"An Illustrated History of Skagit and Snohomish Counties." Interstate Publishing Company, 1906. p. 708. JAMES M. YOUNG farmer and stock raiser, living seven miles east of Sedro-Woolley, is one of the pioneers of the upper Skagit valley who has participated in all the changes which have taken place in the county since he came in 1878. His unerring foresight told him twenty-seven years ago of the future of that section and he has been an important factor in laying the foundation of a prosperous community. He was born in Ireland in 1845, the son of Hamilton and Sarah (Mitchell) Young, who came to America when James was eighteen and settled in Dearborn county, Indiana. They died in Kansas more than a quarter of a century ago. James was the oldest of seven children and on coming to this country commenced the life of a farmer. At twenty-one years of age he went into the brick manufacturing business, in which he continued until he moved to Lawrence, Kansas, in 1868. Seven years later he went to Nevada and worked in the timber two years, then came to Skagit county and located on his present place. Messrs. Duffey, Connrey and Lagget were his nearest neighbors, and Mount Vernon was the only postoffice within reach. The only white women in that section were Mrs. Minkler and Mrs. Charles von Pressentin, but Mrs. Van Fleet and Mrs. Batey came soon after and located down the river. Mr. Young helped cut the first road to where Sedro afterwards grew up, all travel before that time being by canoe on the river. Soon after he arrived there was an Indian scare and the men gathered at the logging camps and stood guard. The country was a wilderness of timber with bears everywhere. He spent parts of his first few years working in the logging camps and the rest of the time clearing the timber from his land. In 1890 in Seattle, Mr. Young married Miss Mary Matthews Cochrane, a native of Ireland, daughter of Adam and Elizabeth (McKibbin) Cochrane, the eleventh of their fifteen children. In 1905 Mr. Young sold seventy of his 170 acres, including improvements and most of his live stock, and he has since built a handsome new home. Mr. Young is a member of the Sedro-Woolley lodge of the Order of Pendo. His services and good judgment have been in demand in the county where he has been called upon to fill the offices of road supervisor, clerk of the school board and twice the office of county commissioner. While he was in the latter position the new county jail was built. He has manifested his deep interest in popular education by at all times favoring tax levies for school purposes. Mr. Young has been an active man and a successful one, enjoying the respect of the pioneers and the confidence of the newcomers. ******************* Submitted to the Washington Biographies Project in March 2007 by Diana Smith. Submitter has no additional information about the person(s) or family mentioned above.