The History of the Yakima Valley, Washington, Comprising Yakima, Kittitas and
Benton Counties, The S.J. Clarke Publishing Co., 1919, Volume II, page 529

JOHN SUDWEEKS.

John Sudweeks, who has extensive and valuable ranching interests near Mabton,
Washington, is a native of Canada, his birth having occurred in the province of
Ontario, November 20, 1849. His parents were Edward and Mary (Emerick)
Sudweeks, the former a native of England and the latter of Canada. The father
for many years followed agricultural pursuits but both he and his wife have now
passed away. John Sudweeks was reared amid farm surroundings in the Dominion and
attended the public schools of that country in the acquirement of his education.
Having duly prepared for life's arduous duties, he decided to cross the border
into the united States and became identified with lumber camps in Michigan. In
1870, at the age of twenty-one years, he went to Kansas, where he was numbered
among the pioneers of Wabaunsee county, there taking up a homestead. This he
cultivated and improved and also practiced law to some extent until 1904, which
year marked his arrival in Yakima county, where he acquired a ranch in the
southern end of the county, to which he gave his attention for sonic time. Later
he sold that place and in 1908 bought forty acres of valuable land four miles
north of Mabton, which through his efforts has become a valuable property. He
has now, however, given part of his land to his sons but has retained ten acres.
He has ever been progressive in his farming methods and has made modern
improvements upon the property, which is devoted to the raising of corn,
potatoes, beans, hay and alfalfa.

On November 23, 1873, Mr. Sudweeks married Sarah M. Pratt, a native of Indiana
and a daughter of George and Harriet (Sisson) Pratt. Her father was one of those
loyal sons of the country who when the Union was in danger took up the cause of
the north and entered the Civil war, giving his life for his country in that
great conflict. His wife has also passed away. To Mr. and Mrs. Sudweeks were
born the following children: one who died in infancy; Mabelle. the wife of
Edward Swarting, a rancher of Yakima county, by whom she has two children;
Josie, deceased; John W., who is ranching on the old home farm and is married;
James E., a well known rancher of Yakima county, who is also married and has
four children; and Charles P., who is engaged in operating the home ranch in
partnership with his brother, James E.

The family are highly esteemed in their neighborhood and socially prominent and
all of the children occupy honorable positions in life. Of these Charles P. was
born in Wabaunsee county, Kansas, June 23, 1888, and in the acquirement of his
education attended the public and high schools, subsequently becoming a student
in the Washington State College, having come to this commonwealth with his
father in 1904. He then taught school for ten years, being for three years of
this time principal of a school at Wenatchee, and he has a life state
certificate. In January, 1908, he and his brother James acquired title to thirty
acres of land five miles south of Sunnyside which at that time was covered with
sagebrush. There Charles P. Sudweeks has spent part of the time and has also
hired help in order to develop the property, which is now highly improved and
very valuable. The brothers raise hay, grain, corn and beets upon their ranch
and also conduct a dairy. They also give considerable attention to live stock
interests, specializing in registered Holstein cattle. In 1916 they bought two
hundred acres of fine land two miles south and west of the old home place and
are developing this into a fine alfalfa ranch. In former years Charles P.
Sudweeks also traveled for John W. Graham 8 Company, of Spokane, selling school
furniture and thus acquiring a good business training which has stood him in
good stead in the conduct of his agricultural interests. He is a successful
young man, well entitled to all the prosperity that has come to him, and his
future career will prove of interest to many in the neighborhood as he has
already become a leading agriculturist and is well known as a successful
teacher.

John Sudweeks of this review, besides being successfully engaged in farming in
his earlier years, read law and was admitted to the bar. For fifteen years he
successfully practiced at Eskridge, Kansas. He has ever taken a great interest
in public affairs and has deeply studied political as well as public situations,
keeping in close touch with the issues of the day. He is a republican and while
in Kansas served as justice of the peace. He was also county commissioner and
represented his district for one term in the state legislature, taking an active
interest in all bills coming up during that session and thus assisting in
putting valuable laws upon the statutes of the state. Fraternally he is a member
of the blue lodge of Masons, practicing the principles of that organization in
his conduct toward his fellowmen. He also belonged to the Odd Fellows but has
demitted from that organization. Both he and hi, wife are devoted members of the
Methodist church, in the work of which they are helpfully interested. In fact
they have ever given much attention to moral and intellectual development and
upbuilding and have proven valuable members of society. In his lounger years Mr.
Sudweeks taught school in Kansas and was quite successful along that line. He is
now, however, to some extent enjoying a rest to which he is well entitled, as he
is nearing his seventieth birthday. His career has been a most creditable one
and he can look back upon it with great satisfaction as every phase thereof has
been tilled with honorable activity and has been productive of good results not
only to himself but to his fellowmen and the communities in which he has
resided.

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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.