The History of the Yakima Valley, Washington, Comprising Yakima, Kittitas and
Benton Counties, The S.J. Clarke Publishing Co., 1919, Volume II, page 803

HARRY COONSE.

Harry Coonse, prominent in the real estate and abstract field and recognized as
one of the representative business men of Yakima, was born in La Fayette,
Indiana, March 27, 1870, a son of George W. and Emma E. (Harris) Coonse. The
father was a manufacturer and jobber. He is now deceased, but the mother
survives and is living with her son Harry.

After acquiring a high school education Harry Coonse came to Yakima in 1889 and
accepted the position of chief clerk in the United States land office. He served
there for a few years, when he was appointed deputy county auditor, which
position he occupied for two years. He also spent a similar period as deputy
county treasurer and for several years he was bookkeeper in the Yakima National
Bank. He later devoted two years to the lumber business in Seattle but in 1899
returned to Yakima as deputy assessor, continuing in that capacity for three
years. He served as county assessor for four years and in 1906 he entered the
real estate business, in which he has continuously engaged throughout the
intervening period. He was again called to public office in 1912, when he was
made city commissioner of public works and occupied that position for five
years. His time has largely been given to public service and yet he has
successfully conducted important private business interests. In 1907 he
organized the Consolidated Abstract & Title Company, of which he has since been
the president. It was incorporated in September, 1908, by J. T. Foster, Fred
Parker, Harry Coonse, F. E. Craig, Henry Taylor and others. The office was first
located at No. 6 South Second street but in 1916 a removal was made to the
Yakima Trust building. Mr. Coonse has served continuously as president of the
company, while J. T. Foster was manager until the spring of 1915, when he was
succeeded by J. H. Hinsdale, who served as manager until the spring of 1917. In
that year J. A. Newton took charge as manager and continues in that position.
The company has a very complete set of abstract books and at one time maintained
offices in Yakima. Ellensburg and Prosser, but the Ellensburg office was sold
in 1912, the business being, however, continued at Prosser as well as at Yakima.

Mr. Coonse has a fine forty-acre orchard and also a big hay ranch at Prosser. He
has handled a large amount of farm lands during the period of his connection
with the real estate business in Yakima and is one of the oldest and best known
real estate men of the city, conducting his interests at the present time under
the firm name of Coonse, Taylor & Bond.

On the 1st of January, 1904, Mr. Coonse was married to Miss Minnie F. Sinclair,
a daughter of Hugh K. Sinclair, who came to the Yakima valley as a pioneer in
1878. The children of this marriage are Marion G. and George Kenneth.

In his fraternal relations Mr. Coonse is a Knight of Pythias and an Elk and in
Masonic circles has attained high degree. He belongs to Yakima Lodge, No. 24, F.
& A. M.; Yakima Chapter, No. 21, R. A. M.; Yakima Commandery, No. 13, K. T.; the
Lodge of Perfection of the Rose Croix; and Afifi Temple of the Mystic Shrine. He
is likewise a member of the Commercial Club and has served on its board of
trustees. He was one of the organizers of the Yakima Club, which was afterward
converted into the Commercial Club. His political allegiance is given to the
republican party, but while he keeps well informed concerning the vital issues
and questions of the day, he has never been an office seeker nor sought
political preferment. He is a substantial, farsighted and energetic business
man in whose career there are no spectacular phases but whose persistency of
purpose and sound judgment have carried him steadily forward until he is
numbered among the most prominent real estate dealers and business men of his
adopted city.

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Submitted to the Washington Bios Project in January 2008 by Jeffrey L. Elmer.
Submitter has no additional information about the subject of this article.