The History of the Yakima Valley, Washington, Comprising Yakima, Kittitas and Benton Counties, The S.J. Clarke Publishing Co., 1919, Volume II, page 648 A portrait of H. B. Miller appears in this publication. H. B. MILLER. H. B. Miller is the cashier of the Central Bank of Toppenish and one of the most progressive and public-spirited citizens of the community. He attacks everything with a contagious enthusiasm that secures co-operation and his plans and efforts are at all times practical and resultant. Mr., Miller was born in Adams county, Ohio, in 1883, a son of S. B. and Elizabeth (Leach) Miller, who in 1904 removed to Iowa, where the father engaged in the grain business. H. B. Miller was at that time a youth of nineteen years. He supplemented his high school course by study in a college and in a state normal school and then took up the profession of teaching, which he followed for four years, spending one year of that time in Ohio and three years in Iowa. He next entered the government service in connection with the interior department and was thus employed for six years. In 1907 he made his way to Oklahoma and the following year arrived in Washington. He first settled at Fort Simcoe, where he spent five years as chief clerk and in December, 1913, he was called to the position of cashier of the Central Bank of Toppenish and has since occupied that position, contributing in marked measure to the growth and success of the institution, which was organized in the spring of 1910. Its first officers were: H. M. Gilbert, president, and E. O. Keck, vice president, with L. A. Nichols as cashier. Mr. Keck died in February, 1917, and was succeeded by J. D. Laughlin. The cashier resigned in 1913, at which time H. B. Miller was called to the position and has since: continued therein. E. P. Hinman was the assistant cashier until November, 1916, when he was succeeded by F. F. Smith. When Mr. Miller became cashier in December, 1913, the deposits amounted to only seventy thousand dollars, while in November, 1918, they amounted to four hundred and five thousand dollars. The bank building was erected in the fall of 1910. It is a three-story white brick structure, fifty by one hundred feet, and the second floor is used for offices, while the third floor is a large hall used for lodge purposes, it being rented the entire time. The bank occupies a space twenty-five by seventy-five feet on the first floor. The bank room is finished in golden oak and there are modern vaults, safety deposit boxes and in fact every equipment conductive to the comfort and convenience of the patrons. Mr. Miller is thoroughly familiar with every phase of the banking business and his enterprise and progressiveness have been dominant elements in the upbuilding of the institution, which is now regarded as one of the strong financial concerns of this section of the state. Mr. Miller is also a heavy stockholder and secretary-treasurer of the Gang-Miller Produce Company, a corporation engaged in the storage and general produce business, such as the buying and selling of grain, hay, coal, potatoes, onions, etc. The company owns a brick and cement warehouse two stories in height with a basement, the dimensions of which are one hundred by one hundred and fifteen feet. It is located in the heart of Toppenish. This company was organized in 1917. Mr. Miller is not active in the management of the business only in an advisory way. He owns several hundred acres of general farm land on the Yakima reservation and also has a well developed fruit ranch in Idaho. In June, 1913, Mr. Miller was married to Miss Mary B. Dennison, a native of Waverly, Illinois, their wedding being celebrated, however, in Chicago. Mr. Miller is chairman of the Toppenish branch of the Yakima Valley Chapter, American Red Cross. He belongs to Toppenish Lodge, No. 178, A. F. & A. M., also to the Elks Lodge No. 318 of Yakima and to the Court of Foresters of Toppenish. He is likewise a member of the Toppenish Commercial Club, of which he served as vice president in 1916. During 1917 he was chairman of the special committee to get the sugar beet industry started on the reservation. He took a most active part in this project and his labors were resultant in obtaining a million dollar sugar beet factory, which is one of the most important industries of the valley. To do this a drive was started whereby six thousand acres of land should be secured on which to grow sugar beets. An offer had been made to the citizens of Toppenish that if they would guarantee six thousand acres of land on which the farmers of the community would raise sugar beets the factory would be erected and in addition a molasses factory would be built which would manufacture molasses as a by-product of the sugar beets. Many farmers were skeptical at first, but the agriculturist who was employed by the sugar beet company told the men that in all his years of experience he had never seen soil so particularly well fitted to growing sugar beets, the average production running from seventeen to twenty tons per acres and at times as high as thirty-four tons. The campaign for the six thousand acres of land was started in team work, each manned by a captain, and after two weeks' work about a thousand acres had been signed up. The factory people, however, said that the work was going too slowly and a new plan was entered upon whereby a certain week was designated as the one in which to secure the desired amount of land and Wednesday was the particular clay on which the special campaign was to be closed. It was a splendid opportunity to show a community spirit of co-operation. While the farmers must furnish the land, it was up to the townsmen to secure this co-operation of the agriculturists. Toppenish closed every business house on the designated Wednesday and each merchant and salesman, employer and workman got out to do his bit in convincing the farmer that Toppenish must have the beet factory. The canvass was most thoroughly and systematically made, practically one hundred and fifty men being out all day long canvassing the surrounding country, interviewing ranchers, both white and Japanese. They returned in the evening tired with the day's work, but when the result was announced there was a wild cheer, for the total acreage had been brought up to sixty-nine hundred and community spirit had won! As the directing spirit of the drive Mr. Miller certainly deserves much credit for what he accomplished. He is at all times actuated by devotion to the general good and his co-operation in behalf of many movements for the public benefit has been far-reaching and effective. His political allegiance is given to the republican party and his religious faith is that of the United Presbyterian church. Both are dominant factors in his life. He is loyal to every duty that devolves upon him and faithful to every trust reposed in him, and Toppenish may well number him among her foremost citizens. ******************************** Submitted to the Washington Bios Project in December 2007 by Jeffrey L. Elmer. Submitter has no additional information about the subject of this article.