The History of the Yakima Valley, Washington, Comprising Yakima, Kittitas and
Benton Counties, The S.J. Clarke Publishing Co., 1919, Volume II, page 91

LEONARD E. SMITH.

Leonard E. Smith is the owner of forty acres of land on the Cowiche. He was born
in Will county, Illinois, January 26, 1872, a son of Joseph and Elizabeth
(Sampson) Smith, both of whom were natives of Nottinghamshire, England. They
came to the united States about 1853 and cast in their lot with the pioneer
settlers of Will county, Illinois, where the father engaged in farming to the
time of his death. The mother afterward made her home with her son Leonard and
there passed away.

In the public schools of his native county Leonard E. Smith pursued his
education and through vacation periods and after his school days were over
assisted in the work of the home farm until he had reached the age of
twenty-four, when he left Illinois and removed to Iowa. He was then engaged in
farming in Winnebago county of the latter state, until March, 1902, when the
opportunities and advantages of the northwest attracted him and he made his way
to Washington. Arriving in Yakima county, he purchased forty acres of land on
the Cowiche and now has two acres planted to fruit. He conducts a dairy business
and is engaged in the raising of hay and cattle, specializing in graded jerseys.
The various branches of his business are carefully conducted and his enterprise
and energy are bringing to him merited success.

On the 22d of January, 1896, Mr. Smith was married to Miss Ella Hassell, who was
born in Iowa, a daughter of William and Emily Hassell, who came to Yakima county
in 1903. The father died in 1917, but the mother survives and is still living in
Yakima. They were farming people of this district. Mr. and Mrs. Smith became
the parents of three children, but have lost two, Floy, the eldest, and Donald,
the youngest, who died in infancy. The second child, Leonard, is at home. The
tamily attend the Methodist church and Mr. Smith gives his political support to
the republican party, keeping well informed on the questions and issues of the
day, so that he is able to support his position by intelligent argument. He has
never regretted his determination to come to the northwest, for he here found
the opportunities which he sought and in their utilization has reached a
desirable position as a business man and rancher. He is energetic and
determined, working persistently and diligently as the years go by, and his
efforts have brought excellent results.

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Submitted to the Washington Bios Project in December 2007 by Jeffrey L. Elmer.
Submitter has no additional information about the subject of this article.