The History of the Yakima Valley, Washington, Comprising Yakima, Kittitas and
Benton Counties, The S.J. Clarke Publishing Co., 1919, Volume II, page 1050 

WILLIAM H. FRANCE.

William H. France is a successful general farmer and stock raiser of Kittitas
county. He now owns two hundred acres of land, which he has greatly improved,
and his farm has become one of the valuable properties of the neighborhood. A
native of Iowa, he was born in Linn county, on the 17th of October, 1873, and is
a son of L. N. and Angeline (Taylor) France, the former a native of Illinois.
Early in life they removed to Iowa, of which state they became pioneers, and
there the father followed agricultural pursuits for a number of years. In 1885,
however, they decided upon a removal to the west and came to Yakima, taking up a
homestead on Wenas creek. This the father brought under a high state of
cultivation but later sold and now resides at Centralia, surviving his wife, who
passed away several years ago.

William H. France was reared under the guidance of his good parents and
received a public school education, after which he, entered the live stock
business as a young man. Becoming thoroughly acquainted with this line of
occupation and also closely studying farming methods, in 1907 he began to
operate a faun in Kittitas county and now has two hundred acres of valuable
land, largely devoted to the raising of hay and grain. He also gives close
attention to the live stock business and has been very successful, so that he is
now numbered among the prosperous agriculturists of his section of the state.
He had the misfortune to have his residence destroyed by fire December 23,
1918.

In 1907 Mr. France was united in marriage to Mrs. Katinka A. Toner, of Kittitas
county, who was formerly a resident of California. Both Mr. and Mrs. France are
popular socially and have many friends in and near Ellensburg.

Mr. France is a member of the Elks Lodge, No. 1102, and in his political
affiliations is a republican as far as national issues are concerned. In local
affairs, however, he prefers to support candidates irrespective of party, taking
into consideration the qualifications and ability of the man who runs for
office. In successfully carrying forward his agricultural labors Mr. France has
not only become financially independent but has also set a good example for
those who have come after him. By his work he has demonstrated the opportunities
which await willing hands in this part of the state and his work has therefore
not only been of value to himself but also as a factor in the upbuilding of his
section.

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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.