"An Illustrated History of Whitman County, state of Washington." San Francisco:
W. H. Lever, 1901.  p. 411.
 
WILLIAM J. LAWRENCE

     This thrifty and enterprising farmer of the vicinity of Pine City is a very
early and highly respected pioneer of Whitman county; indeed, he came here
before the territory now embraced within the limits of the county had a separate
political existence. Mr. Lawrence is a native of Ohio, born July 15, 1837. He
lived there until seventeen years old, thereupon going to Indiana, whence two
years later he went to Michigan. He worked in the pine woods of the last
mentioned state for three years, afterward returning to Indiana. He was a
resident of the Hoosier state until 1864, which year is the date of his coming
across the plains with ox-teams to Salt Lake City. Before many months he came
thence to Idaho City, and before the year was over he had made his way to Walla
Walla. He had charge of a slaughter house there for a time, then worked in a
distillery about two years, then farmed one year on a place purchased by him,
then mined in the eastern Oregon country. In February, 1871, however, he came to
the present Whitman county and settled on a homestead one mile south of the site
of Pine City. At that time there was no settlement on the east side of Rock
creek and sometimes three months would elapse without his seeing a single white
man.
     After residing on the ranch for two years, he, in company with J. M.
Graden, built a sawmill on Pine creek four miles west of Pine City, the first in
that part of the county. For five years he gave his time to the operation of
this, but eventually took his present ranch of three hundred and sixty acres,
which is situated three miles northwest of Pine City. He is now and for many
years has been, engaged in stock-raising and general farming. At present he
keeps about twenty head of horses and some cattle. His place is supplied with
good buildings and other equipment, and evidences of thrift and good management
are everywhere in evidence about the premises. He is rightly regarded as among
the best farmers in the county.
     Fraternally, Mr. Lawrence is affiliated with Pine City Lodge, I. O. O. F.,
of which he is a charter member.  His marriage was solemnized in this county in
1894, when Miss Ida Hasard, a native of New York, became his wife.  Their union
has been blest by the advent of two daughters, Emma and Marie.
 

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Submitted to the Washington Biographies Project in July 2009 by Diana Smith.
Submitter has no additional information about the person(s) or family mentioned
above.