The History of the Yakima Valley, Washington, Comprising Yakima, Kittitas and Benton Counties, The S.J. Clarke Publishing Co., 1919, Volume II, page 306 RALPH O. WALTON. Ralph O. Walton is one of the more recent arrivals in Kittitas county, having resided within its borders only since 1915. He makes his home near Thorp, where he has nine hundred and twenty acres of land which he is rapidly bringing under cultivation. He was born in Sturgis, South Dakota, July 5, 1887, a son of Andrew and Lillian (McLean) Walton. The father was born in Utah but in his boyhood days became a resident of Iowa, where he resided until he reached young manhood, when he took up his abode in South Dakota, remaining in the latter state to the time of his death in 1901. His widow afterward came to Washington with her son, Ralph O. Walton, their home being established in Tacoma in 1907. Later the mother removed to California and is now residing in Los Angeles. Reared in South Dakota, Ralph O. Walton accompanied his mother to Tacoma in 1907, when a young man of twenty years, and there resided until 1912, when he removed to Auburn, Washington. He thence came to Kittitas county in June, 1915, and purchased nine hundred and twenty acres of land two miles southwest of Thorp, of which fifty-five acres is irrigated land, while about one hundred and forty-five acres is devoted to dry farming. The remainder is in pasture and his attention is given to the raising of hay and grain and live stock. The farm is splendidly improved with an attractive residence, good barns and sheds, and a spirit of neatness, thrift and enterprise pervades the place, indicating the progressive plans that are at all times followed by the owner in the cultivation of his farm. On the 26th of February, 1913, Mr. Walton was united in marriage to Miss Estella H. Waggoner, a native of Kittitas county and a daughter of John C. and Ella I. (Pease) Waggoner. The father is a native of Ellington, New York, while the mother was born at Sauk Center, Minnesota. The latter was a daughter of Benjamin Pease, who became one of the pioneer settlers of Kittitas county. John C. Waggoner also arrived in the Kittitas valley before the railroad was built through this section and he purchased the ranch property upon which Mr. and Mrs. Walton now reside. At the present writing Mr. Waggoner makes his home in Des Moines, Washington, having retired from active business life. To Mr. and Mrs. Walton have been born two children, Garna Louise and Calvin Andrew. Mr. and Mrs. Walton attend the Christian church and are among the highly esteemed residents of the community, occupying a prominent position in social circles. Politically he maintains an independent course. He holds the rank of corporal in a federalized machine gun company of the Third Regiment of Infantry, Washington National Guard. ******************************** Submitted to the Washington Bios Project in December 2007 by Jeffrey L. Elmer. Submitter has no additional information about the subject of this article.