The History of the Yakima Valley, Washington, Comprising Yakima, Kittitas and
Benton Counties, The S.J. Clarke Publishing Co., 1919, Volume II, page 632

BENJAMIN S. CERSWELL, M. D.

Yakima has ever had reason to be proud of the success of the members of the
medical profession here. They have measured up to the highest standards and
their work has been the exemplification of the most progressive methods and
ideals of their calling. Among the recent additions to the medical fraternity of
Yakima is Dr. Benjamin S. Cerswell, who removed to this city from Toppenish,
Washington, in 1909. He is a native of Ontario, Canada, born June 8, 1875, a son
of Samuel and Christina (Sutherland) Cerswell, who were also of Canadian birth.
The mother was a daughter of Benjamin Sutherland, one of the pioneer citizens of
Manitoba, but a native of Ontario. The Sutherland family is of Scotch ancestry,
while the Cerswell family is of Scotch-Irish descent. The Doctor's father
followed the occupation of farming as a life work, but both he and his wife have
now passed away.

In preparation for his chosen profession Dr. Cerswell attended the Toronto
University and completed a course in its medical department as a member of the
class of 1907. He afterward spent one year as interne in the Western Hospital of
Toronto and was thus further qualified for professional duties. Between the
period in which he completed his public school education and entered upon
preparation for the practice of medicine he had attended the Ontario College of
Pharmacy, from which he was graduated in 1898, and he also received the
pharmaceutical degree of Bachelor of Pharmacy from Toronto University. He then
engaged in the drug business in Toronto for a year and for two years in
Winnipeg. He afterward spent a year in the same line of business in British
Columbia, after which he crossed the border into the United States, and for
fourteen months was connected with the drug trade at Portland, Oregon. His
activity along that line awakened his deep interest in the study of medicine
and, as previously indicated, he went to Ontario to qualify for practice.
Following his graduation from the university there, he returned to Portland,
where he passed the state board examination and then removed to Castle Rock,
Oregon, where he remained in active practice for fourteen months. On the
expiration of that period he opened an office in Toppenish, Washington, and
practiced there until July, 1916, when he was appointed whole time health
officer for the county and city of Yakima and so continues. While a resident of
Toppenish he was a member of the governing board of the Commercial Club for
three years and served as president of same during 1914.

He is a member of the county and state medical associations and was elected to
the vice presidency of the former in 1913.

In November, 1908, the Doctor was married to Miss Mary Holladay, of Aurora,
Ontario, and they have become the parents of an interesting little daughter,
Helen, six years of age. Dr. Cerswell belongs to Toppenish Lodge, No. 178, F.
and A. M., which he aided in organizing and of which he was master in 1913. He
also has taken the degrees of the Rose Croix and Council of Kadash in the
Scottish Rite. He likewise belongs to the Benevolent Protective Order of Elks
and to the Knights of Pythias. In politics he maintains an independent course
and his religious faith is that of the Presbyterian church.

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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.