The History of the Yakima Valley, Washington, Comprising Yakima, Kittitas and
Benton Counties, The S.J. Clarke Publishing Co., 1919, Volume II, page 160 
A portrait of William H. Redman appears in this publication.

WILLIAM H. REDMAN.

William H. Redman is now living retired in Yakima but for many years was active
and prominent in business and through intelligently directed effort won the
success that now enables him to rest from further labors. He was born in
Newbern, Indiana, on the 6th of December, 1848, a son of Lucian G. and Mary
(Adams) Redman. The mother was a native of Maryland, but her mother with two
brothers and a sister located in Indiana in pioneer times and in the '30's went
to Iowa, casting in their lot with the pioneer settlers of that state, which had
not yet been organized as a territory. Later they returned to Indiana and it was
in the Hoosier state that Mary Adams became the wife of Lucian G. Redman. The
latter was a son of Reuben Redman, a native of Kentucky, who in 1832 removed to
Columbus, Indiana. Lucian G. Redman learned the business of cutting and
tailoring, devoting his early manhood to that trade, but afterward he purchased
a farm five miles east of Columbus, Indiana, taking up his abode thereon in
1850. For many years he continued to cultivate and develop the property,
remaining there until his later life, when he retired from active farm work,
enjoying a well earned rest to the time of his death.

William H. Redman acquired a public school education and then attended
Hartsville College, of Indiana. He taught school as a young man and thus
provided for his college course. He also worked on farms through the summer
seasons and after completing his college training he became a civil engineer,
having studied surveying at Hartsville College and also further augmenting his
ability in that direction by private study. He became city and county engineer
at Columbus, Indiana, and later was engaged in railway engineering work. He was
advanced until he had served as chief engineer of three different railroads. He
served as division engineer of the Fickle Plate Railroad on thirty-six miles of
double track and has done engineering work on eleven different railway lines. In
1888 he came to Washington, making his way first to Tacoma and later in the
same year arrived in Yakima.

After taking up is abode in this city he was chief engineer of the Toppenish,
Simcoe & Western Railway. The road was built over a route to which Mr. Redman
had very serious objections, feeling that conditions existed that were not at
all favorable for the selection of that route. He built seventeen miles of the
railway, however, as the choice of route did not lay with him. Mr. Redman was
also for twelve years in charge of Indian irrigation projects on the Yakima
Indian reservation and was in charge of the construction of the reservation
canal. His engineering work has been of a most important character, contributing
much to the development and upbuilding of this section of the country, and he
deserves great credit for what he has accomplished.

Mr. Redman has also done important work in other connections. He was elected and
served for five terms as mayor of Yakima. In politics he is a stalwart
republican and was nominated by that party for the office of mayor. At the
first election it was conceded that he received a majority of two, but on a
recount the result was declared a tie. This was for a short six weeks' term, at
the end of which Mr. Redman was formally elected mayor and continued in the
office for four terms in all, giving to the city a most progressive
administration. He closely studied municipal needs and opportunities and his
labors were productive of most beneficial and gratifying results. He studied the
problems of the city with the same thoroughness that he Dace to engineering
problems and his labors wroughts for results that were of great value to Yakima.
He was a member of the first city commission, when the city had adopted the
commission form of government. In connection with his other work Mr. Redman
assisted in the construction of the Selah ditch. Mr. Redman has also been very
successful at orcharding. At the Louisiana Purchase Exposition at St. Louis he
exhibited an apple grown in his orchard weighing forty-eight ounces. This was
the largest apple ever exhibited and he was awarded a gold medal for it.
Unfortunately the medal was later stolen from Mfr. Redman.

It was on the 4th of July, 1882, that Mr. Redman was married to Miss Carrie
Kinsley, of Angola, New York, who passed away in Yakima, May 29, 1889. In 1892
he wedded Carrie Bickroy, of Mason. Missouri. There is one son of the first
marriage, Dwight Raymond, who is now a designing engineer in the United States
Indian irrigation service. By the second marriage there were two children but
the younger died in infancy, the surviving one being Ralph Harrison.

Fraternally Mr. Redman is a Mason, belonging to Yakima Lodge, No. 24, F. & A. M.
He was formerly a member of the Commercial Club. He has been widely known and
prominent in this section of the country for many years and was very active in
business and professional circles but is now living retired, enjoying a rest
which he has truly earned and richly merits. His course has at all times marked
him as a progressive and valued citizen and his personal characteristics have
brought him the friendship and high regard of many.

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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.