The History of the Yakima Valley, Washington, Comprising Yakima, Kittitas and
Benton Counties, The S.J. Clarke Publishing Co., 1919, Volume II, page 992 

LOREN B. KELLY.

Loren B. Kelly, a laundryman of Yakima, conducting a growing and substantial
business under the name of the Yakima Steam Laundry, was born in Duquoin,
Illinois, in 1874, his parents being Thomas B. and Nannie B. Kelly. The father
was a farther by occupation, but at the time of the Civil war his loyalty to his
country predominated every other interest of his life and he joined the Union
army, serving for four years in defense of the stars and stripes. At one time he
served as postmaster of his town and at all times gave patriotic allegiance to
his native land. He died in 1893 and is still survived by his widow, who yet
makes her home in Illinois.

Loren B. Kelly, spending his youthful clays under the parental roof, acquired a
public school education and started out in the business world as a clerk in the
office of the Illinois Central Railroad Company at Duquoin, Illinois. Later he
occupied a position in a coal office for three years and in 1900 he became
identified with the laundry business as proprietor of the Duquoin Steam Laundry
in his native city. He carried on the business for three years and then sold
out, after which he spent six months in the laundry business in North Dakota.

The year 1911 witnessed the arrival of Mr. Kelly in Yakima, at which time he
established the Yakima Steam Laundry, which he has since conducted. He became
the president of the company, with C. F. Kelly as the secretary and Mrs. Bertha
Kelly as the treasurer. The business was located at Nos. 406 and 408 West Yakima
avenue, where it was maintained until 1913. It was then consolidated with the
Model United States Laundry and Read's Laundry and a removal was made to Nos.
111 and 113 South Second street, where the company now occupies a two-story
building fifty by one hundred and forty feet. Their plant is supplied with all
modern equipment, including the latest improved laundry machines of all kinds
to facilitate the work and make it of highest standard. They employ from
fifty-five to eighty people and their business extends throughout the Yakima
valley. They utilize five motor cars and one wagon for collection and delivery
purposes.

In 1913 Mr. Kelly was married to Miss Bertha Babbitt, who was born in Nebraska
but at the time of her marriage was a resident of Yakima. They became the
parents of two children but both died in infancy.

Mr. Kelly is well known as a member of Elks Lodge No. 318, and also belongs to
the Yakima Commercial Club and to the Yakima Valley Business Men's Association.
His political endorsement is given to the republican party and his religious
faith is indicated by his membership in the Baptist church. He is also a member
of the Young Men's Christian Association, of which he is serving as a trustee.
He takes an active and helpful part in promoting the moral as well as the
material progress of his community and he stands at all times for those forces
which are most worth while to the individual and to the commonwealth.

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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.