Edwards, Rev. Jonathan. "An Illustrated History of Spokane County, State of Washington." San Francisco: W. H. Lever, 1900. p. 559. GEORGE W. DARKNELL farmer and stockraiser, was born in Watertown, Wisconsin, January 28, 1855. At the age of seven he accompanied his parents to Rochester, Minnesota, where he received the greater part of his education. In 1868 his parents moved to Goodhue county, Minnesota, and purchased a farm of six hundred acres, upon which Mr. Darknell resided until 1880. On February 10, of that year, he was married to Miss Clara Hayward, who was born March 9, 1860, in Goodhue county, Minnesota. Accompanied by his wife, he then started for Spokane county, Washington, arriving March 13, 1880. Soon after they secured the homestead (situated three miles southwest of Rockford on the Oregon Railroad & Navigation Company line), upon which they still reside. His farm consisted originally of one hundred and sixty acres, but he subsequently added another quarter-section and in 1897 purchased a third, so that he now owns four hundred and eighty acres. He has good buildings and improvements and raises fine Durham and Holstein cattle. His principal productions, however, are wheat, of which lie raises about twenty-five bushels per acre on the average, and oats, of which he has raised as high as seventy-five bushels per acre. He is president of and a director in the Fairfield Farmers Alliance Warehouse & Elevator Company and was for two years president of the organization after which the warehouse was named. Mr. Darknell has been a director of the school district in which he resides for the past fourteen years and has ever manifested a deep interest in the cause of education. He has always been an active Republican, has attended most of the conventions held since the territory was admitted to statehood and was the nominee of his party for the state legislature in 1896. Mr. and Mrs. Darknell had four children born to them, all of whom are now living: Anna Maude, born November 22, 1880; Walter Watts, born July 31, 1882; Ralph Milton, born October 26, 1884; Grace Hayward, born July 18, 1886. ******************* Submitted to the Washington Biographies Project in April 2008 by Diana Smith. Submitter has no additional information about the person(s) or family mentioned above.