History of the Yakima Valley, Washington; comprising Yakima, Kittitas, and Benton Counties, Vol. II, Part 17

Author: Lyman, William Denison, 1852-1920
Publication date: 1919
Publisher: [Chicago] S.J. Clarke
Number of Pages: 1138

USA > Washington > Benton County > History of the Yakima Valley, Washington; comprising Yakima, Kittitas, and Benton Counties, Vol. II > Part 17
USA > Washington > Kittitas County > History of the Yakima Valley, Washington; comprising Yakima, Kittitas, and Benton Counties, Vol. II > Part 17
USA > Washington > Yakima County > History of the Yakima Valley, Washington; comprising Yakima, Kittitas, and Benton Counties, Vol. II > Part 17

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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

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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.

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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 staff 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 August, 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 and 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 Anna (Young) Giffin, the former a native of Hamilton county, Ohio, while the latter was born in Van Wert county, that state.

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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 Nellie 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. As 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 Atlantic, 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 Ann 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:

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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 affairs 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 Alexander & 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; Amy, 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 are 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

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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 Fruit 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- ton, 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. F. 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 widow survived until 1916. He had always given his political allegiance to the republican 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

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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, knows 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 example 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 extended 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- gressive 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 other 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.

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History of the Yakima Valley, Washington; comprising Yakima, Kittitas, and Benton Counties, Vol. II, Part 17

Author: Lyman, William Denison, 1852-1920 Publication date: 1919 Publisher: [Chicago] S.J. Clarke Number of Pages: 1138

Author: Lyman, William Denison, 1852-1920
Publication date: 1919
Publisher: [Chicago] S.J. Clarke
Number of Pages: 1138