The History of the Yakima Valley, Washington, Comprising Yakima, Kittitas and
Benton Counties, The S.J. Clarke Publishing Co., 1919, Volume II, page 935 

THOMAS H. WHEELER.

Thomas H. Wheeler, one of the leading dairymen of the northwest, conducting his
interests under the name of the Springvale Dairy, was born in Brill,
Buckinghamshire, England, in 1868, a son of Richard and Emma (Fields) Wheeler,
both of whom have passed away. During his boyhood days in England he attended
the public schools and when twenty years of age he bade adieu to friends and
native country and sailed for the united States. He remained in the east for
about two years and in 1890 arrived in North Yakima, at which time he turned his
attention to the dairy business, establishing the Yakima Dairy. Later he
purchased another plant, combining these two. The Springvale Dairy was
established in 1895 by Ernest Fear and later was owned by a Mr. McKnight, who
sold the business to Thomas H. Wheeler in 1900. A removal was made to No. 8
Third avenue. North, in 1909 and the business there occupies a building
twenty-five by seventy feet. There is thoroughly modern equipment and the
capacity is four thousand pounds of milk per day. which is sold to the local
trade. Mr. Wheeler has seventy cows of his own which pasture three miles south
of Yakima on a four hundred acre stock farm. His cattle are of the Holstein
grade. He uses, however, the products of five hundred cows and he has auto
delivery, thus being able to quickly supply his customers. Everything about the
dairy is extremely neat and orderly and the most sanitary conditions prevail.
Mr. Wheeler holds to high standards in the character of the service which he
renders to the public in this connection. Since purchasing the Springvale Dairy
and combining it with his previously established interests the business has
constantly grown and is now of large and gratifying proportions.

In 1890 Mr. Wheeler wedded Miss Elizabeth Fear, a daughter of Samuel Fear, of
Yakima, and they became parents of three children: Mary, Grant and Logan. The
wife and mother passed away and Mr. Wheeler afterward married Daisy Butler, of
Yakima, by whom he has a son, Gerald.

Mr. Wheeler gives his political allegiance to the republican party. He belongs
to the Commercial Club and to the Country Club and is also identified with the
Benevolent Protective Order of Elks, the Knights of Pythias and the Woodmen.
There have been no unusual or spectacular phases in his career but his course
has been marked by an orderly progression that results from close application
and unwearied industry. He has made each day and its efforts count for the
utmost in the promotion of his business affairs and legitimate trade methods
have been one of the leading forces in the attainment of his present day
success.

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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.