craven made his way by train to Toppenish, Wash- 
ington, and then walked a distance of sixteen miles to Outlook. He worked for 
wages for six years and then, feeling that his experience was sufficient to justify him 
in engaging in business on his own account, he rented land and at a later period he 
also rented land on the Yakima Indian reservation. In 1913 he went to British Colum- 
bia but later returned and it was then that he took up his abode on the reservation. 
In this way he gained his start. In 1918 he bought two hundred acres of land four 
and a half miles northwest of Sunnyside but has since sold seventeen acres, so that 
he now has one hundred and eighty-three acres, constituting one of the valuable 
farm properties of that section. He is now most pleasantly and attractively located, 
having a beautiful home and a splendidly developed farm and is successfully engaged 
in the cultivation of hay, grain, corn and alfalfa and also raises stock. 

On the 27th of February, 1909, Mr. Craven was united in marriage to Miss Lillian 
M. Burlingame, a daughter of E. H. and Louisa C. (Smith) Burlingame, the former 
a native of Minneapolis, while the latter was born in California. The paternal grand- 
father, Hiram Burlingame, in pioneer times took up a homestead covering what is 
now the center of Minneapolis. In 1862 he removed to California, where his last 
days were spent. It was in the Golden state that the parents of Mrs. Craven were 
married and about 1892 they made their way to the Palouse country of Washington 
and about 1895 came to Yakima county. The father engaged in farming here for 
two years and then returned to California but after a short time again came to 
Yakima county and purchased the ranch now owned and occupied by Mr. Craven. 
It was then a tract of wild land, which he developed and improved, converting it 
in,to one of the best ranches in the valley. He is now engaged in farming near Top- 
penish and makes his home in that city. To Mr. and Mrs. Craven have been born 
three children: Carol, Donald and Gordon. 

Both Mr. and Mrs. Craven give their political allegiance to the democratic party. 
He is recognized as one of the successful and prominent young ranchers in his sec- 
tion of the county, carefully and intelligently directing his interests so that sub- 
stantial results accrue. 



CHESTER C. CHURCHILL. 

Chester C. Churchill, president of the EUensburg Telephone Company, with four- 
teen hundred subscribers over the Kittitas valley, was born in Harrisburg, Oregon, 
July 18, 1871, a son of George Henry and Sarah C. (Reed) Churchill, who were na- 
tives of Illinois and of Indiana respectively. Coming to the west in early life, how- 
ever, they were married in Oregon. The father was a son of Willoughby Churchill. 
who brought his family to the northwest in 1851, crossing the country by wagon and 
ox team to Oregon. His wife died at The Dalles, Oregon, ere they reached their 
destination. Mr. Churchill took up government land and began the development of 



152 HISTORY OF YAKIMA VALLEY 

a farm, whereon he continued to reside until his death. His son, George Henry 
Churchill, passed away in eastern Oregon in 1885. He had followed stock raising 
in that section of the state for a number of years and was a representative business 
man of the locality. His wife was a daughter of Eli A. Reed, who brought his fam- 
ily across the plains to Oregon about 1855 and in later life removed to EUensburg, 
where his death occurred. 

Chester C. Churchill in young manhood became actively identified with the 
live stock business. In 1887 his mother brought the family to the Kittitas valley 
and they became identified with the live stock industry in this region. Chester C. 
Churchill afterward obtained a farm of his own and continued the possessor thereof 
until 1916, when he sold the property. He is still, however, engaged in buying and 
selling stock and has long been recognized as one of the prominent live stock dealers 
of this section of the state. In 1908, however, he was associated with John N. Faust 
in the purchase of the plant of the Pacific Telephone Company at EUensburg and 
reorganized the business under the name of the EUensburg Telephone Company. 
.'\t the time of the purchase there were only five hundred subscribers but today there 
are more than fourteen hundred, located throughout the Kittitas valley. The pres- 
ent officers of the company are: C. C. Churchill, president and manager: and Mr. 
Faust, secretary and treasurer. They liave rebuilt the entire system, making it 
thoroughly modern in every respect, and they give excellent service to their patrons. 

In 1896 Mr. Churchill was united in marriage to Miss Amelia Hauser, a daughter 
of Tillman Hauser, one of the early pioneers of Washington. Their children are 
Eunice, Doris, Lois and George, all at home. 

Mr. Churchill is a prominent Mason, belonging to EUensburg Lodge No. 39, 
A. F. & A. M., also to the Royal Arch Chapter and to Temple Commandery No. 5, 
K. T., of which he is now the eminent commander. He is also identified with the 
Mystic Shrine and is a most loyal follower of the craft, believing firmly in its teach- 
ings. His political allegiance is given to the republican party and he is one of the 
active workers in its local ranks, his opinions carrying weight in its councils. His 
business affairs have been wisely and carefully managed and as president of the 
EUensburg Telephone Company he has made for himself a creditable place in con- 
nection with one of the public utilities, the value of which is most widely recognized. 



WILLIAM T. CARPENTER, M. D. 

Dr. William T, Carpenter, who engages in the general practice of medicine in 
Toppenish but specializes in surgery and the treatment of diseases of the eye, ear, 
nose and throat, was born in North Carolina in 1868, a son of George and D. D. 
(Woodward) Carpenter. The father devoted his life to the occupation of farming in 
order to provide for his family and was thus engaged to the time of his demise. His 
widow still resides in North Carolina. 

Doctor Carpenter acquired his early education in the schools of his native state 
and supplemented the public school course by study in Albemarle Academy. He 
afterward entered the Southern College of Pharmacy, at Atlanta, Georgia, from 
which he was graduated with the class of 1897, and he is also a graduate of the South- 
ern College of Medicine and Surgery of the class of 1898. Having thus qualified for 
onerous professional duties, he located for practice in South Carolina but afterward 
gave up professional labor and traveled over the west. He located ultimately at San 
Francisco, California, but did not practice there. In 1907 he entered the College of 
Physicians and Surgeons of Chicago for a further course in medicine and was gradu- 
ated with the class of 1910 from this institution, which is the medical department of 
the University of Illinois. Doctor Carpenter in 1908-9 was assistant in the medical 
department of the University of Chicago under Professor Santee in histological work 
in neurology. For two years he was assistant to Professor H. O. White in anatomy 
in the University of Illinois, and also for two years assisted John M. Lang, M. D., 
in his clinic in the University of Illinois in gynecology and also assisted Walter C. 
Jones, professor of surgical pathology in the University of Illinois, for two years. 
Following his graduation in 1910, he removed to the northwest, settling at Spokane. 




DR. WILLIAM T. CARPENTER 



HISTORY OF YAKIMA VALLEY 155 

Later lie was located for a time at Ellensburg. Washington, and he afterward pur- 
sued post-graduate work in the Chicago Eye, Ear, Xosc and Throat Hospital in 1917. 
In the same year he opened an office in Toppenish, where he has since remained, and 
although he continues in the general practice of medicine, he specializes in surgical 
cases and in the treatment of diseases of the eye, ear, nose and throat. He is splen- 
didly qualified along these lines and his efforts are productive of excellent results. 
Doctor Carpenter has complete, and in every way, up-to-date equipment, including 
an X-ray machine to facilitate his professional labors. His ability is acknowledged 
by his colleagues and contemporaries in the profession and he is at all times keenly 
interested in everj'thing that tends to bring to man the key to the complex mystery 
which we call life. 

In 1903 Dr. Carpenter was married to Miss Mary F. Heaton, of Spangle, Wash- 
ington, and they now have an interesting little daughter, Vivian Flavilla. Doctor 
Carpenter belongs to the Masonic fraternity, also to Elks Lodge Xo. 1102, at Ellens- 
burg, Washington, to the Woodmen of the World and the Modern Woodmen of 
.America. He has membership in the Toppenish Commercial Club and is interested 
in everything pertaining to the welfare and progress of his community. Along 
strictly professional lines his connections are with the Yakima County Medical So- 
ciety, the Washington State Medical Society and the American Medical .-Kssociation 
and thus he keeps in close touch with the trend of modern professional thought and 
progress. He reads broadly, thinks deeply and is constantly promoting his ability 
through study and today occupies a creditable position among the medical practi- 
tioners of his section of the state. 



JOHN B. WILLARD. 

For more than three decades John B. Willard has been a resident of the Yakima 
valley and is devoting his time and energies to the further development and im- 
provment of a forty-acre homestead on the north fork of the Cowiche. The excellent 
condition of the place indicates his enterprise, industry and determination. He was a 
young man of about twenty-seven years when he removed to the northwest, his birth 
having occurred in Marshal! county, Indiana, January 21, 1861, his parents being 
James Edward and Ann Eliza (Lewis) Willard, the former a native of Xevv York, 
while the latter was born in Indiana. James E. Willard was a son of Ezra Willard. 
who was born in Xew York and who took his family to Indiana at an early day. 
Farming has been the occupation of the family for many generations. In 1872 the 
parents of John B. Willard removed to Kansas, taking up a homestead claim in Rice 
county, and subsequently they went to Oklahoma, becoming pioneer residents of 
(jrant county, where both now reside. 

John B. Willard acquired a public school education and in 1881 went to Colorado 
where he engaged in prospecting, working in the mines through three summers, the 
winter months during that period being spent at home. Later he took up farming 
on liis own account in Kansas and in 1888 he came to Yakima county, where he 
entered government land on the Cowiche. He then turned his attention to stock 
raising and the dairying business and later he rented two different farms. Subse- 
quently he purchased a forty-acre homestead on the north fork of the Cowiche, 
whereon he now resides, and his attention is given to the raising of wheat, oats, corn, 
potatoes and hay. He annually harvests excellent crops, having a fine ranch. He 
has built a good home and large barns upon the place and everything in his sur- 
roundings indicates his progressive spirit, his keen business sagacity and his un- 
faltering enterprise. 

On the 21st of March. 1887, Mr. Willard was married to Miss Addie Davis, who 
was born in Hardin county, Illinois, a daughter of Isaac and Catherine (Hufford) 
Davis, who in 1874 removed to Kansas but in 1888 came to Yakima county, where 
the father purchased land and also took up a homestead on the Cowiche. He has 
now passed away, but the mother survives and resides in Yakima. To Mr. and Mrs. 
Willard have been born eleven children: Laura, the wife of Bert Daggett, a rancher 
on the Cowiche, by whom she has one child; Floyd, who is a member of the United 



1S6 HISTORY OF YAKIMA VALLEY 

States army; Ellis, who married Verna Van Hoy and is a rancher on the Cowiche; 
Stella, deceased; Guy, a rancher on the Cowiche, who married Nellie Thompson and 
has one child; Grace, who is the wife of Richard Roley, a rancher on the Cowiche, 
and has one child; Helen, James, Claude, Ruth and Emard, all at home. 

In his political views Mr. Willard is a republican and he has served as road 
supervisor. He has also been a member of the school board and the cause of educa- 
tion finds in him a stalwart champion, as he believes that every opportunity should 
be accorded the young to acquire a good education and thus provide for life's prac- 
tical and responsible duties. As a business man he has proven his right to be classed 
with the representative ranchers of his section of the state, for his carefully directed 
labors have brought to him substantial success. 



ERWIN S. SIMON. 



Erwin S. Simon, identified with the horticultural interests of Yakima county, was 
born in Renville county, Minnesota, August 17, 1879, a son of John B. and Mary L. 
(Linse) Simon, who were early settlers of Minnesota. In the year 1915 they came 
to Yakima county, Washington, and began ranching on the Tieton. 

Spending his youthful days under the parental roof, Erwin S. Simon acquired a 
high school education, supplemented by further study in a normal school. At the 
outbreak of the Spanish-American war he enlisted for active service as a member 
of Company C, Twelfth Minnesota Volunteer Infantry, in 1898 and was mustered out 
in 1899. He afterward learned the machinist's trade, which he continued to follow 
for fourteen years at Brainerd. Minnesota, but attracted by the opportunities of the 
rapidly developing northwest, he made his way to this section of the country and 
purchased four acres of land two and a half miles from the city of Yakima. Upon 
this place he is engaged in raising apples, peaches, pears and cherries and is meeting 
with good success in his undertakings. 

In 1902 Mr. Simon was married to Miss Elizabeth Fisher, of Minnesota, a 
daughter of C. M. B. Fisher, and she passed away in 1910, leaving three children: 
Clifford, Russell and Dorothy. In June, 1915, Mr. Simon was again married, his 
second union being with Miss Luella A. Reeck, of Minnesota, daughter of Rev. A. 
Reeck, and they have one child, Marcelle Gladys. 

Mr. Simon is a member of the Ancient Order of United Workmen, also of the 
Brotherhood of American Yeomen and the International Association of Machinists. 
The family attend the German Evangelical church. Politically Mr. Simon casts an 
independent ballot, not caring to ally himself wth any party or to subject himself 
to the dictates of party leaders. He has worked diligently for the attainment of his 
success and is now the owner of a valuable property devoted to horticulture. 



ZENAS Y. COLEMAN. 

Commercial enterprise in Toppenish finds a worthy representative in Zenas V. 
Coleman, who comes to the LTnited States from across the border, his birth having 
occurred in Scotstown, Canada, on the 12th of August, 1872. His parents were 
William and Flavilla (Knapp) Coleman, the former a native of Canada, while the 
latter was born in Maine. Mr. Coleman had lived in the United States for about 
twelve years prior to his marriage. Subsequently he returned to Canada, where the 
birth of his son Zenas occurred, but when the boy was only about a year old the 
parents once more came to tlie United States and settled upon a farm in New Hamp- 
shire. At a subsequent date they again went to Canada, where they lived for two 
years and then became residents of Michigan about 1883. They continued to make 
their home in that state until 1891, w^hen they started for the far west with Seattle, 
Washington, as their destination. The father was a farmer by occupation and fol- 
lowed that pursuit in the various localities in which he made his home. His death 
occurred in Seattle and his widow is still living. 



HISTORY OF YAKIMA VALLEY 157 

Zenas Y. Coleman obtained a high school education in Michigan and when his 
textbooks were put aside secured a clerkship in a store. In fact he began clerking 
while still in high school, being thus employed at Stanton, Michigan, where he re- 
mained in clerical work until 1896. He afterward spent two years as a clerk in 
Chicago and in 1898 he came to Washington, making his Way to Yakima, where for 
three years he was in the employ of the Henry H. Schott Company. He next took 
charge of the business of the Moore Clothing Company, remaining as manager for 
three years, and subsequently he was half owner of a shoe store in Yakima. There 
he remained until 1908, when he sold his interest in that business and removed to 
Toppenish. In the meantime or in December, 190S, he had been appointed register 
of the United States land office by President Roosevelt and served in that connection 
until 1908, when he resigned. 

With his removal to Toppenish, Mr. Coleman purchased an interest in the Top- 
penish Trading Company and became vice president and general manager, in which 
connection he has since continued. The firm has built up a business of large pro- 
portions and Mr. Coleman has been most active in producing this result. He applies 
himself with thoroughness and earnestness to the work and puts forth every effort 
to please his patrons, while his reliable business methods as well as his progressive- 
ness have constituted an important force in the development of the business. 

On the 16th of August. 1899, Mr. Coleman was married to Miss Edith M. Moore, 
who had been a schoolmate in Stanton, Michigan. They became the parents of five 
children but three of the number died in infancy, those still living being: Zenas Y., 
Jr., now twelve years of age; and Katherine, a little maiden of eight summers. 

Mr. Coleman is well known in fraternal connections. He belongs to Yakima 
Lodge No. 318, B. P. O. E., of which he is a past exalted ruler, is a member of Toppen- 
ish Lodge No. 178, A. F. & A. M., of which he is now serving as master and he 
has also taken the degrees of the Scottish Rite of Masonry in Yakima. He likewise 
belongs to the Independent Order of Odd Fellows at Yakima and to the Toppenish 
Commercial Club, of which he served as president in 1915 and 1916. His political 
endorsement is given to the republican party. He has been a member of the school 
board of Toppenish and has served as a member of the state fair board by appoint- 
ment of Governor Meade. At all times he manifests a public-spirited devotion to the 
general welfare and has cooperated in large and active measure with movements 
and projects put forth to benefit community and commonwealth. In public life, as in 
business affairs, he is actuated by a progressivencss that knows no bounds and he 
attacks everything with a contagious enthusiasm that easily wins the cooperation 
and support of others. 



EDMUND G. TENNANT. 

Edmund G. Tennant, who has made valuable contribution to the development 
and improvement of Yakima through his extensive real estate operations, was born 
in Canada on the 24th of May, 1865, a son of Wesley and Sarah (Glasford) Tennant. 
The father has now passed away but the mother is living, making her home with her 
daughter at Des Moines, Iowa, at the age of eighty-four years. The father was en- 
gaged in the investment business for a long time. In 1870 he removed with his 
family to Des Moines, Iowa, and subsequently took up his abode in Guthrie Center, 
Iowa, in later life, there passing away in 1913. 

Edmund G. Tennant was but a little lad of five years when the family home 
was established in Iowa and to the public school system of that state he is indebted 
for the educational opportunities which he enjoyed. In his early boyhood he began 
selling papers and thus earned his first money. He was also employed as an office 
boy in Des Moines and afterward as delivery boy in connection with a grocery store 
of that city. On attaining his majority he left home and went to North Dakota, 
where he took up a homestead claim, to the development and improvement of which 
he devoted his energies until 1889, when he sold that property and sought the oppor- 
tunities of the northwest. Making his way to Washington, he was for a time identi- 
fied with the lumber business on the coast but returned to Iowa in 1890 and entered 



158 HISTORY OF YAKIMA VALLEY 

mercantile business at Anthon, where he remained for four years. He later removed 
to Hartley. Iowa, where he carried on meichandising for three years, but eventually 
sold out there and went to Alaska in the spring of 1897. He continued in th?.t coun- 
try for five years, actively engaged in mining and in the lumber business. He estab- 
lished the first sawmill in the Atlia mining district in British Columbia and he was 
the owner of mines in the Forty Mile district on Jack Wade creek. He carried on 
merchandising on the Yukon river and was the builder of a hotel at Skagway, 
Alaska. He took the first linen, china and silver into a hotel at that point, Skagway, 
and thus he was closely identified with the development of Alaska along many lines. 
At length, however, he disposed of his interests in that country and in 1901 came 
to Yakima, where he continued in the hotel business, leasing the Bartholet hotel, 
which he conducted for three years. He also purchased much property here and in 
1904 sold the hotel in order to concentrate his efforts and attention upon the real 
estate business, buying a large amount of property and putting many additions upon 
the market. He developed the Modern addition of sixty acres, which he divided into 
lots and on which he erected medium priced residences. He later improved the New 
Modern addition of twenty acres, upon which moderate priced homes were built. 
He also built houses on the West and North Modern addition, covering twenty 
acres. He developed the South Park addition of twenty acres, putting in improve- 
ments on all of these and erecting buildings, and he likewise developed the Highland 
additon of ten acres, the Richland addition of ten acres and a one-hundred-acre tract 
devoted to suburban homes, each with one acre of ground. He was likewise one 
of the partners in the firm of Tennant & Miles, having an eighty acre tract divided 
into acre lots and the Fairview tract of twenty acres. Still another phase of the 
real estate business claimed his attention, for he developed the Selah ten-acre tracts 
in the Selah. covering several hundred acres. This is all now fine orchard. Mr. Ten- 
nant has platted and sold several thousand acres of land and has become one of the 
largest real estate operators in the valley. His labors have resulted in bringing 
many thousands of people into the country, thus greatly advancing its upbuilding 
and prosperity. Moreover, he is farming today over twelve hundred acres of irri- 
gated land himself and he is now selling the Elliott Heights addition of twenty acres 
and building thereon modern bungalows. He is the president of the Louden Land 
Company that owns the bungalow addition to Yakima. 

In November, 1890. Mr. Tennant was married to Miss Maude E. Thompson, of 
Ithaca, Michigan, and they have an adopted son, Edmund G. Mr. Tennant votes 
with the democratic party and he has membership with the Commercial Club of 
Yakima. He also belongs to the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, the Benevolent 
Protective Order of Elks and is a charter member of the Arctic Brotherhood. His 
activities have taken him into various sections of the .'\merican continent and have 
been wide in scope, useful in purpose and most resultant. His labors have been of 
the greatest value in promoting the development and progress of this section ot the 
state. Possessing broad, enlightened and libera! minded views, faith in himself and 
in the vast potentialities for development inherent in his country's wide domain and 
specific needs along the distinctive lines chosen for his life work, his has been an 
active career in which he has accomplished important and far-reaching results, con- 
tributing in no small degree to the expansion and material growth of the Yakima 
valley and from which he himself has derived substantial benefit. 



REUBEN J. HICKOK. * 

.\ tine tract of thirty-five acres one mile east of Zillah bespeaks the prosperity of 
Reuben J. Hickok, who now has twenty-four acres of this land in apples. He is not 
only prominent in fruit raising, along which line he has been very successful, but 
he also runs his own packing house and thus derives an extra profit from his under- 
taking. A native of Clay county, Nebraska, he was born February 1, 1880, and is a 
son of John G. and Bertha (Olson) Hickok, the former a native of Ohio and the latter 
of Norway. They were early settlers of Nebraska but in 1888 made their way to 
Washington, going to Snohomish. Seven years later, in 1895, the family arrived in 



HISTORY OF YAKIMA VALLEY 159 

YakimcL county and here the father .-ngagtcl in draying at Zillah. which city is still 
his home. He also has a small orchard there. 

Mr. Hickok of this review in the acquirement of his education attended the pub- 
lic schools and subsequently assisted his father until he reached his majority, when, 
in 1901, he took up a homestead claim one mile east of Zillah, comprising one hun- 
dred and sixty acres. All of this was sagebrush. He made a number of valuable im- 
provements here and also instituted modern equipment, thus demonstrating his ideas 
in regard to farming. Later, however, he sold all but thirty-five acres and twenty- 
four acres of this tract is now in apples and he derives a very gratifying income from 
his orcharding. He has not only built a substantial and handsome home but also has 
its own packing house, thus facilitating the shipment of fruit and a storage cellar 
with a capacity of six thousand boxes. 

On September 9, 1900, Mr. Hickok was united in marriage to Miss Leona D. 
Dunham, a daughter of George B. Dunham, the Dunhams being numbered among 
the pioneer families of Yakima county, located on the .\htanum. To Mr. and Mrs. 
Hickok were born three children: Lloyd, Ralph and Wilda. 

The family is highly esteemed by all who know them as they are people of genu- 
ine worth who are ever ready to give their aid to worthy measures undertaken on 
behalf of the general public. Fraternally Mr. Hickok is a member of the Independ- 
ent Order of Odd Fellows and has held all the chairs in the subordinate lodge and is 
a member of the Grand Lodge. Politically he is a republican but has never found 
time, nor has he the inclination to participate in public afTairs, preferring to do his 
duties as a citizen in his private capacity of voter. There is great credit due him for 
what he has achieved, as he has transformed a tract of wild land into a productive 
orchard which is today one of the valuable estates of Yakima county. 



ALFRED R. GARDNER. 

The Courier-Reporter of Kennewick is one of the foremost newspapers of the 
Yakima valley, having a circulation exceeding eleven hundred, largely in the eastern 
part of Benton county. Its continued growth must be largely ascribed to .Alfred 
R. Gardner, one of the best known and most successful newspaper men and editors 
of this part of the state. A native of Oregon, he was born in Wallowa county, 
January 31, 1884, and is a son of James P. and Mattie J. (Shaver) Gardner. His 
parents were among the pioneers of Oregon, having removed to that state about 
1878 from Kansas by the overland route and having also been among the pioneer 
farming people of the Sunflower state. The father was a native of Wisconsin and 
the mother was born in Kentucky. James P. Gardner died in 1905, but his widow 
survives and makes her home in Walla Walla, Washington. He followed agricul- 
tural pursuits throughout most of his life but in his later years, while at Enter- 
prise, Oregon, he established a private investment and loan business, from which 
he derived a gratifying income. 

.A.lfred R. Gardner was reared under the parental roof and in the acquirement of 
his education attended the public schools of his neighborhood and was graduated in 
such good standing that he received a free scholarship to Whitman Academy, from 
which he was graduated in the class of 1905. The printing and publishing business 
having always held attractions for him, he then began work for the Walla Walla 
Union as a proofreader in 1906 and there remained for four years. In .April, 1909, 
he came to Kennewick and acquired an interest in the Kennewick Reporter, of 
which he became editor. He formerly had been news editor of the L'nion and the 
Statesman of Walla Walla. The Reporter had been founded by Scott Z. Hender- 
son, who is now an attorney of Tacoma, and Mr. Gardner acquired an interest in 
the paper in June, 1909, later buying it outright. On April 1, 1914, he joined the 
publishers of the Kennewick Courier and incorporated the two papers under the 
name of the Kennewick Printing Company, E. C. Tripp acting as president and 
having charge of the printing department. R. E. Reed is vice-president and has 
charge of the linotype department, while A. R. Gardner is secretary and treasurer, 
in charge of the editorial department. The Kennewick Courier was established 



100 HISTORY OF YAKIMA VALLEY 

March 21 , 1902, and the Reporter, January 24, 1904, the founder of the Courier being 
E. P. Greene. It was first called the Columbia Courier. Since the consolidation 
the Courier-Reporter has had a very successful career, its circulation increasing 
from year to year. It is an eight page, six column weekly, all home print, and has 
a circulation of eleven hundred, which largely covers the eastern part of Benton 
county. In its editorial policy it has always stood for progress and development 
and its editorials have ever excited favorable comment because of their trenchant, 
forceful style and have done much good in bringing about improvements. The 
news columns are lively and interesting and there is seldom an item of interest 
that is overlooked by the editorial department. It is a readable home paper, which 
fact is evident in that it finds its way to eleven hundred families. The equipment 
of the Courier-Reporter is thoroughly modern and up-to-date, including the most 
improved linotypes and presses and other appurtenances pertaining to the modern 
printing and publishing establishment. 

On May 24, 1908, Mr. Gardner was united in marriage to Miss Mabel Kirkland, 
of Enterprise, Oregon, a daughter of A. P. and Louise (Clarke) Kirkland, both 
Oregon pioneers, the latter a native of that state, while the former removed there 
while yet a boy. To Mr. and Mrs. Gardner has been born one child, Jean, three 
years of age. 

Mr. Gardner is always interested in progress and development, which he not 
only promotes through his newspaper, but he also serves as secretary of the Com- 
mercial Club of Kennewick, of which he is an ex-president. In his political affilia- 
tions he is a republican, steadfastly standing for the principles of the party but 
without ambition for office. Fraternally he is a member of the Knights of Pythias 
and the principles of brotherhood underlying this organization guide him in his 
conduct toward his fellowmen. Mr. Gardner must be considered one of the most 
valuable citizens of his part of the state, doing much toward making it a better 
place in which to live. 



WLLIAM H. REDMAN. 

William H. Redman is now living retired in Yakima but for many years was 
active and prominent in business and through intelligently directed effort won the 
success that now enables him to rest from further labors. He was born in New- 
bern, Indiana, on the 6th of December, 1848, a son of Lucian G. and Mary (Adams) 
Redman. The mother was a native of Maryland, but her mother with two brothers 
and a sister located in Indiana in pioneer times and in the '30's went to Iowa, casting 
in their lot with the pioneer settlers of that state, which had not yet been organized 
as a territory. Later they returned to Indiana and it was in the Hoosier state thai 
Mary .\dams became the wife of Lucian G. Redman. The latter was a son ol 
Reuben Redman, a native of Kentucky, who in 1832 removed to Columbus, Indiana. 
Lucian G. Redman learned the business of cutting and tailoring, devoting his 
early manhood to that trade, but afterward he purchased a farm five miles east o 
Columbus, Indiana, taking up his abode thereon in 1850. For many years he con 
tinned to cultivate and develop the property, remaining there until his later life, when 
he retired from active farm work, enjoying a well earned rest to the time of his 
death. 

William H. Redman acquired a public school education and then attended 
Hartsville College, of Indiana. He taught school as a young man and thus provided 
for his college course. He also worked on farms through the summer seasons and 
after completing his college training he became a civil engineer, having studied 
surveying at Hartsville College and also further augmenting his ability in that 
direction by private study. He became city and county engineer at Columbus, Indi- 
ana, and later was engaged in railway engineering work. He was advanced until he 
had served as chief engineer of three different railroads. He served as division 
engineer of the Nickle Plate Railroad on thirty-six miles of double track and has 
done engineering work on eleven different railway Hues. In 1888 he came to Wash- 
ington, making his way first to Tacoma and later in the same year arrived in Yakima. 




WILLIAM H. REDMAN 



HISTORY OF YAKIMA VALLEY 163 

After taking up is abode in this city he was chief engineer of the Toppenisli, Sim- 
coe & Western Railway. The road was built over a route to which Mr. Redman 
had very serious objections, feeling that conditions existed that were not at all 
favorable for the selection of that route. He built seventeen miles of the railway, 
however, as the choice of route did not lay with him. Mr. Redman was also for 
twelve years in charge of Indian irrigation projects on the Yakima Indian reserva- 
tion and was in charge of the construction of the reservation canal. His engineering 
work has been of a most important character, contributing much to the development 
and upbuilding of this section of the country, and he deserves great credit for what 
he has accomplished. 

Mr. Redman has also done important work in other connections. He was elected 
and served for five terms as mayor of Yakima. In politics he is a stalwart republi- 
can and was nominated by that party for the office of mayor. At the first election 
it was conceded that he received a majority of two, but on a recount the result was 
declared a tie. This was for a short six weeks' term, at the end of which Mr. Redman 
was formally elected mayor and continued in the office for four terms in all. giving 
to the city a most progressive administration. He closely studied municipal needs 
and opportunities and his labors were productive of most beneficial and gratifying 
results. He studied the problems of the city with the same thoroughness that he 
gave to engineering problems and his labors wroughts for results that were of great 
value to Yakima. He was a member of the first city cominission, when the city 
had adopted the commission form of government. In connection with his other 
work Mr. Redman assisted in the construction of the Selah ditch. Mr. Redman has 
also been very successful at orcharding. At the Louisiana Purchase Exposition at 
St. Louis he exhibited an apple grown in his orchard weighing forty-eight ounces. 
This was the largest apple ever exhibited and he was awarded a gold medal for it. 
Unfortunately the medal was later stolen from Mr. Redman. 

It was on the 4th of July, 1882, that Mr. Redman was married to Miss Carrie 
Kinsley, of Angola, New York, who passed away in Yakima, May 29, 1889. In 1892 
he wedded Carrie Bickroy, of Macon, Missouri. There is one son of the first mar- 
riage, Dwight Raymond, who is now a designing engineer in the United States In- 
dian irrigation service. By the second marriage there were two children but the 
younger died in infancy, the surviving one being Ralph Harrison. 

Fraternally Mr. Redman is a Mason, belonging to Yakima Lodge, Xo. 24, F. 
cS: A. M. He was forinerly a member of the Commercial Club. He has been widely 
known and prominent in this section of the country for many years and was very 
active in business and professional circles but is now living retired, enjoying a rest 
which he has truly earned and richly merits. His course has at. all times marked him 
as a progressive and valued citizen and his personal characteristics have brought him 
the friendship and high regard of many. 



ARCHIE B. MARSHALL. 

Archie B. Marshall, actively engaged in the grocery business in Grandview since 
1916, has built up a trade of large and gratifying proportions and is accounted one 
of the most enterprising and progressive merchants of the town. He comes to the 
west from Pennsylvania, his birth having occurred in Indiana county, that state, on 
the 27th of June, 1858, a son of Archibald and Mary A. (Wadding) Marshall, both 
of whom were natives of Indiana county. The father devoted his life to the occu- 
pation of farming until his labors were stayed by the hand of death. His widow 
survives and is yet living in the Keystone state. 

Archie B. Marshall completed his education in the Glade Run Academy of 
Pennsylvania and in early life became familiar with the occupaton of farming, but 
desirous of entering commercial circles, he established a grocery store at Punxsu- 
tawney, Pennsylvania, and afterward was proprietor of a store at Indiana, Penn- 
sylvania. The year 1906 witnessed his removal to the northwest. He made his way 
first to Oregon and in 1907 came to Grandview, Washington, where he purchased 



164 HISTORY OF YAKIMA VALLEY 

twenty acres of orchard land, thirteen acres of which had been planted to fruit. 
Later he sold this place, disposing of it about 1908. He afterward spent another 
year in the east, but the lure of the west was upon him and he returned to Grand- 
view, where he had his home. He bought seven and a half acres of orchard land 
near Grandview and later he spent the year 1915 in the grocery business in Yakima. 
-\gain he returned to Grandview, where he has since been engaged in the grocery 
trade and has the largest store of the town. He also purchased another grocery 
store in Grandview and conducts both establishments under the name of ."V. B. 
Marshall & Son. He is liberally patronized and is regarded as a forceful and 
resourceful business man whose progressive spirit is manifest in the gratifying 
success which has attended him. 

In 1887 Mr. Marshall was united in marriage to Miss Emma Diven, who was 
born in Indiana county, Pennsylvania, a daughter of Frank Diven, a farmer. Mr. 
and Mrs. Marshall are the parents of two children: Earl, who died at the age of 
two years: and Fred D., who married Gladys Evans and is in business with his father. 

Mr. and Mrs. Marshall are members of the Presbyterian church and he gives 
his political allegiance to the Republican party. He was active in township affairs 
in Pennsylvania, filling a number of offices, and has served as a member of the 
town council of Grandview. He belongs to the Business Men's .Association and is 
a most alert and energetic man who has been very active as an orchardist, con- 
ducting other orchards besides his own. He has become expert in that line and 
his experience and knowledge enable him to speak with authority upon the subject 
of fruit raising in the Yakima valley. He established the grocery store for his 
son and in both branches of business he is meeting with well merited and well 
deserved success. 



ROY P. BULLAN. 



Roy P. BuUan is actively identified with farming interests in Yakima county 
as manager of the Bullan estate. He was born in Crookston, Minnesota, on the 
26th of April, 1885, a son of Jesse P. and Maria A. (Tubbs) Bullan, who were natives 
of Michigan and of New York respectively. They removed to Minnesota in 1882 
and the father was there engaged in farming until 1901, when he made his way to 
the Pacific northwest, settling in Yakima county, where he purchased twenty-five 
acres of land two miles west of the city of Y^akima on Nob Hill. He planted his 
land to fruit trees and after a time sold thirteen acres of his property. In his 
fruit-raising interests he met with success, having been very careful in the selection 
of his nursery stock and in the care of his trees and the preparation of the soil. 
He was a man of excellent business ability and of unfaltering energy. At the time 
of the Civil war, however, he put aside all business and personal considerations and 
responded to the country's call for troops. He was living at that time in Wisconsin' 
and he joined Company A of the Third Wisconsin Cavalry, with which he served 
from 1861 until 1865, participating in a number of hotly contested engagements 
and proving his loyalty and valor on various southern battlefields. He died on the 
19th of September. 1917, having for a number of years survived his wife, who passed 
away on the 21st of July, 1904. Both were consistent members of the Methodist 
church and their sterling worth gained for them the high regard, confidence and 
good will of all with whom they were brought in contact. 

To Mr. and Mrs. Bullan were born seven children: Edith, who died at the age 
of two years; Eva M., the wife of E. B. Himmelsbach, of Yakima county; Clara E., 
the wife of E. E. Hanna, deceased; Mamie A., living on Nob Hill, who became the 
wife of A. W. Brewer, who was killed in a street car accident; Russell J.; Ruby E., 
at home; and Roy P., of this review. 

The last named acquired a public school education and became an active assis- 
tant of his father in the work of the ranch. He soon familiarized himself with the 
best methods of tilling the soil and caring for the trees as well as the harvesting of 
the crop and placing it upon the market and since his father's death he has acted 



HISTORY OF YAKIMA VALLEY 165 

as executor of the estate. He is an alert, energetic and progressive young business 
man and his labors have brought him substantial success. 

Mr. Bullan is a member of the Grange and is interested in the work of that 
organization for the dissemination of knowledge that is of benefit in promoting the 
agricultural and horticultural development of the state. His political views are in 
accord with the principlss of the republican party and his religious faith is that of 
the Methodist church. 



FRANK D. CLEMMER. 

Frank D. Clemmer. filling the position of county clerk, and ex-officio clerk of 
the superior court, of Yakima county, where he has made his home since December, 
1891, was born in Berks county, Pennsylvania, on the 31st of May. 1868, a son of 
Abraham G. and Elizabeth Clemmer. The mother died about 1876, when thirty-five 
years of age, and the father afterward married and removed to the west in 1897, 
taking up his abode in Yakima. His last days were spent in retirement from busi- 
ness in the home of his son, Frank D., with whom he continued until called to his 
final rest. 

Frank D. Clemmer, following the completion of his public school education, 
entered the creamery business in Pennsylvania and was connected therewith for 
two years. He then turned his attention to harboring, which business he followed 
for twenty years. In December, 1891, he arrived in Yakima and became identified 
with a barber shop, purchasing an interest in the business of Pat Jordan in 1896. 
He carried on the business until 1910, when he sold his interests. He was then 
called to public office, being elected constable, and he served in that position for 
six years or until 1916, when he was elected county clerk and ex-ofificio clerk of the 
superior court. He took the office in January, 1917, for a two years' term. 

On the 2d of November, 1899, Mr. Clemmer was united in marriage with Miss 
Minnie I. Sherwood, of Yakima, who was born in Minnesota and is a daughter of 
C. A. Sherwood, who came to Yakima in 1892. They have three children; Lenore, 
Ruth and Frances. 

Mr. Clemmer belongs to the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and to the 
encampment and in the subordinate lodge has filled all of the chairs. He was a 
delegate to the state convention of the order at Bellingham in 1902. He likewise 
has membership with the Woodmen of the World and was a delegate to its national 
convention in Denver in 1902 and in Los -Angeles in 1905. For eight years he served 
as secretary of the local camp of Woodmen and he also occupied the poaiton of 
secretary of the Barbers' LTnion of Yakima for several years. In 1896 he went to 
San Francisco, where he pursued a course in Hcald's Business College, from which 
he was graduated in 1897, thus further qualifying for life's practical and responsible 
duties. For the past twenty years he has been a member of the Commercial Club 
of Yakima and is interested in all of its well defined plans and projects for the 
upbuilding of the city and its improvement along all those lines which are a matter 
of civic virtue and civic pride. He votes with the republican party and his religious 
faith is that of the First Church of Christ. He is well known as a substantial and 
representative citizen of Yakima and enjoys the high respect, confidence and good 
will of all with whom he has been brought in contact. 



CHARLES WILEY. 



Agricultural interests of more than ordinary importance were for years repre- 
sented by Charles Wiley, a member of the famous pioneer family which has been 
most helpfully and intimately connected with the history of development in Yakima 
county. Mr. Wiley was born March 7, 1873. He was a native of Yakima county 
and a son of Hugh and Mary Ann (TufFt) Wiley, natives of Westmoreland county, 
Pennsylvania, and Quebec, Canada, respectively, who are mentioned more exten- 

(8) 



166 HISTORY OF YA'KIMA VALLEY 

sively in connection with the sketch of James J. Wiley, a brother of our subject. 

Charles Wiley was carefully reared by his parents for life's arduous duties. In 
his youth he became thoroughly acquainted with pioneer conditions, which then 
maintained in Yakima county, and thus his life's work was closely connected with 
the early history of the county to its present state of wonderful development. In 
the acquirement of his education he attended Woodcock Academy and subsequently 
ranched in the Ahtanum district until his death. In 1904 he acquired one hundred 
and forty-five and a half acres on the Ahtanum which were partially improved and 
to the cultivation of which he gave his further attention, becoming prominent in the 
stock and dairy business. He closely studied along this line and became in fact 
a leader of dairy interests in his section of the state, also being very progressive in 
general farming. He instituted many new methods which set an example to other 
agriculturists and thus not only attained individual prosperity but greatly con- 
tributed toward making this one of the richest sections of the state. 

On the 22d of February, 1905, Mr. Wiley was united in marriage to Miss Ellen 
M. Fear, a native of England, who with her parents came to the United States in 
1889 when she was but a child. The family located on the .\htanum, in Yakima 
county, and Mrs. Fear passed away in Yakima on December 4, 1890. Mr. Fear 
has successfully followed agricultural lines and is now a resident of Yakima. To 
Mr. and Mrs. Wiley were born two children: Cecil Albert, whose birth occurred 
on the 20th of February, 1906; and Stanley Charles, born March 7, 1908. 

Mrs. Wiley is a member of the Congregational church and interested not only 
in church work but also in all movements undertaken on behalf of the uplift of the 
human race. She is charitably inclined and ever ready to extend a helping hand to 
those whose life's course is not made easy and thus she is greatly beloved because 
of her qualities of heart and mind. 

Mr. Wiley was a republican and ever stood up for the principles of that party, 
steadfastly supporting its candidates. In his passing on November 15, 1916, when 
but forty-three years of age, Yakima county lost one of its most enterprising agri- 
culturists and a man who was ready to give his aid to every movement that was 
worth while. His death was not only a great blow to his immediate family, who 
lost in him a devoted husband and father, but also to many friends, all of whom 
had come to appreciate his highmindedness and loyal character. His memory will 
live as a benediction to all who knew him and his work along agricultural lines 
stands as a monument to his enterprise and industry, being a part of the prosperity- 
creating development in Yakima county that in turn makes for better and higher 
and more perfect conditions for the enjoyment of life here. 



FRANK CARPENTER. 

Frank Carpenter, -president of the Cle Elum State Bank, was born upon a tarm 
near Girard, Illinois, June 5, 1871, a son of Charles and Lottie (Peak) Carpenter. 
The father, a native of Iowa, was a son of a pioneer settler of that state. He 
crossed the plains to California in 1864 and spent three years in that state and in 
Oregon, after which he returned to Illinois by way of the Isthmus of Panama. He 
then settled near Girard, Illinois, where he resided until 1906, when he came to Cle 
Elum, Washington, where he is now living retired. He assisted in opening the first 
coal mine at Girard, Illinois, and was there engaged in merchandising as well as 
being a mine owner and operator. His wife was born in Illinois. 

Frank Carpenter acquired a public school education in his native state and in 
September, 1888, became connected with the United States land office at Lamar, 
Colorado, where he remained for five months. He then went to Pueblo, Colorado, 
where he was with an abstract firm for two months, and on the 30th of April, 1889, 
he arrived in Tacoma, Washington. On the 9th of May of the same year he became 
messenger boy in the Merchants National Bank of Tacoma and remained with that 
institution until 1893. He was afterward employed along various lines of business 
until 1896, when he went to Spokane, Washington, and was connected with W. H. 
Adams & Company, commission merchants, for a period of two years. In 1898 he 



HISTORY OF YAKIMA VALLEY 167 

became a resident of Libby, Montana, where he took a position as accountant with 
the Northwest Mining Corporation of London, having charge of the business in his 
line in connection with the Snowshoe mine of Libby, Montana. There he continued 
until 190L In 1902 he again became connected with the banking busiess as cashier 
of the Bank of Edwall in Washington, with which he was associated until October 
31, 1904, when he came to Cle Elum and organized the Cle Elum State Bank. This 
was the first banking institution to become a permanent factor in the business life 
of the town. The Cle Elum State Bank was opened November 2. 1904, the first 
officers being: Frank Carpenter, president; Thomas L. Gamble, vice-president; and 
R. R. Short, cashier. The bank had an authorized capital stock of twenty-five thou- 
sand dollars, with fifteen thousand dollars paid in, and at the end of the first 
year they had only twenty-nine thousand dollars on deposit. From that time for- 
ward, however, the business steadily grew and at the end of the second year they 
had eighty-five thousand dollars on deposit. In 1906 they erected a substantial brick 
building, in which the bank w^as soon comfortably housed. In 1908 Mr. Gamble 
passed away and the following year Henry Smith was elected to the vice-presidency 
of the bank, continuing in the office until his death in 1915. In 1916 he was succeeded 
by William Rees, who is still in that position. Walter J^ Reed was elected a director 
in 190,T but has also departed this life. The other directors aside from the president 
and vice-president are M. C. Miller. Joseph Smith and Charles Carpenter. Today 
the Cle Elum State Bank has a paid in capital stock of fifty thousand dollars, with 
a surplus of ten thousand dollars and undivided profits of about five thousand dollars, 
while its deposits amount to almost eight hundred thousand dollars. The capital 
stock was increased in 1909 and was all paid in at that time. Mr. Short retired as 
cashier in March, 1905, and L. R. Nelson succeeded him. In 1906 the bank estab- 
lished a branch, known as the Roslyn Branch of the Cle Elum State Bank, with 
D. G. Bing as its first cashier. He was sujcceeded by L. R. Nelson as cashier and 
in July, 1918, Joseph Smith was appointed to the position. A modern brick bank build- 
ing was erected at Roslyn in 1908. 

On the 3d of June, 1908, Mr. Carpenter was married to Miss Norah Carr, a 
native of Girard, Illinois, and a daughter of Harmen and Margaret (Bowersox) 
Carr, natives of Miami county, Ohio. The father opened the first exclusive clothing 
and men's furnishing goods store in Girard, Illinois, in 1868, in which business he 
remained until he passed away in 1897. Mr. and Mrs. Carpenter were schoolmates, 
so that their acquaintance dated from early life. They have one daughter, Margaret. 

Fraternally Mr. Carpenter is a Mason, belonging to Cle Elum Lodge No. 139, 
A. F. & A. M., and he also has membership with the Benevolent Protective Order 
of Elks, while his wife is a member of the Universalis! church. In politics he is a 
republican and he served as mayor of Cle Elum. for a year. He has been chairman 
of the Liberty Loan drives here, doing splendid work in that connection, raising 
the quota for the town during the honor week. He is interested in the promotion 
of every public enterprise that has for its motive the upbuilding of the community 
and the betterment of humanity. This characteristic with marked patriotism entitles 
him to stand in the class of the highest type of .American manhood. 



W. N. Ll'BY. 



W. N. Luby, a horticulturist and a merchant of Wapato, whose business inter- 
ests are wisely, carefully and successfully directed, was born in Oconto, W'isconsin, 
on the 29th of January, 1873, a son of William and Mary Luby, who in the year 1904 
became residents of Seattle, Washington, where the father passed away, while the 
mother still lives there. Mr. Luby was a real estate dealer and land operator and 
was recognized as a representative business man of his community. 

After mastering the branches of learning taught in the public schools W. N. 
Luby entered the employ of the Bank of Ironwood at Ironwood, Michigan, where 
he served as assistant cashier. Later he was with Armour & Company for ten 
years as traveling auditor, traveling out of Chicago, and in 1905 he arrived in 
Wapato, where he erected the first building on the new townsite. He afterward 



168 HISTORY OF YAKIMA VALLEY 

organized the Wapato Trading Company and built a one-storj- frame building thirty 
by eighty feet. This has twice been rebuilt in the intervening period and the busi- 
ness block is now fifty-five by one hundred and twenty-five feet, one storj' and 
basement. It is utilized as a department store, Mr. Luby handling a large and 
attractive line of ladies' and men's ready-to-wear clothing, dry goods, hardware and 
groceries. Something of the volume of his business is indicated in the fact that 
he now employs from eight to ten people. In 1913 he was joined by his brother, 
C. J. Luby, who is now a partner in the business, and they rank with the leading 
and representative merchants of this part of the state, characterized in all that they 
do by a spirit of enterprise and progressiveness. Mr. Luby is also the owner of a 
fine fruit ranch of eighty acres, devoted to the raising of apples, pears, peaches and 
apricots. 

Mr. Luby is a member of the Elks lodge. No. 318, of Yakima, also of the Wapato 
Commercial Club, of which he served as president for two terms, covering 1916 and 
1917. His political alegiance is given to the republican party, of which he has ever 
been a stanch advocate. He is recognized as a man of genuine worth, standing for 
all that is progressive in citizenship and also for all projects and interests which have 
to do with civic progress and improvement. As a citizen he has co-operated in many 
plans that have been directly beneficial to Wapato. 



PHIL A. DITTER. 



Phil A. Ditter has throughout his entire business career, which began when he 
was but thirteen years of age, been identified with mercantile interests and is today 
at the head of the oldest retail business of Yakima. The story of his thrift and enter- 
prise is an inspiring one and should serve to encourage others. He was born in 
Shakopee, Minnesota, May 11, 1868, a son of Henry and Katherine (Mechtel) Ditter, 
who were pioneer residents of Yakima, where they arrived on the 23d of July, 1884. 
The father was a native of Baden, Germany, but was a lad of onh- fifteen j-ears when 
he came to America, making his way at once to Fond du Lac. Wisconsin, where he 
was reared to manhood. After attaining his majority he removed to Minnesota and 
was there united in marriage, in 1867, to Miss Katherine Mechtel. Before North 
Yakima had been founded Mr. Ditter removed to the west, traveling by stage from 
The Dalles to Yakima City and later removing to North Yakima when the latter 
place was founded. There he remained to the time of his death and was ever one of 
its most loyal and progressive citizens. He was engaged in merchandising from an 
early age, although about sixteen years before his demise he turned his interests over 
to his sons and retired from active business. Subsequent to his arrival in the north- 
west he joined the firm of Hoscheid & Bartholet, proprietors of a general store in 
Yakima city. It was the first dry goods establishment of Yakima and had been 
founded several years before by Peter T. Gervais. After a year's connection with the 
business Mr. Ditter purchased the interests of his first partners and remained for 
two and a half years at Yakima City. He removed the business to North Yakima 
in the fall of 1888 and opened a store in the west half of the First National Bank 
building, for which he paid a rental of fifty dollars per month. He began dealing in 
dry goods, men's furnishings and shoes, in a building twenty-five by eighty-two feet. 
He remained in active connection with the business until January, 1893, and then 
turned it over to his two sons, Phil A. and Joseph E. Retiring from active life, he 
then spent his remaining days in the enjoyment of a well earned rest until called to 
his final home on the 29th of November, 1908. He had for about three years sur- 
vived his first wife, who died in 1905. He was highly esteemed as a most enter- 
prising and progressive citizen as well as a merchant and was an active democrat 
but did not seek or desire office. His religious faith was that of the Catholic church 
and he was an active member and communicant of St. Joseph's church and also an 
interested member of the Knights of Columbus. His family numbered three chil- 
dren, the two brothers previously mentioned and a sister, Anna, who became the 
wife of Charles R. Donovan, cashier of the First National Bank. He belonged also to 
the Catholic Knights of Wisconsin and to St. Joseph's Central Verein. After losing 




HENRY DITTER 



HISTORY OF YAKIMA VALLEY 171 

his first wife he was married at Port Townscnd to Miss Bessie March, who survives 
him. Those who knew him entertained for him the warmest regard for he had 
proven himself a man of genuine worth in business, in citizenship and in the relations 
of private life. 

Phil A. Ditter acquired his education in public schools and also in a Sisters' 
school of Minnesota. He started work when a boy of thirteen years in his father's 
store and has been identified with mercantile interests since that time. Prior to 1893 
the firm of which he is now a member conducted business under the name of Henry 
Ditter but since that date has been carried on under the style of Ditter Brothers. 
In 1901 they erected their new store building between Second and Third streets, on 
East Yakima avenue. It is a two-story and basement structure fifty by one hundred 
and thirty feet and they also own a fifty-foot frontage lot east of the store and ex- 
pect to enlarge their building after the war. They now carry an extensive line of 
dry goods and ladies' ready-to-wear clothing and their stock includes all that the 
latest market affords. Theirs is the oldest retail business in Yakima, having been 
in existence for a Q.uarter of a century. Ditter Brothers employ the most progres- 
sive methods in the conduct and management of their business and have thus fol- 
lowed in the footsteps of their father, who was so long an honored and respected 
merchant of the city. 

Phil A. Ditter was married on the 13th of June, 1894, to Miss Mary A. Duffey, 
of Minnesota, and their children are: Henry J., twenty-one years of age, residing in 
Seattle; -Amor P.. who is a student in Gonzaga University of Spokane: and Berna- 
dine A., at home. Two other children died in infancy. 

Mr. Ditter has membership with the Benevolent Protective Order of Elks and, 
like his father, is identified with the Knights of Columbus, having held all of the 
chairs in the local organization. He has likewise filled all of the offices in the 
Catholic Order of Foresters and again Hkc his father is a communicant of St. Joseph's 
Catholic church. He has been active in associated charity work and was one of 
the organizers of the Associated Charities of Yakima, and has served as president 
for five years. In politics he is an independent republican and he belongs to the 
Commercial Club, in which he has served on the governing board. He is actuated in 
all that he does by a spirit of enterprise and progress that falters not in the face of 
obstacles and difficulties but is constantly seeking out new, improved and progres- 
sive methods whereby he may reach the desired goal. His establishment is an im- 
portant factor in the commercial circles of Yakima, where the name of Ditter has 
long been an honored one. 



JOSEPH E. DITTER. 



The name of Ditter has long been an honored one in commercial circles in 
Yakima and for a quarter of a century Joseph E. Ditter has been associated with 
his brother in the ownership and conduct of a business with which their father had 
previously been long connected. Joseph E. Ditter was born in St. James, Minnesota. 
December 6, 1871, a son of Henry Ditter, who is mentioned at length in connection 
with the sketch of Phil A. Ditter on another page of this work. 

Spending his youthful days under the parental roof, Joseph E. Ditter acquired 
a public and parochial school education and received his initial business training 
in his father's store and under the father's direction. He thoroughly mastered busi- 
ness principles and in 1893 took over the business, the father in that year turning 
over his interests to his sons. Henry Ditter had long been a most active and prom- 
inent figure in commercial circles and the splendid qualities which he displayed 
throughout his entire mercantile career seem to have descended to his sons, who 
have been his most worthy successors. They are both men of marked business en- 
terprise, keen discernment and indefatigable energy and these qualities are com- 
bined with straightforward dealing. They have always followed constructive meas- 
ures in the conduct of their business and have built up their interests according to 
the most advanced commercial standards. 

In April, 1901, Joseph E. Ditter was united in marriage to Miss Alma L. Schanno, 



172 HISTORY OF YAKIMA VALLEY 

a native of The Dalles, .Oregon, and to them have been born four children: Harold, 
Florence, Edward and Joseph. 

Fraternally Mr. Ditter is connected with the Benevolent Protective Order of 
Elks and also with the Knights of Columbus and in the latter organization has filled 
all of the chairs. He likewise has membership with the Catholic Order of Foresters 
and is a member of St. Joseph's Catholic church. His political allegiance is given to 
the republican party and he keeps well informed on the questions and issues of the 
day, diligently and earnestly supporting every measure or movement that he believes 
will prove of public benefit. He is a member of the Country Club and has a wide 
acquaintance in Yakima, where he has made his home for so many years and where 
his course at all times has measured up to the highest standards. 



■ CHARLES H. FORBES. 

Charles H. Forbes dates his residence in Yakima county from 1905 and is 
identified with its horticultural interests and development. He was born in Ver- 
ona township, Faribault county, Minnesota, August 22, 1858, a son of Benjman F. 
and Sophronia Forbes, the former a native of Pennsylvania and the latter of New 
York. They were married, however, in Wisconsin and in the year 1857 removed 
westward to Minnesota, casting in their lot among the pioneer settlers of that 
state. The father devoted his attention to farming there until the outbreak of the 
Civil war, when he responded to the country's call for troops, enlisting in Company 
D, Ninth Minnesota Volunteer Infantry Regiment, with which he served until the 
close of the war. He continued to make his home in Verona township to the 
time of his death, which occurred in 1902. • 

Charles H. Forbes was still comparatively young when he took charge of the 
home farm and his early training and experience were along' that line, for when 
but a boy in years he became familiar with the work of the fields. He continued to 
follow farming in the middle west until 1905, when he sold his property, embrac- 
ing two hundred and forty acres of land. He then made his way to Yakima, Wash- 
ington, and purchased a house and lot at No. 116 South Tenth avenue. For two 
years he continued to