The History of the Yakima Valley, Washington, Comprising Yakima, Kittitas and
Benton Counties, The S.J. Clarke Publishing Co., 1919, Volume II, page 229

EDWARD A. BANNISTER.

The name of Edward A. Bannister is synonymous with progressiveness along
agricultural and horticultural lines in the Yakima valley. He has never
hesitated to take a forward step when the way was open and by reason of his
intelligently directed efforts he has risen to a position in the foremost ranks
of the successful horticulturists of his section of tire state. He is a western
man by birth and training and the spirit of western enterprise finds
exemplification in his career.

Mr. Bannister was born in Alameda, California, February 19, 1882, a son of
Alfred and Emma T. (Barber) Bannister. His paternal grandfather, Rev. Edward
Bannister, was one of the pioneer settlers of California of 1850. He was a
leading minister of the Methodist church who did much to promote moral progress
in that section of the country in an early day and he also contributed to the
educational development of the state as president of the University of the
Pacific, in which position he continued for several years. He remained a
resident of California until called to his final rest and left the impress of
his individuality for good upon the history of that state. His son, Alfred
Bannister, became a civil engineer at Berkeley, California. He wedded Emma T.
Barber a daughter of A. S. Barber, who removed to California in 1848, the year
in which gold was discovered on the Pacific coast. He served as postmaster at
Alameda, where he also engaged in general merchandising being one of the
pioneer business men and representative citizens of that locality.

Liberal educational advantages were accorded Edward A. Bannister, who was
graduated from the University of California in the class of 1905 with the degree
of mining engineer. He then practiced his profession until the winter of 1910,
being thus engaged in various sections of California, Montana, Nevada and
Minnesota. He represented the Chester Congdon interests on the Mesabe iron range
at Coleraine, Minnesota, for a year, after which he came to Yakima county and
rebuilt the Congdon ditch, the work covering the years 1911, 1912 and 1913. In
this undertaking he replaced the wooden flume built by his father in 1892 by a
cement flume. While engaged in building the Congdon flume he also took up fruit
raising and now concentrates his entire time and attention upon that business.
He is engaged in the cultivation of eighty acres of orchard and twenty acres
devoted to diversified farming. He raises all the standard varieties of fruit
produced in the northwest, including the Jonathan and Winesap apples, the
Bartlett, D'Anjou and Winter Nelis pears, Bing cherries and English walnuts. His
place is splendidly equipped. He has his own packing plant and warehouses and
his ranch is supplied with every facility for the propagation care, packing and
shipping of the fruit. He owns fifty-five acres of his land and rents
forty-five acres.

On the 15th of February, 1909 Mr. Bannister was married to Miss Emily A.
Thorning, of Alameda, California, a daughter of Edwin T. and Christina J.
(Thomas) Thorning, who came to California in 1880. Her father is engaged in the
tent and awning business. Mr. and Mrs. Bannister have become the parents of a
daughter, Elizabeth T.

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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.