The History of the Yakima Valley, Washington, Comprising Yakima, Kittitas and
Benton Counties, The S.J. Clarke Publishing Co., 1919, Volume II, page 989 

OREN V. GRISWOLD.

Oren V. Griswold, whose ranch property of thirty-nine acres is situated two and
a half miles north of Sunnyside, was born in Carroll county, Illinois, August
19, 1870, a son of W. J. and Nancy J. (Cheeseman) Griswold. The father was a
native of New York, while the mother was born in Illinois and was a daughter of
Alfred Cheeseman, a native of England. The paternal grandfather was Eli
Griswold, whose birth occurred in New York. W. J. Griswold devoted his life to
the occupation of farming but has now passed away. His widow survives and
divides her time between Seattle and the home of her son Oren.

In the public schools, while spending his youthful days under the parental roof,
Oren V. Griswold pursued his education and afterward attended the commercial
school of Valparaiso University in Indiana. He then learned the trades of
painting and paper hanging and was employed along those lines at Milledgeville,
Illinois, for a period of twelve years. At the end of that time he turned his
attention to farming, to which he devoted eight years in Illinois, and on the
1st of March, 1912, he arrived in Sunnyside, Washington, where he was employed
on the road ditch for four years and also worked for wages in other connections.
In 1916 he invested in thirty-nine acres of land two and a half miles north of
Sunnyside and upon his farm he now has a fine residence and attractive modern
improvements. He raises hay, and also engages in the dairy business, keeping a
good grade of Holstein cattle for this purpose.

On the 1st of February, 1893, Mr. Griswold was united in marriage to Miss Emma
Landis, a native of Ogle county, Illinois, and a daughter of Jacob and
Catherine (Bursley) Landis, who were born in New York and were taken to
Illinois in childhood days. The father, who followed farming throughout his
active business career, has passed away, but the mother still survives and yet
makes her home in Illinois. Mr. and Mrs. Griswold have become parents of six
children, namely: Vada Pauline, who married L. Frank Green in 1919; Helen
Alzaida; Porter Edwin; Luella Ruth; William Oren; and Catherine Nancy.

Fraternally Mr. Griswold is connected with the Masons and is a past high priest
of Sunnyside Chapter No. 35, R. A. M. He is also connected with the Modern
Woodmen of America and his wife is a member of Sunnyside Chapter No. 134, O. E.
S. Both are members of the Mystic Workers of the World and have been active
representatives thereof, Mr. Griswold acting as secretary of the order, while
his wife was banker for three years. He was also worthy adviser of the Modern
Woodmen of America for two years and a director for six years. He likewise
served as school director in Illinois for seven years. Both he and his wife are
stanch supporters of the republican party and they and their family hold
membership in the Methodist church. They are people of genuine worth, enjoying
the warm regard of all with whom they have come in contact because their aid and
influence are given on the side of progress, improvement and the right.

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Submitted to the Washington Bios Project in January 2008 by Jeffrey L. Elmer.
Submitter has no additional information about the subject of this article.