History of the Yakima Valley, Washington; comprising Yakima, Kittitas, and Benton Counties, Vol. II, Part 72

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 72
USA > Washington > Kittitas County > History of the Yakima Valley, Washington; comprising Yakima, Kittitas, and Benton Counties, Vol. II > Part 72
USA > Washington > Yakima County > History of the Yakima Valley, Washington; comprising Yakima, Kittitas, and Benton Counties, Vol. II > Part 72

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May. Many hardships were met during the trip and they never succeeded in locat- ing a paying mine. On one occasion Mr. Johnson was tipped out of a boat in a storm on Golwin bay and was in the icy water for an hour before he could get ashore. At length he returned to Seattle, where he resided for two years and in 1908 removed to Yakima county, where he purchased ten acres of land in the Selah valley. This was a wild and undeveloped tract, all covered with sagebrush, and today it is a fine apple and pear orchard. He has built a home and warehouse and added many other modern improvements and equipments to the place and now has a valuable and attractive property.

On February 6, 1892, Mr. Johnson was united in marriage to Miss Annie Eng- quist, a native of Sweden. Their marriage was celebrated in Seattle and they have become the parents of three children: Mauritz, who is now with the United States army in France; Susana, at home; and Harold, who was also with the army and received his honorable discharge December 31, 1918.

Since becoming a naturalized American citizen Mr. Johnson has given his polit- ical allegiance to the republican party. He belongs to the Swedish Mission church and is a man of many admirable traits of character and qualities. He has ever been actuated by a spirit of progress and development and has bravely and courageously faced hardships and difficulties in his efforts to attain success. He came to the new world with limited financial resources and whatever he has achieved and enjoyed it attributable entirely to his own labors. His course illustrates what can be ac- complished by persistent effort and indefatigable energy and he now ranks among the well-to-do orchardists of the Selah valley.

JAMES ROBERT LINCKS.

From sagebrush to fine bearing orchards, thus is told the story of the life activity of James Robert Lincks, who has developed wild and arid land of the Yakima valley into rich horticultural tracts. Judged by a financial measurement, his life record indicates the steps that have brought him from a point of most limited finan- cial resources to success, and the story is one which should serve to inspire and encourage others, showing what can be accomplished through individual effort. Mr. Lincks is a native of Kentucky, his birth having occurred in Laurel county, March 29, 1867, his parents being John and Susan (Stivers) Lincks. The father was a merchant and sawmill man who also followed the occupation of farming and became one of the leading and representative citizens of Laurel county. Both he and his wife have passed away.

James R. Lincks is indebted to the public school system of his native county for the educational opportunities which he enjoyed and which qualified him for life's practical and responsible duties. In early life he followed general work and then. attracted by the opportunities of the growing west, made his way to California in 1889 and for two years was employed in the mines. He next entered the cattle business in that state but lost his money through that investment and through ill- ness. On the 3d of July, 1898, he came to Yakima and followed various lines of hard work on ranches, in ditching, etc. In 1899 he purchased ten acres of land in Fruitvale on time and at the end of a year sold half of it for enough to pay for the balance. In 1900 he sold the remainder for a thousand dollars, after which he and Fred Parker purchased twelve hundred and forty acres of wild land in East Selah for eight hundred dollars. Mr. Lincks took charge of this and began its im- provement. Later he traded his interest for an eighty-acre tract in Fruitvale, twenty acres of which was under cultivation. The railroad paid him fifteen hundred dollars for a right of way through his property. He then purchased another farm of twelve acres, which was covered with sagebrush, paying five hundred dollars down, with six years to pay the balance of three thousand dollars. He afterward traded his cighty-acre tract for a machine shop in Yakima and three thousand dollars cash and then rented the shop for a few years. About 1907 he sold his twelve-acre tract for ten thousand dollars cash, this indicating the notable changes which his labors and cultivation had wrought. He afterward took a trip through California, Texas,

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New Mexico and on to his old home in Kentucky, and while there his wife died. He subsequently returned to Yakima and purchased six acres of his old twelve- acre farm, for which he paid six thousand dollars. He next traded this six-acre tract and his machine shop for an orchard of forty-four acres in the Naches valley, valued at twenty-two thousand dollars. After living thereon for a year he disposed of that property for twenty-five thousand dollars and bought five acres in Fruitvale at eleven hundred dollars per acre and built thereon a home valued at thirty-five hun- dred dollars. He also bought eighty acres of wild land in the Tieton and cleared and cultivated that tract but sold a part of it in 1918. He still has twenty-four acres of irrigated land on the Ticton, with fifteen acres planted to orchards. He also owned at one time a half interest in fifty-two acres in Selah but after holding it for two years sold out. He makes his home in Fruitvale and is numbered among the representa- tive business men and successful orchardists of that section.

On the 31st of December, 1896, Mr. Lincks was married to Miss Gertrude Ha- worth, a native of Indiana, who when twenty-one years of age became a resident of California, in which state she gave her hand in marriage to Mr. Lincks. Her death occurred in Kentucky in June, 1907, and she left a husband and son to mourn her loss, the latter being Hubert Lincks, now eighteen years of age. In 1913 Mr. Lincks was again married, his second union being with Ella Thomas, of Yakima. He and his son are members of the Christian church, while his wife holds membership in the Congregational church. His political allegiance is given to the democratic party but he is not an office seeker. His record is the story of successful achievement. His investments have always been judiciously made and have brought to him good financial returns. His labors have greatly enhanced the value of properties which he has owned, thus enabling him to sell to advantage, and his business affairs have been most wisely and carefully conducted. He early recognized the fact that in- dustry constitutes the key that unlocks the portals of success. In his career there have been few idle hours, and opportunities which others have passed heedlessly by he has utilized to the benefit of his own fortunes and also for the welfare of the community, for his labors have ever been of a character that have contributed to public progress and prosperity as well as to individual advancement along financial lines.

SILAS D. JACOBS.

Silas D. Jacobs, an orchardist living in the neighborhood of Zillah, where he owns ten acres of land, largely devoted to fruit raising, was born in Crittenden county, Kentucky, March 12, 1853, a son of Benjamin Holland and Mary (Craync) Jacobs, both of whom were natives of Virginia. They became pioneers of Ken- tucky and were residents of that state throughout their remaining days, the father there devoting his attention to farming.

Silas D. Jacobs acquired a public school education in his native state and for a short time was in college. He then took up the profession of teaching and also farmed in Kentucky until 1904, when, attracted by the opportunities of the growing northwest, he made his way to the Yakima valley, where he arrived on the 25th of September. After looking over the country somewhat he made investment in ten acres of land two miles northwest of Zillah and a mile from Buena. The tract was then planted to alfalfa and today eight acres of the place is in orchard. Mr. Jacobs makes a specialty of raising apples and cherries, with pears as fillers. He has also built a good home upon his land and there is a substantial barn and all modern im- provements. He is constantly studying the best methods of keeping his trees in excellent condition and his orchard produces large crops annually.

On the 4th of January, 1880, Mr. Jacobs was married to Miss Nannie Green, a native of Kentucky and a daughter of George and Angelina (Hill) Green, who were also born in that state, where the father followed farming. Both he and his wife are now deceased. To Mr. and Mrs. Jacobs have been horn eight children. Gillian, the eldest, who is married and has three children, is employed in the freight department of the Northern Pacific Railroad at Toppenish. Stella is the wife of

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Vernon Hill, a rancher near Zillah, and has five children. Mae is the wife of Hubert Sandow, who also follows ranching in this locality, and has two children. Roy. who resides in Portland, Oregon, is married and has one child. Elva is the wife of Herman Zuber, a member of the United States army, and they have one child. Guthrie is also serving in the United States army, being identified with the army of occupation in Germany. Victor and Kermit, the younger members of the family, are at home.

Mr. and Mrs. Jacobs hold membership in the Methodist church. His political endorsement is given to the republican party and, while he has not held political office, he has served for three years on the school board and is interested in pro- viding the youth of the district with excellent educational opportunities. There has been nothing spectacular in his career, but his has been a busy and useful life in an effort to provide his family with a comfortable living and gain a substantial compe- tence. His work as a man and a citizen is widely acknowledged and those who know him speak of him in terms of warm regard.

JOHN POLLOCK.

John Pollock, the period of whose residence in the Kittitas valley covers almost a third of a century, has witnessed the growth and development of the west since making his way to this part of the country when a lad of thirteen years and has be- come one of the prominent stockmen and ranchers of Kittitas county, now owning four hundred and forty acres of land near Ellensburg. He was born in Ontario, Canada, on the 1st of May, 1861, a son of John and Martha (Moore) Pollock, both of whom are deceased. The father followed farming as a life work.

As above stated, John Pollock was but thirteen years of age when he left home to come to the United States and made his way to California. He was there em- ployed on cattle ranches and later worked in lumber camps, while subsequently he engaged in mining and prospecting all over Arizona, Nevada and California. In 1886, when a young man of twenty-five years, he came to the Kittitas valley of Wash- ington, having here already purchased one hundred and twenty acres of land through the instrumentality of a friend. As the years passed and he prospered, owing to his untiring industry and capable management, he augmented his holdings by additional purchase until at the present time he owns four hundred and forty acres of land, most of which is under cultivation. He annually gathers excellent crops of hay and grain and also devotes considerable attention to cattle raising, having become widely recognized as a successful rancher and leading stockman of the valley. Un- faltering enterprise, indefatigable industry and sound judgment have characterized him in the conduct of his business affairs and have been the elements in his grow- ing success.

In 1892 Mr. Pollock was united in marriage to Miss Zonia B. Sumbter, a native of Arizona, who passed away leaving two daughters: Ida, who is now the wife of Claude Davis and resides in Ellensburg; and Anna, living in Yakima. Mr. Pollock gives his political allegiance to the republican party and has long been recognized as a progressive and loyal citizen of his community. Identified with the development of the west from early youth, he is familiar with various phases of its upbuilding and has borne his full share in the work of general improvement and progress.

DANIEL N. HOBBS.

Agricultural interests as well as orcharding are the lines of occupation in which Daniel N. Hobbs has been especially successful, he now being owner of a valuable property in the Tieton district. A native of Eau Claire, Wisconsin, he was born August 5, 1875, his parents being Joseph and Jane Hobbs. The father visited the Puget Sound country in the early '50s. In early life he was a sailor and visited practically all parts of the globe during that period, having gone to sea at the age of

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thirteen. He was born at St. Peters, in East Kent, England, July 9, 1836, his parents being Henry A. and Mary Ann Hobbs. After leaving the sea he located in Green Lake county, Wisconsin, where he remained until 1861 and then removed to a home- stead in Eau Claire county, that state, where he still lives, having for many years farmed a valuable property of two hundred acres which he has since sold to his son Frank. After an interesting and useful career he now lives largely retired in the enjoyment of a comfortable competence. The mother of our subject is deceased.

Daniel N. Hobbs acquired his education in the common schools and after laying aside his textbooks took up farming in Wisconsin. He also successfully engaged in the farm implement business in Eau Claire. In 1908, at the age of thirty-three years, he came to Yakima county and bought eighty acres of land on the Tieton. To this tract he has since devoted his undivided attention and now raises hay and grain, all of the tract being under cultivation. Upon the place is an orchard of ten acres. He was one of the first settlers under the Tieton project and has therefore seen much of the development of the district.

Mr. Hobbs was united in marriage to Jennie Lovejoy on the 19th of February, 1910. She is a daughter of Edwin and Mary Lovejoy, of Green Lake county, Wis- consin. Her father was one of the early pioneers of that state, whither he removed from New Hampshire in 1848, and there he and his wife were married. He has passed away and Mrs. Lovejoy died April 3, 1919.

Mr. and Mrs. Hobbs are devoted members of the Presbyterian church, to the work of which they give their unstinted support. They are deeply interested in all measures undertaken for the development and uplift of humanity and Mr. Hobbs is a steadfast adherent to the prohibition party. He has come to see this measure in full operation in his state and now witnesses its beneficent results. In supporting political candidates, however, he is not influenced by party issues but takes largely into consideration the qualities of the men who aspire to office. He is a valued member of the Yakima County Horticultural Union and in exchange with its mem- bers gives and receives valuable information. His career may serve as an ex- ample to those who begin life with a small capital, for Mr. Hobbs is largely a self- made man, having attained his present substantial prosperity entirely through his own efforts. He has many friends in his county, being a reliable business man who is ever ready to lend assistance to a friend or neighbor and, moreover, is willing to make sacrifices in order to better community welfare.

JOSEPH P. KOHLS.

Joseph P. Kohls, a well known merchant of Yakima, engaged in the shoe trade, was born in Shakopee, Minnesota, in 1888, a son of Henry H. and Regina Kohls. The father engaged in general merchandising in Shakopee for more than thirty-six years, becoming one of the pioneer merchants and leading business men of that city. He was born in Leipzig, Germany, but established his home in Minnesota in 186] and passed away in Yakima in 1908, when he had reached the age of sixty-five years. He had sold out his business in Minnesota and had come to the northwest to identify his interests with this city. His widow survived him for but three months.

Joseph P. Kohls was the ninth in order of birth in their family of eleven chil- dren. He acquired a public school education in Minnesota and afterward attended Gonzaga College in Spokane, where he pursued a commercial course. He next entered the shoe business in connection with his brother, Benjamin J. Kohls, opening a store in 1910. Success attended the new venture and as time passed on their patron- age increased owing to their reliable business methods and the excellent line of goods which they carricd. The death of Benjamin J. Kohls occurred in the year 1916 and since that time Joseph P. Kohls has conducted the store alone, enjoying a very liberal patronage. He was located at No. 113 East Yakima avenue until January, 1917, when he removed to No. 203 East Yakima avenue, where he has a store twenty- five by one hundred and ten feet. He carries a fine stock of high-grade shoes and employs four clerks in the conduct of the business, which is steadily growing.

In 1912 Mr. Kohls was united in marriage to Miss Eva M. Paradis, of Yakima,

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who was born at Red Lake Falls, Minnesota, a daughter of Joseph and Mary Paradis, who removed to Washington in 1910 and are now living in Seattle. Mr. and Mrs. Kohls have two children: Bernard Joseph, three and a half years of age; and Mary Louise, a little maiden of but a year and a half.

The parents are members of St. Joseph's Catholic church and Mr. Kohls is identified with the Knights of Columbus. He belongs also to the Modern Woodmen of America and the Benevolent Protective Order of Elks. He is an interested mem- ber of the Commercial Club and in politics maintains an independent course. The nature of his activities aside from those already mentioned is indicated in the fact that he has membership in the Yakima Valley Business Men's Association, in the Yakima Home Guard and in the Country Club. Aside from his shoe business he has become interested in farm lands near Priest Rapids. He is actuated in all that he does by a spirit of progressiveness and enterprise that stops not at the successful fulfillment of his plans but develops other plans leading to still larger and more important results. Yakima claims him as a substantial citizen and one whose efforts have furthered the welfare and development of the community.

JOHN H. ESTES.

John H. Estes is the owner of a ranch property of twenty-five acres near Buena. He has become recognized as a leading orchardist of his community and his ex- perience and success enable him to speak with authority upon many questions relative to the production of fruit in this section. He dates his residence in Wash- ington from 1888 but was born in Terre Haute, Indiana, March 19, 1862, a son of John and Mary (Miller) Estes, who were natives of Kentucky and became residents of Indiana in the latter part of the '50s. The father was a contractor and builder who was identified with building operations in Indiana. He had lived for a brief period in Illinois before removing to the Hoosier state and after leaving the Mississippi valley he took up his abode in Tacoma, Washington, and spent the last years of his life in the home of his son, John H., there passing away in 1892. His wife had died in Indiana in 1878.

In his youthful days John H. Estes was a pupil in the public schools of Terre Haute and took up the carpenter's trade with his father, eventually entering the contracting business on his own account when twenty-one years of age. In 1888 he arrived in Tacoma, Washington, and began building operations in that city, win- ning a place among its foremost contractors. He was active in the building of Fort Lawton and also of Fort Seward in Alaska, and he built the Sperry flour mill and the mill of the Tacoma Grain Company, both in Tacoma. He likewise erected many brick buildings there and occupied a position as one of the most prominent and suc- cessful contractors in that city, having a business of extensive proportions. In 1904. however, he turned his attention to horticultural pursuits by the purchase of thirty acres of land a mile northeast of Buena, already planted to orchards. In 1905 he also bought fifty acres of land below Granger and devoted that place to the raising of hops and hay. He has since sold all of his land save twenty-five acres of the orchard property. He now has twenty acres in apples, with the remainder planted to pears. He has remodeled the home, making it an attractive modern residence, and has built a fine packing house and storage warehouse with a capacity of eighteen carloads of fruit. This is a frostproof structure. Every accessory for the care of his fruit is found upon his place. He also designed and built the cold storage plant at Zillah for the Yakima Valley Fruit Growers Association and was the vice president of the association for some time. He promoted this company, whose warehouse has a capacity of six hundred carloads of fruit and a capacity of fifty cars of ice which is manufactured every day. This is the only pre-cooler in the northwest. Mr. Estes also designed and built the cold storage plant at Buena for the Buena Packing and Supply Company, which he organized in 1916 and of which he has since been the president. It has a capacity of sixty carloads of fruit. He has withdrawn from the Yakima Valley Fruit Growers' Association and is now identified with the Buena cor-

MR. AND MRS. JOHN H. ESTES

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poration. He is one of the most prominent men of the valley because of his ability and efforts as a contractor and as an orchardist.

On the 12th of November, 1890, Mr. Estes was married to Miss Rosalia Hipkins. who was born in Bellaire, Ohio, a daughter of William and Levira (Cox) Hipkins. Mrs. Estes is now serving her second term as chairman of the Red Cross in her dis- trict.

Fraternally Mr. Estes is connected with the Knights of Pythias and his political allegiance is given to the republican party. For many years he served as a member of the county executive committee in Pierce county, Washington. He has been very active in promoting every interest for the good of the valley and is a most public- spirited citizen, championing every plan or measure that has to do with the progress and improvement of this section of the state. The thoroughness which he displays in everything that he undertakes has brought him to a high point of efficiency in building operations and in orcharding as well. His judgment is sound, his sagacity keen and he allows no obstacle or difficulty to bar his path if it can be overcome by persistent and earnest effort. His work has counted for much as a factor in the general progress and improvement of the district in which he makes his home.

LEON BRUNELLE.

Leon Brunelle, who has been actively and successfully identified with farming interests in Yakima county for the past thirteen years, is now the owner of forty acres of rich and productive land on the Moxee. He was born near Quebec, Canada, on the 15th of April, 1867, a son of Joseph and Eugenia (Trotter) Brunelle, who about 1883 removed across the Canadian border and took up their abode in Crooks- ton, Minnesota, where the father devoted his attention to general agricultural pur- suits. Both he and his wife passed away in Yakima county while visiting here.

Leon Brunelle attended the public schools in the acquirement of an education and after putting aside his textbooks followed farming in Minnesota, being thus engaged in that state for a number of years. The year 1905 witnessed his arrival in Yakima county, Washington, where he purchased twenty acres of land on the Moxee and later bought an additional tract of similar size, so that his holdings embrace forty acres of valuable land. He raises hay, potatoes and beets and finds a ready market for his products because of their uniform excellence and fine quality.

In January, 1892, in Canada, Mr. Brunelle was united in marriage to Miss Al- phonsine Verville, a native of that country. They now have five children, namely: Albert, Oscar, Lydia, Henry and Florida. The first three children born to them died in infancy.

The religious faith of the family is that of the Catholic church and they are communicants of the Holy Rosary church at Moxee City. Mr. Brunelle gives his political allegiance to the democratic party, supporting its men and measures at the polls. His has been an industrious, well spent and honorable life and he has long been numbered among the substantial and esteemed citizens of Yakima county.

JOHN H. CORBETT.

John H. Corbett, contractor of Yakima, was born in New York city, January 11, 1867. His parents, Lawrence M. and Mary (Jackson) Corbett, passed away in the Empire state, where the father had for many years engaged in business as a contractor and builder. The son acquired a public school education and afterward took up the study of architecture in Cooper Institute of New York. He embarked in business in the eastern metropolis in 1893 and there remained in the practice of his profession until 1897, when he sought the opportunities of the west, making his way to Montana. The following year, however, he came to Yakima and purchased a fruit ranch but in 1902 turned his attention to the contracting business, in which he has since been engaged. Since that date he has erected many important struc-

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History of the Yakima Valley, Washington; comprising Yakima, Kittitas, and Benton Counties, Vol. II, Part 72

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