The History of the Yakima Valley, Washington, Comprising Yakima, Kittitas and Benton Counties, The S.J. Clarke Publishing Co., 1919, Volume II, page 290 AUSTIN E. GLENN. The broad acres of the Yakima valley have been taken up by enterprising men, and where once was arid land covered with sagebrush are now found fine orchards and highly cultivated fields. The result has been achieved through earnest, persistent labor intelligently directed until the once sterile tract has been made to bloom and blossom as the rose. Austin E. Glenn is among the number who have been active in the development and improvement of the district. He was born at Shellrock, Iowa, October 19, 1854, a son of Thomas and Mary Jane (Bussey) Glenn, both of whom were natives of Ohio. Removing westward in 1851, they settled in Iowa, where the father devoted his life to general agricultural pursuits, but both he and his wife have now passed away. Austin E. Glenn is indebted to the public school system of his native state for such educational opportunities as he enjoyed. Through vacation periods he worked upon his father's farm and for some time after leaving school continued farming in Iowa, while subsequently he carried on business along that line at Pipestone, Minnesota. He next went to Virginia and there engaged in farming until 1906. In the latter year he came to Yakima county and purchased ten acres of land two and a half miles west of the city of Yakima. He has since planted four acres to fruit, six acres having already been so planted. After improving the property he sold about seven acres in one-half acre tracts and twelve homes are built thereon. He has been actuated in all that he has done by a spirit of progressiveness productive of excellent results. On November 10, 1875, Mr. Glenn was married to Miss Lucia E. Rew, of Illinois, a daughter of Noel and Emily Rew, who in 186 removed to Iowa. To Mr. and Mrs. Glenn have been born six children: Merton R., who follows farming in Iowa and is married and has three children: Vernon T., a resident of Pipestone, Minnesota, who has been married twice and has four children; Karl R., a ranchman of the Yakima valley, who is married and has four children; Harold A., a member of the United States army and in January, 1919, on active duty in Siberia; F. Thearle, who was a first lieutenant of Company C of the One Hundred and Sixty-first Regiment, was on active duty in France and was honorably discharged in December, 1918, having brought home as a souvenir a beautiful revolver, which he personally took from a German officer; and Mary E., at home. Mr. and Mrs. Glenn have been members of the Baptist church since 1874 and are loyal adherents of its teachings. His political endorsement is given to the republican party. He belongs to the Yakima County Horticultural Union and he has been a student of all that hears upon fruit raising in the northwest. His labors here have been wisely directed and his enterprise and recognition of opportunity have been salient features in the attainment of his present success. ******************************** Submitted to the Washington Bios Project in December 2007 by Jeffrey L. Elmer. Submitter has no additional information about the subject of this article.