The History of the Yakima Valley, Washington, Comprising Yakima, Kittitas and
Benton Counties, The S.J. Clarke Publishing Co., 1919, Volume II, page 779 

S. J. SIMONSON.

S. J. Simonson has been instrumental in the development of a most prominent
industry of Yakima conducted under the name of the Cascade Creamery Company. He
was born in Denmark, July 26, 1886, thus coming from a land in which dairying
interests constitute a most important feature in prosperity and business
activity. His parents were Soren and Sine Simonsen. The father has now passed
away, but the mother is still living in Denmark.

It was in his native land that S. J. Simonson acquired his public school
education and after his textbooks were put aside he there entered into active
connection with the creamery business. In 1907, however, he crossed the
Atlantic, attracted by the favorable business opportunities of the new world,
and made his way to Portland, Oregon, where he was connected with the Hazelwood
Company for about three years. In 1910 he came to Yakima in charge of the branch
house of the company at this place. He purchased the business in 1913 and
reorganized it under the name of the Cascade Creamery Company. In this
undertaking he was associated with Mrs. N. E. Duncan. Their plant was originally
at No. 8 North Fourth avenue, where they continued until the spring of 1918,
when the company erected a near building at Nos. 114 to 120 North Front street.
They have a frontage of one hundred feet, with a depth of one hundred and
forty, feet, and the building of pressed brick and cement is one story in
height, with white finish inside. The company engages in the manufacture of
butter, condensed milk and ice cream. Everything is conducted along most
sanitary and cleanly lines and the place is most attractive by reason of the
systematic methods followed and the care that is taken in the production of a
high-grade output. The company is now making five hundred thousand pounds of
butter per year and has a capacity for one million pounds or more. Its output
also includes five hundred thousand pounds of condensed milk annually and fifty
thousand gallons of ice cream per year, the latter being sold throughout the
Yakima valley. They use the product of about four thousand cows, furnished by
three hundred ranchers, and they employ about twenty people in the factory.
Theirs is the best equipped dairy plant in Washington. It is all modern
equipment, including electric power and the latest improved machinery. I.
Benediktson has been the vice president and in charge of the manufacturing for
the past three years. Mr. Simonson gives his attention largely to constructive
effort, to administrative direction and executive control of the business and
his sound judgment in all matters of dairying and kindred interests constitutes
a most important element in the continued growth of the trade.

On the 26th of July, 1912, Mr. Simonson was married to Miss Jessie Van Buskirk,
of Yakima, and they have become parents of two children, Johanna and Paul.
Fraternally Mr. Simonson is connected with the Benevolent Protective Order of
Elks, while his religious faith is indicated by his membership in the Christian
church. He belongs to the Commercial Club, also to the Yakima Valley Business
Men's Association and is active in promoting through these organizations the
commercial interests and material development of this section of the state. He
is also a member of the Country Club and is appreciative of the social
amenities of life. In politics he is a republican, versed on the questions and
issues of the day and yet without desire for public office. However, he is
never remiss in the duties of citizenship and stands for those interests which
are of greatest value in promoting the welfare and progress of community,
commonwealth and country.

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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.