The History of the Yakima Valley, Washington, Comprising Yakima, Kittitas and
Benton Counties, The S.J. Clarke Publishing Co., 1919, Volume II, page 557

JAMES E. PRATT.

James E. Pratt has been a landowner from the age of twenty-three years and since
1904 he has made his home in Yakima county, where he now has an excellent ranch
property. He was born in Keokuk county, Iowa, June 2, 1858, a son of George A.
and Harriett Hannah (Sisson) Pratt, who were natives of Indiana, where they were
reared and married. In the early '40s they removed to Iowa, casting in their lot
with the pioneer settlers of that state. The father was a veteran of the Civil
war and died in 1864, while in the service of his country. His widow survived
for many years, passing away in 1910, at the age of eighty-seven.

James E. Pratt acquired a public school education. He was one of a family of
eight children left to the care of his widowed mother at the father's death, the
eldest being but thirteen years of age. The mother sold her little Iowa farm in
1871 and removed with her family to Wabaunsee county, Kansas, where she
purchased land. In 1874 they had fine prospects for crops till upon a sunshiny
August afternoon, about three o'clock, there arose what appeared to be a dark
cloud upon the horizon. It was a swarm of grasshoppers that devoured every green
thing. It was a blow to the little family gaining a start, but they replanted
and again in 1875 their crop was destroyed. As the years passed they developed a
good farm there and the mother remained upon that place to the time of her
demise.

James E. Pratt early knew hard work and responsibility. He assisted his mother
until he reached the age of twenty-three years and then bought a farm nearby,
continuing its cultivation until 1904. He had become owner of four horses and
five cows when he bought the little farm in Kansas and he mortgaged his stock in
order to purchase his land. As the years passed, however, success crowned his
persistent and earnest labors and he continued to successfully engage in
farming in Kansas until 1904, when he came to Yakima county and bought forty
acres of land northeast of Granger. He moved upon this place in October of that
year, having made the purchase, however, in the spring. In 1906 he bought
thirty-five and a quarter acres two miles northwest of Outlook and was the owner
of both ranches for several years but finally sold the Granger ranch. He now
lives upon the place near Outlook and has greatly improved it, transforming it
into one of the attractive farm properties of the neighborhood. There is a good
house upon it and many modern improvements, including good machinery and all
facilities for carrying on the farm work. He raises corn, hay and potatoes,
annually harvesting substantial crops.

On the 3d of April, 1881, Mr. Pratt was married to Miss Nellie Loomis, a native
of Ohio and a daughter of Samuel D. and Julia (Hubbard) Loomis, who removed to
Kansas in 1874. The children of this marriage are seven in number. Grace, the
eldest, is the wife of Tames Saul, residing at Sunnyside, and they have four
children. Gertrude is the wife of Sherman Bissell, a rancher living near
Sunnyside, and they have two children. Elmer E., making his home in Yakima,
married Opal Latin and has two children. Albert married Edith Jory, by whom he
has one child, and he is engaged in farming his father's ranch. Bertha Mary is
the wife of John Case, of Sunnyside. Fred S. was a member of the United States
army but was honorably discharged in February, 1919. Jesse Grant, twin brother
of Fred, was also in the army but is now at home. The family is widely and
favorably known in their section of Yakima county, where they have now resided
for fifteen years. Mr. Pratt deserves much credit for what he has accomplished.
He is indeed a self-made man, for he started out in the business world
empty-handed and at a period when most boys are in school he was shouldering
heavy responsibilities. Since then he has steadily progressed and his success is
the direct outcome of his persistent and earnest labor.

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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.