The History of the Yakima Valley, Washington, Comprising Yakima, Kittitas and
Benton Counties, The S.J. Clarke Publishing Co., 1919, Volume II, page 596

JAMES B. BRAIN.

James B. Brain was the founder and is the senior partner of the leading
mercantile establishment in Thorp, the business being now carried on under the
firm style of Brain & Hatfield. Mr. Brain is a native son of Washington and is
imbued with the spirit of western enterprise which has been the dominant factor
in the upbuilding of this section of the country. He was born at Cle Elum on
the 30th of January, 1890, a son of Byron and Julia (Callahan) Brain. The father
was born in Ohio, while the mother's birth occurred on the ocean when her
parents were en route from Ireland to the United States. In the year 1888 Mr.
and Mrs. Byron Brain became residents of Kittitas county, where the father took
up a homestead near Cle Elum, upon which Mrs. Brain still resides. Mr. Brain,
however, is now in California.

James B. Brain acquired a public school education and throughout his entire life
has been identified with commercial interests. When his textbooks were put aside
he secured a clerkship in a grocery store at Thorp. This was in the year 1903.
He obtained practical training in commercial methods and in 1912, prompted by a
laudable ambition, he established business on his own account, opening a grocery
store in Thorp. In 1914 he sold an interest in the business to John O. Hattield
and they have since developed the largest general mercantile house in the town,
carrying an extensive stock of attractive goods in all lines. They employ
several clerks, have a well appointed establishment and the neat and tasteful
arrangement of their stock, as well as their straightforward methods, wins for
them a growing patronage.

On the 4th of April, 1913, Mr. Brain was married to Miss Lillian Lechman, a
native of Prosser, Washington, and a daughter of Thomas and Mary Lechman, who
were pioneer people of Yakima county. Her father was the owner of a homestead at
Grandview. To Mr. and Mrs. Brain have been born two children, James Thomas and
Booth Eugene. Mr. Brain belongs to the Woodmen of the World and he and his wife
are Catholics in religious faith. In politics he is independent nor has he ever
been an aspirant for office. He has always preferred to concentrate his
energies and attention upon his business affairs and throughout his entire life
he has continued in the line in which he embarked at the outset of his business
career. It has been by reason of his close application, unfaltering energy and
perseverance that he has won the substantial measure of success that is now his.

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Submitted to the Washington Bios Project in December 2007 by Jeffrey L. Elmer.
Submitter has no additional information about the subject of this article.