"An Illustrated History of the Big Bend Country; Embracing Lincoln, Douglas, 
Adams  and Franklin Counties; State of Washington". Spokane, Western Historical
Publishing  Company, Publishers, 1904. pp. 847-848.

WILLIAM C. GRIFFITH, farmer, postmaster and townsite proprietor of the town of
Griffith, Adams county, is a native of Carlton, Ontario, born January 26, 1852.
He is the son of Richard and Edith (Leach) Griffith, natives of Ireland, the
father of Welsh descent. The father came to Canada from the country of his birth
when eight years old, and the mother was born during the voyage of her parents
to the American continent. After their marriage the parents settled in Ontario,
where the fatherís father lived and died, and there the subjectís father died on
a farm at the age of eighty and the mother at seventy years of age.
     Owing to the imperfection of the school system at that time, Mr. Griffith
received no schooling during his youth, and at the age of thirteen years he was
apprenticed for three years to a carpenter in order to learn the trade. His wage
was to be twenty dollars for the first year,  forty for the second, and twice
forty for the third. However, because his master insisted on his caring for the
children of the household young Griffith summarily resigned at the end of six
months, entering the employ of another carpenter and completed his trade. Since
that time he has worked at carpentering in many quarters of the United States,
he having come to this country immediately after finishing his apprenticeship.
He went to Orma, Wisconsin, in 1869, worked at his trade three months then set
out to walk to Cedar Rapids, Iowa. He left home with thirteen dollars, and
before reaching his destination he passed through many hardships and
embarrassments. He was compelled at one time to trade a part of his clothing for
food. Finally a gentleman took compassion upon him to the extent of purchasing
him a ticket to Carroll City, Iowa, with the understanding that Mr. Griffith was
to return the money when he became able. This he did out of his first earnings.
He worked first on a farm in Iowa, and in 1874 he went to California. When he
reached that state he was penniless, but soon secured work on a hay press.. He
later worked in the harvest fields, and in the timber. He purchased land in
California and for one winter he was engaged in getting  out ties for a railroad
company. In the spring following his advent in California he purchased the stage
route between Soquel and Santa Cruz, but after eleven months he sold this
business , married and again engaged in farming. Later on he engaged in the
lumber business in California and for seven years he was foreman of a large
lumber yard. In 1887 he came to Washington and purchased two hundred acres of
land, taking a pre-emption of one hundred and sixty acres. He returned to
California, where he spent the winter, but in the following spring he came to
his land, erected a store and engaged in the mercantile business coupled with
that of farming. He also helped institute the postoffice, of which he has since
been postmaster. He has engaged more or less in the buying and selling of land
and has been successful. At the time of opening his store, Mr. Griffith engaged
in the meat business, which was of the greatest help to him during the panic of
1893 since he had a contract to furnish meat during all of that year to a
construction gang on the railroad. He also deals heavily in produce. During the
summer of 1891 he shipped eleven thousand dozen of eggs to Spokane.
     Mr. Griffith has his land well improved, his buildings being among the best
in the county. He now owns nine hundred and sixty acres of land, all of which is
being cultivated.
     On May 19, 1878, occurred the marriage of Mr. Griffith to Anna E. Wall, a
native of California, whose parents, natives of Missouri, died when she was in
early girlhood. She was reared by an aunt, C. Wentz.
     Mr. and Mrs. Griffith have been parents of six children; Jesse, deceased;
Edith, married to C. E. Olson, Adams county; Gracie C., deceased; George L.,
Bertha E. and Elmer M., the latter three of whom are living at home.
     Mr. Griffith is a Republican, and at the hands of his party was elected
county commissioner in 1889, holding office four years. He is now road
supervisor of his district. He is a member of the Old English church, though he
never now attends its services.
     In the fall of 1902 Mr. Griffith ran a telephone wire from his farm to
Ritzville. This was done as an experiment, but proved so successful that in a
short while many of the farms installed phones and connected with the wire,
since which time the rural telephone has been considered almost a necessity in
the Big Bend. In the institution of this line Mr. Griffith was co-operated with
by a neighbor, J. A. Willis, and these two are known as the originators of the
barb wire telephone system, which has become so generally popular. The original
barbed-wire line used by Mr. Griffith has been replaced by him with a high wire
line.
     In June, 1904, Mr. Griffith disposed of his store, leased his land for
three years, and resigned the postmastership, which latter has not yet, however,
been accepted. This was for the purpose of giving him a much needed rest. He
will spend the summers of each year in Idaho where he owns timber interests,
which require his personal supervision, for at least a portion of the time.


Submitted by: Georgia Harter Williams, georgiahw@earthlink.net