The History of the Yakima Valley, Washington, Comprising Yakima, Kittitas and
Benton Counties, The S.J. Clarke Publishing Co., 1919, Volume II, page 463

MARIO CHIOSTRI.

Mario Chiostri, actively identified with ranching interests near Outlook, was
born in Italy, November 12, 1864, a son of Leopold and Zoraide Chiostri, who
spent their entire lives in Italy, where the father was engaged in business as a
druggist.

The son pursued a university course in Italy and, coming to the new world in
1885, made his way to Chicago, where he resided for twelve years. He afterward
spent four years in Minnesota, where he engaged in the wholesale fruit, tobacco
and confectionery business, having his establishment at Austin, that state. The
year 1901 witnessed his arrival in Yakima county, where he and his twin brother,
N. P. Chiostri, became owners of fifty-seven acres of land three miles north of
Outlook, for which they paid thirty-two and a half dollars per acre. It was at
that time all covered with sagebrush and there was little indication that it
would ever be converted into rich and productive fields, but owing to the labor
and care bestowed upon it by the owners, it is today worth more than three
hundred dollars per acre. Up to the time of his arrival in Yakima county Mario
Chiostri had never been upon a farm, but the thoroughness which he displays in
everything that he undertakes enabled him readily to master the work that
devolves upon him in this connection. He hired men to clear and seed the land
and he has since given his time, energies and supervision to the further
development and improvement of the farm In 1903 he built a good residence upon
his place and also substantial and commodious barns. Six acres of the land is
planted to fruit and his orchards are in excellent condition. The remainder of
the land is devoted to the cultivation of hay, corn and other crops and he also
raises registered Holstein cattle. His is a fine ranch, splendidly developed.
and is the visible evidence of his life of well directed energy and thrift.

His brother still owns a half interest with him in the ranch but is a daughtsman
in the United States Reclamation Service at Yakima. He is a civil engineer by
profession and continued to work along that line in Chicago until September,
1918. He had done engineering work and surveying over California and Washington
in the '80s. In Chicago, Mario Chiostri devoted two years to the study of art in
the Art Institute of that city and his leisure hours are devoted to painting. He
possesses a high degree of skill in that connection, combined with the love of
art which is so characteristic of the Italian people. He has traveled
extensively over the world and has made a most valuable collection of paintings
the work of European artists. The brothers have a sister in Italy, Ines
Chiostri, who is a writer of note.

Fraternally Mr. Chiostri is connected with the Masons, belonging to the lodge
and chapter at Sunnyside, and is also identified with the Grange. In politics he
maintains an independent course. Viewed from a business standpoint, he may well
be termed a self-made man and a successful rancher, but he has never regarded
the accumulation of wealth as the sole end and aim of his life. He has found
time and opportunity for those things which are of cultural value and his highly
developed artistic sense enables him to enjoy to the fullest the beauties of
nature. His is therefore a well balanced character and one that gleans much of
the joy of life.

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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.