The History of the Yakima Valley, Washington, Comprising Yakima, Kittitas and
Benton Counties, The S.J. Clarke Publishing Co., 1919, Volume II, page 1087 

THOMAS H. SMITH.

Thomas H. Smith is the owner of one of the beautiful homes of the Yakima valley,
situated in the midst of a farm of one hundred and twenty-nine acres. He is of
Canadian birth, born in New Brunswick, November 7, 1864, and is a son of John
and Isabel (Amos) Smith. The mother was born while her parents were crossing
the Atlantic from Scotland to the new world, her father being, Adam Amos, a
native of Scotland, who arrived in Canada at an early day. John Smith was born
in Canada, a son of James Smith, who was also a Scotchman and came of Scotch and
English ancestry. The maternal grandfather of Thomas H. Smith had engaged in
sheep raising in Scotland but after coming to the new world followed farming in
Canada. John Smith devoted his attention to farming and to the lumber business,
and both he and his wife have passed away. His father, James Smith, was engaged
in the boot and shoe business in Canada.

Thomas H. Smith acquired a public school education and came to the northwest in
1884, at which time he settled in Oregon and turned his attention to sheep
raising in connection with his brother Harvey, who had made his way to the
Pacific coast at a very early day, settling first in California, but afterward
removing to Wasco county, Oregon, where he joined his brother, Thomas H., in
1885, and became actively connected with sheep raising. They lived in Oregon for
some years thereafter and in 1892 came to Yakima county, purchasing twenty-three
hundred head of sheep, they established a ranch on Cold Creek, there developing
a largo property devoted to sheep raising interests. In fact this became
recognized as one of the best sheep ranches in Washington and the brothers
attained prominence as most successful sheepmen in the valley. In the early days
they bought large tracts of Union Pacific land, which they developed, adding all
of the accessories and equipment necessary for the care of sheep, and during the
winter months handled from five to nine thousand after selling the lambs in the
fall. They also have about three hundred head of beef cattle and raise horses
for their  own use. They handle very high grade stock but not registered. In
1911 Thomas H. Smith purchased the Old Cameron Brothers ranch on the Moxee,
remodeled the house and occupies that place.	The Cameron Brothers had come to
the northwest at a very early day and purchased the land and improved the ranch.
They, too, were Scotch people and possessed the sterling qualities of the
Scotch. Mr. Smith now has one hundred and twenty-nine acres of land in his home
place and his residence is one of the most beautiful in the valley. He raises
froth three hundred and fifty to four hundred tons of hay each year and has a
silo upon his pace with a capacity of one hundred and eighty tons, which he
fills annually. There is no feature of sheep raising with which he is not
thoroughly familiar, and his enterprise and business ability are manifest in the
substantial progress that has attended his efforts, making him one of the
prosperous men of this section of the state.

In 1891 Mr. Smith was united in marriage to Miss Gesina Patjens, who became a
resident of Oregon in her girlhood days, their marriage being celebrated in that
state. They have become the parents of seven children: Harry, who is associated
with his father in the live stock business; Abner, who is married and is
connected with his father in cattle raising; Agnes, at home: and four who died
in infancy.

Thomas H. Smith belongs to the Masonic fraternity, having membership in Yakima
Lodge, No. 24, F. & A. M., while in the consistory he has attained the
thirty-second degree in the Scottish Rite. He also belongs to Yakima Lodge, No.
318, B. P. O. E.; to the Yakima Commercial Club and to the Country Club. He is
accounted one of the prominent men of the valley. His business qualities are
well balanced and his ready discrimination enables him to recognize the
possibilities of any situation and the obstacles in the path. The latter he
overcomes by persistent and earnest effort and utilizes the former in the
attainment of a success that has placed him with the leading stockmen of his
section of the state.

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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.