The History of the Yakima Valley, Washington, Comprising Yakima, Kittitas and
Benton Counties, The S.J. Clarke Publishing Co., 1919, Volume II, page 961 

ALBERT A. McDERMID.

Albert A. McDermid is the owner of a valuable ranch property near Harwood. He
secured one hundred and sixty acres of and land covered with sagebrush. The
building of the Tieton canal supplied water and M. McDermid supplied the energy,
enterprise and determination necessary to make this productive land, producing
large crops. He has gained for himself a place among the substantial
agriculturist and horticulturists of this section of the state.

A native of Minnesota, Mr. McDermid was born in Nicollet county on the 14th of
September, 1862, a son of Peter H. and Adeline (Kennedy) McDermid, the former a
native of Canada, while the latter was born in Ohio.  They became pioneers of
Minnesota, where the father took up government land and with characteristic
energy began converting the wild tract into rich and arable fields. The mother
died in Minnesota but the father afterward came to Yakima county, where his
last days were passed.

Albert A. McDermid obtained a public school education and afterward learned the
carpenter's trade, becoming a thorough workman. In 1889 he arrived in Yakima
county and for a considerable period followed his trade. He opened a carpenter
shop and did a large amount of contract work in this section, but recognizing
the possibilities for progress along agricultural and horticultural lines, in
1897 he rented land and in 1898 purchased twenty acres on South Nob Hill. He
planted ten acres of this to orchard and devoted the remainder to the raising of
hay. He owned that property until 1918, when he sold it. About 1904 he had taken
up a homestead above Harwood, on the Tieton. It was a tract of wild and
undeveloped land covered with the native sagebrush and his place of one hundred
and sixty acres gave little indication that it would soon become a profitable
and productive tract. Later, however, the Tieton project went through and with a
plentiful supply of water Mr. McDermid has converted his place into one of the
finest ranches in the valley. He has a comfortable residence upon his place,
with all necessary barns and outbuildings, and he has ten acres of his land
planted to pears, while the remainder is devoted to the raising of hay and
grain. His crops are satisfactory and his labors are constituting the basis of a
desirable success as the years pass.

In 1891 Mr. McDermid was united in marriage to Miss Lucy Dunham, who was born in
Nicollet county, Minnesota, a daughter of Jesse and Frances (Clark) Dunham, the
former the owner of a flour mill there. The father died in Minnesota, after
which his widow came to the northwest and spent her last days in the home of Mr.
and Mrs. McDermid. By the marriage of this couple have been born seven children,
but Donald, their firstborn died in 1917 at the age of twenty-five years. The
others are: Bernice, at home; Robert, also with his parents; Kenneth and
Frances, who are attending high school; Warren; and Gordon. The family spends
the winter months in Yakima in order that the children may have the
opportunities afforded by the excellent schools of that city.

Fraternally Mr. McDermid is connected with the Masons and also with the Modern
Woodmen of America and his religious faith is that of the Congregational church.
Politically he maintains an independent course, voting for men and measures
rather than for party. In the early days of his residence here he was a sergeant
in the Home Guard. The greater part of his life has been devoted to agricultural
and industrial interests, however, and at the present time he is concentrating
his efforts and attention upon the latter line of activity with notable success.
It is an arduous task to convert wild land into productive fields, but this work
Mr. McDermid has accomplished and his labors have been amply rewarded. His life
illustrates what can be done through determination and energy, and his example
of unfaltering industry and thorough reliability in business affairs is one
well worthy of emulation.

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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.