History of the Yakima Valley, Washington; comprising Yakima, Kittitas, and Benton Counties, Vol. II, Part 86

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 86
USA > Washington > Kittitas County > History of the Yakima Valley, Washington; comprising Yakima, Kittitas, and Benton Counties, Vol. II > Part 86
USA > Washington > Yakima County > History of the Yakima Valley, Washington; comprising Yakima, Kittitas, and Benton Counties, Vol. II > Part 86

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

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valley and those who know him are agreed as to his high qualities of heart and char- acter. He holds friendship inviolable and has ever been a public-spirited, loyal citi- zen, ready to sacrifice his private interests where national objects were involved.

THEODORE W. CLARK.

Theodore W. Clark, for twenty-two years a resident of Yakima county, is the owner of a fine home standing in the midst of fifty acres of highly developed fruit land. He was born in Windham, Trumbull county, Ohio, April 27, 1842, and has therefore passed the seventy-seventh milestone on life's journey. Notwithstanding this fact he is still active in the world's work, his sound judgment and unfaltering enter- prise being the salient features in the successful conduct of an important business. His parents were John Harmon and Abigail May (Higley) Clark, the former a native of Ohio, while the latter was born in Massachusetts. The father was a son of James Harvey Clark, one of the early pioneer settlers of the Buckeye state. He married Zilpha Brooks, who was born March 11, 1787, a daughter of David and Waty Brooks, who passed through the Miami massacre in Ohio. The father of Zilpha (Brooks) Clark died in 1841, while his wife survived until 1844. They had located in Ohio prior to the Revolutionary war. The grandparents of Theodore W. Clark in the maternal line were Cyrus and Eunice (Bowen) Higley, natives of Massachu- setts, in which state they were reared and married. The Higley line is traced back to John Higley, a native of England, who came to the new world in 1646, and repre- sentatives of the name served in the Revolutionary war.

In 1844 John Harmon and Abigail May (Higley) Clark removed with their family from Ohio to Wisconsin, settling near Platteville, at which time Theodore W. was a little lad of but two summers. In 1847 the father took up a homestead sixteen miles west of Madison, Wisconsin, in the vicinity of Pine Bluff, and there resided until 1854, when he went to Mount Hope, Wisconsin. He afterward became a resident of Bell Center, Crawford county, and there, both he and his wife passed away.

Theodore W. Clark was reared upon the Wisconsin frontier when that state was in the process of its initial development. At the time of the Civil war he volun- teered for active service at the front, enlisting on the 14th of August, 1862, as a member of Company I, Twentieth Regiment, Wisconsin Infantry, and with that com- mand remained until honorably discharged and mustered out on the 28th of July. 1865. He participated in a number of hotly contested engagements, including the battles of Vicksburg and Spanish Fort, the campaign in Missouri and the battle of Springfield, in that state. Following his return from the war Mr. Clark resumed his education as a student in Pratt's Grove Academy of Wisconsin and afterward attended a commercial college in Chicago. He also took up the profession of teach- ing, which he followed for five years, but the greater part of his life has been de- voted to agricultural interests. He farmed in Wisconsin until 1871, when he removed to South Dakota, where he took up government land in the vicinity of Canton and there successfully carried on farming for twenty-five years. or until 1896. In 1894 he made a trip to the Yakima valley, looking over the country, and was so pleased 'with the opportunities here offered that two years later he sold his Dakota farm and on the 11th of April, 1896, established his home in the valley. Here he purchased land which he at once began to further develop and improve. He now has fifteen acres, of which twelve acres is planted to orchard. He raises apples, pears, nuts, strawberries, grapes, raspberries, loganberries and cherries and has excellent facili- ties for handling and shipping his products. He maintains the highest standards of production and places upon the market fruit which for size, beauty and flavor can not be excelled. At this writing Mr. Clark has sold his ranch and is retiring to a beau- tiful bungalow on Harris and Twentieth avenue, Yakima.

On the 6th of August, 1869, Mr. Clark was married to Miss Maggie E. Tripp, who was born in Union Grove, Illinois, October 1, 1848, a daughter of Stephen and Eva Eliza (Hess) Tripp, the former a native of New Brunswick, while the latter was born in New York. In early life they became residents of Illinois and in 1854 re-

THEODORE W. CLARK

MRS. MAGGIE E. CLARK

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moved to Cassville, Wisconsin, where they resided until 1858. They then estab- lished their home at Blake's Prairie, Wisconsin, and afterward lived at various points in that state until 1873, when they became residents of South Dakota, where their remaining days were passed. Mr. and Mrs. Clark have a family of six children: Harold L., born June 13, 1870, is married and follows ranching in Yakima county; Orin A., born August 27, 1872, and now engaged in ranching in the Selah valley, is married and has six children; Josephine, born September 30, 1874, became the wife ot WV. C. Wimer and died September 22, 1913, leaving three children; Eva May, born October 12, 1876, is living in Seattle; Lulu V., born November 27, 1879, became the wife of Jean Watts and died September 19, 1915, leaving two children; George, born February 11, 1882, is married and follows ranching in the Yakima valley.

Mr. Clark and his family are active members of the Methodist church, taking a helpful interest in everything that pertains to its growth and progress. He belongs to the Grand Army of the Republic and is a past commander of Meade Post No. 9. He is patriotic instructor for the post and was chosen to install the officers for 1919. Taking the deepest interest in the inspiring traditions and purposes of the organiza- tion, he has ever devoted his time and efforts thereto and has induced the govern- ment to furnish headstones for his comrades of the Union army to the amount of one hundred and eight, and is thus seeing to it that the places where the heroes of the rebellion sleep their last sleep are appropriately marked, so that they may remain hallowed spots and shrines of veneration and worship as well as altars before which a younger generation of Americans may rejuvenate and rekindle that true patriotism and sacrificing love of country which ever since the revolution has been the proud- est heritage of our republic. To the duty of suitably marking the graves Mr. Clark was appointed by his post. In politics he is a republican and served as township assessor while in South Dakota but has never been an office seeker, although he is ever true and faithful to his duties in citizenship and is as unfaltering in his loyalty to his country as he was when he followed the nation's starry banner upon the battlefields of the south.

FRANCIS M. McLEAN.

Francis M. McLean is the owner of a valuable ranch of one hundred and twenty acres in the Cowiche district of Yakima county and from his place there is to be had one of the finest views in the valley. As evidence of his years of industry there stands today a handsome residence upon his place and everything about his ranch bespeaks the progressive, thorough methods which he has ever followed in the achievement of his success.

A native of Minnesota, he was born in Houston county, October 5, 1859, his parents being Thomas A. and Sarah (Armstrong) McLean, the former a native of Ohio and the latter of Pennsylvania. They were early pioneers of Minnesota and in the '50s they went to Denver, Colorado. In 1862 they removed to Texas, and there they made their home among the Cherokee Indians for eighteen months. Later the parents spent a few years in Iowa and then came to the Wenas valley of Wash- ington, on their way to the Sound, in November, 1865. Not being able to make the crossing they went around by way of The Dalles and it so happened that they settled in Clarke county, this state, where they remained for six years. At the end of that period they retraced their steps to Kansas and later to Texas, going from there to Arkansas, then to Missouri and Kansas and at length to Colorado, these various removals covering a period of ten years. In 1884, they again made their way to Clarke county, this state, and in later life the father came to Yakima county, where he passed away. The above trips were all made by ox team and the family there- fore experienced all of the hardships and privations incident to such travel, meeting with many adventures and also enjoying the romance of the early days. .

Francis M. McLean accompanied the family on their various removals and there- fore has a thorough knowledge of conditions in all of these states during the pioneer period. About 1888 he came to Yakima county and at first worked for others. carefully saving his wages. Thus he was enabled to rent land on the Cowiche and

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later he acquired two hundred and forty acres here but of this he sold all but one hundred and twenty acres. He devotes his land to grain and hay, following general farming, and as the years have passed he has become one of the prosperous agri- culturists of his district, having always followed progressive methods.

In 1890 Mr. McLean married Miss Lillie Frances Masters, a native of the Cowiche valley and a daughter of Lafayette Masters, a pioneer of this district, who after many years of farming opened the first store here. He also served as the first postmaster of Cowiche. To Mr. and Mrs. McLean were born the following named: Alice May and Rosella, both deceased; Jesse; Annie, at home; and Ellsworth. Mrs. McLean passed away in 1913 and in her the family lost a devoted wife and mother. Her death also caused deep sorrow to many friends, all of whom had learned to love her for her many good qualities.

Mr. McLean votes independently, giving his support to the candidate whom he considers best qualified for the office to which he aspires, and fraternally he is con- nected with the Modern Woodmen of America. He is an honored pioneer who not only has witnessed wonderful changes in this state but by his labors has contributed toward making this one of the rich agricultural districts of the country.

JOHN N. BIEVER.

There is perhaps no one better informed concerning realty values or who more thoroughly understands the realty market in Yakima than does John N. Biever, who has been a resident of the city for only a brief period but who does with thor- oughness everything that he undertakes. He was born in Cooperstown, Wisconsin, in 1868, a son of John and Elizabeth Biever, both of whom were natives of France. They removed to Minnesota about 1872 and the father devoted his life to the occu- pation of farming. Both he and his wife have now passed away.

After acquiring a public school education John N. Biever gave his attention to farm work on his father's place until he reached the age of nineteen, when he entered commercial circles, being employed for a time as a clerk. In 1890 he established a mer- cantile business on his own account in Hankinson, North Dakota, and subsequently was numbered among the merchants of Brainerd, Minnesota, where he conducted a large store, continuing in business successfully there for fourteen years. In 1915, however, he sold out and came to Yakima, where he purchased a ranch and also entered the real estate business in connection with W. J. Burianek, their interests being conducted under the name of Burianek & Company, Mr. Biever heing the junior partner. He is a man of marked business enterprise, carrying forward to successful completion whatever he undertakes. Obstacles and difficulties in his path seem to serve as an impetus for renewed effort on his part-effort that results in the attain- ment of his purpose.

On the 18th of December, 1915, Mr. Biever was married to Miss Anna Burianek, of Yakima, a daughter of Wencil Burianek, who came to Washington from Iowa about 1910. He was born in Bohemia in 1849 and passed away in Yakima in June, 1917. It was in 1873 that he crossed the Atlantic to the United States, settling at Cedar Rapids, Iowa. He was a wagon maker by trade and followed that business in the Mississippi valley for a considerahle period but in 1898 removed to Cosmo- polis, Washington, where he had charge of mill work. In 1909 he became a resident of Yakima and here lived retired until his demise, for his industry and enterprise in former years had brought to him a substantial competence that relieved him of the necessity of further labor in order to provide for his support. In early man- hood he wedded Anna Brzak, of Bohemia, her birth having occurred near Prague. They were married in the United States in 1877 and Mrs. Burianek passed away in 1910. They had a family of six children, three of whom are living: Anna, the wife of John N. Biever; Stanley, who resides in Hoquiam, Washington; and Wencil J., who is a lieutenant of the Sixty-second United States Infantry and is a member of the firm of Burianek & Company, real estate dealers of Yakima. Those who have passed away are Wencil, Emma and Bessie, who were respectively the second, third and fifth members of the family.

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In his fraternal relations Mr. Biever is a Mason, belonging to Yakima Lodge No. 24, F. & A. M .; Yakima Chapter, No. 21, R. A. M .; the Lodge of Perfection No. 11; Rose Croix Chapter, No. 9; Yakima Council of Kadosh; and also to Afifi Temple of the Mystic Shrine. He is likewise connected with the Benevolent Protective Order of Elks and he has membership in the Commercial Club, cooperating heartily in all of its plans and movements for the upbuilding of the city, the extension of its trade relations and the upholding of its civic standards. In politics he is an active republican, giving earnest support to the principles of the party in which he so firmly believes. He has never been an aspirant for office, however, as he has pre- ferred to give his undivided attention to his business affairs, and through his close application and unfaltering enterprise he has gained for himself a very creditable position in business circles. He is now the owner of an excellent fruit and stock ranch in the Yakima valley and in addition is carrying on an extensive real estate business in Yakima, meeting with well deserved success. He has ever been persis- tent in purpose, sagacious and of sound judgment. He has long realized that when one avenue of opportunity seems closed he can carve out another path whereby he may reach the desired goal and it is this trait of character that has brought him to a creditable and enviable position among the business men of his adopted city.

PETER J. HERKE.

There is no phase of pioneer development in the west with which Peter J. Herke is not familiar and he has lived to see the marked transformation of this section of the country. He is now identified with ranching interests near Wapato. His birth occurred in Germany, July 25, 1865, his parents being Antone and Gertrude (Kramer) Herke, who were also natives of that country but brought their family to the United States in 1870. They made their way westward to California, where they lived for six months and then came to the Yakima valley by way of The Dalles, Oregon, trav- eling by team to their destination. They proceeded to the Ahtanum and took up a homestead of one hundred and sixty acres a short distance above the old Catholic mission. They had only a few neighbors at that time and these were widely scat- tered. Wild game could be easily obtained, including venison, for deer were then plentiful in the district. Bears were also frequently shot and there was every evi- dence of frontier life. The Herke family were among the first settlers and shared in all of the hardships and privations incident to the establishment of a home in a region hitherto uninhabitated by white men. The Dalles, Oregon, was their nearest postoffice-a distance of one hundred miles. The father left Germany in order to get away from the militarism and autocracy of that country. After coming to the Yakima valley he walked one hundred and fifty miles to Walla Walla, Washington, to take out his first papers of citizenship. The kaiser was trying to get him back into Germany so that his son, Peter J., could be made to serve in the German army, but Mr. Herke frustrated that plan and became a loyal and progressive American citizen. After living in Yakima county for a time he purchased one hundred and sixty acres of land on the Parker Bottoms and resided thereon to the time of his death. He owned altogether two and a half sections of valuable land in the valley and became one of the best known and most successful farmers of the district. He passed away in the year 1908, having for a long period survived his wife, who died in 1879.

They were the parents of ten children, five of whom have passed away, the eldest being Barbara, now deceased. Peter J. is the second member of the family. Kate became the wife of Adam Fleck, who has now departed this life and his widow resides in Oregon. She has eight children. J. A., the fourth member of the family, is engaged in ranching near Tampico. Gertrude is also identified with ranching in- terests near Tampico. Mary is deceased. Frank is a rancher near Wapato. Joseph, who follows ranching near Tampico, has a wife and two children. Philip died in infancy. Two other children of the family died in infancy in Missouri, where the family had stopped for a short time while en route for the west.

Peter J. Herke has been largely reared upon the western frontier and is familiar

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with every phase of pioneer life in Washington. He assisted his father in the arduous task of breaking the sod and developing new land. He can well remember all of the experiences of the Indian days. The red men would come by the house, emitting wild war whoops, yet the family were never molested. It was no unusual thing to see bear tracks in the yard and wild cats and cougars made the night hideous with their screaming. As the years passed, however, the seeds of civilization were planted and bore rich fruit and the conditions of pioneer life were supplanted by modern-day conditions, making Yakima county one of the progressive districts of the northwest.

Mr. Herke is now the owner of a ranch of ten acres near Donald. He also en- gages in selling wood and coal and he has built and operates a fine warehouse on Donald. His home is a beautiful and attractive residence near the town and he has two grown daughters: Rosie, who was born in 1896 and is the wife of Verne Brown, a resident of Kirkland, Washington, by whom she has two children; and Leona, who was born in 1894, and resides in Los Angeles, California.

Mr. Herke speaks the Indian language as well as English and his native tongue and he thoroughly knows the ways of the red men. He has attended their war dances and has seen them wearing the scalps of innocent white men and women. He has looked upon many of the pole and adobe forts that the settlers made in order to protect themselves from the savages and he has lived to witness remarkable changes as the years have passed by.

ALBERT A. DALTON.

The voyage of life for Albert A. Dalton has at times been a rough and tempes- tuous one, but he has come to anchor at last in a safe harbor, being now most pleas- antly located in Yakima county. His experiences have indeed been varied. He has met the hardships of prospecting and mining in Alaska, has pioneered in different sections of the country, but is now meeting with substantial profit through his wisely directed efforts as an orchardist of the Yakima valley.

Mr. Dalton was born in Terre Haute, Indiana, February 16, 1869, a son of Michael and Susan (Keys) Dalton. The father was born in Virginia and in 1849, attracted by the discovery of gold on the Pacific coast, made his way to California. Upon his return eastward he located in Indiana and there devoted his life largely to farming and mining. It was in that state that he wedded Susan Keys, who was born in Evansville, Indiana. His death occurred in the Hoosier state in 1877, while his wife survived him for twenty years, passing away in 1897.

Albert A. Dalton mastered the branches of learning taught in the public schools near his father's farm and before attaining his majority went to Cheyenne, Wyoming. Later he was a resident of Colorado, where he was employed as a cowboy, and afterward he engaged in railway construction work in New Mexico. He next went to Scattle in 1890, and was there engaged in the dairying business on his own account until 1896. In the latter year he went to Alaska, being one of the first to go over the Chilkoot Pass. He stopped at Sixty Mile Post and thence proceeded up the Indian river and to the headwaters of the Klondike. He opened a claim on Gold Bottom and engaged in freighting by boat and by pack trains. The short seasons there, how- ever, made it necessary for him to give up the claim but nevertheless he had worked out a good grubstake. Subsequently he staked a claim on Hunker creek, twenty- seven miles from Dawson, and from that made over thirty-three thousand dollars but lost it all in The Last Chance. Later he spent two years in Seattle but again returned to Alaska and was one of the first to go over the Fairbanks trail. His raft was wrecked on the Tananna river and he lost everything but his blankets. He worked on Cleary creek for F. G. Manley in the vicinity of Fairbanks, becoming foreman of his employer's interests at that point. Mr. Dalton obtained an interest in other claims but finally sold out his mining property at a good price and with the capital thus secured returned to Seattle. It was in 1908 that he made his way over to the Yakima valley and purchased eighteen acres of two-year-old orchards.

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He now has a fine orchard property and is meeting with very substantial success as the result of his careful cultivation thereof.

On the 18th of December, 1898, Mr. Dalton was married to Miss Josie Soper, who was born in Virginia City, Nevada, a daughter of T. D. and Caroline (Sand- rock) Soper, her father a pioneer mining man of Nevada now living in Seattle. He is a stepson of Joseph B. McCurdy, who was a pioneer of Nevada and about 1898 came to Yakima. county. Mr. Soper was born in Indiana and his wife in Missouri. Mr. and Mrs. Dalton have two children: Charles, seventeen years of age, residing in Seattle; and Ruth, aged four.

Fraternally Mr. Dalton is connected with the Independent Order of Odd Fel- lows and expects to join the Masons and he also has membership with the Sour Doughs, a society that draws its membership from former residents of Alaska. His political faith is that of the socialist party. There is no phase of pioneering in the northwest with which he is not familiar, and though he has met many obstacles, hardships and difficulties, he has overcome these by determined purpose and has had the sound judgment to know when and where to make investments and sales. This has enabled him to gain a good start in life and he is today the owner of valu- able orchard property in the Yakima valley, from which he derives a gratifying annual income.

DAVID P. BROWN.

David P. Brown owns and occupies a beautiful home in the Selah valley which he erected in 1914. It is typical of the spirit of enterprise which has guided him in all of his business relations throughout his entire life. Mr. Brown is a native of the state of New York, his birth having occurred in Washington county, May 5, 1861, his parents being William and Jane (Ostrander) Brown, who were also born in the Empire state, where the father followed the occupation of farming. The family re- moved to Kansas City, Missouri, and there the father and mother both passed away.

David P. Brown obtained a public school education in the Empire state and was reared to the occupation of farming, early becoming familiar with the best methods of tilling the soil and caring for the crops. He aided in the work of the fields during vacation periods and after his school days were over farmed his father's place in New York. In 1880, however, the family left the Empire state and removed west- ward to Kansas City, Missouri, where David P. Brown worked for Armour & Com- pany for a period of five years.

In 1885 he arrived in Washington, making his way to Tacoma, where he secured employment at the carpenter's trade, which he followed in that city for about fifteen years. He then came to Yakima county and purchased fifteen acres of land on Selah Heights. The tract was covered with sagebrush, just as it came from the hand of nature, and gave little indication of ever being anything but an arid and useless stretch. Great changes have since been wrought and Mr. Brown has taken an active part in the development of the place which he purchased. Today he has thirteen acres in apples and his orchards are most attractive in appearance. His work is systematically done and an air of neatness and thrift pervades his place. He closely studies the best methods of caring for the trees, uses the best sprays and in his planting secures nursery stock splendidly adapted to soil and climatic conditions here. He is a member of the Yakima County Fruit Growers Associa- tion and is interested in everything that has to do with horticultural interests of the northwest.

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History of the Yakima Valley, Washington; comprising Yakima, Kittitas, and Benton Counties, Vol. II, Part 86

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