The History of the Yakima Valley, Washington, Comprising Yakima, Kittitas and Benton Counties, The S.J. Clarke Publishing Co., 1919, Volume II, page 1019 WILLIAM B. HILLMAN. William B. Hillman, a dealer in electrical goods at Yakima, entered the business circles of this city in 1909, and has since been an active representative of commercial interests here. A native of Minnesota, he was born in Hastings on the 20th of August, 1878, a son of Samuel T. and Hannah (Bennett) Hillman, the latter a daughter of the Rev. George W. Bennett, who settled in the Willamette valley in pioneer times. The father of William B. Hillman died in the year 1882, after which the mother removed westward to Oregon, the family home being established at Corvallis, where she passed away at the age of forty years. William B. Hillman accompanied his mother to the Pacific coast. He acquired a public school education, which he supplemented by a course of study in the Oregon Agricultural College, from which he was graduated with the degree of Bachelor of Science and Electrical Engineer. He afterward pursued a practical engineering course with the Westinghouse Company of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and in 1905 he became a resident of Clarkston, Washington, where he installed the first Westinghouse steam turbine generator that was brought to this state. When that task was completed he became superintendent of electric construction for the Tieton project, in connection with the Yakima Valley United States Reclamation Service, and was thus engaged from 1907 until 1909. He afterward went to Priest Rapids and installed the machinery for the Hanford Power Company and also for the Allis-Chalmers Company. In was in 1909 that Mr. Hillman established business in Yakima at No. 110 South Second street, where he remained until 1910, when he removed to No. 312 West Yakima avenue. The following year he secured a location one block west and on the 1st of March, 1918, he removed to No. 308 West Yakima avenue, where he has a floor space of twenty-five by one hundred and thirty feet. He carries a full line of electric supplies and electric automobile equipment and specializes in auto electric work. He is a representative of the Auto-Lite, the Westinghouse interests and other lines. He also installs lighting plants on farms, doing a big business in that connection. He employs from six to ten people and his patronage is extensive and gratifying. In January, 1907, Mr. Hillman was united in marriage to Miss Julia M. Chilcott, of Mapleton, Pennsylvania, and they have become parents of five children: Ruth, Stanley, Margaret, Julia and William. The religious faith of the family is that of the Methodist church, to which Mr. and Mrs. Hillman loyally adhere. His political position is independent of party ties. He belongs to the American Institute of Electrical Engineers and occupies a most progressive place in connection with scientific attainments in his line. ******************************** Submitted to the Washington Bios Project in January 2008 by Jeffrey L. Elmer. Submitter has no additional information about the subject of this article.