The History of the Yakima Valley, Washington, Comprising Yakima, Kittitas and
Benton Counties, The S.J. Clarke Publishing Co., 1919, Volume II, page 777 

THOMAS EDWARD HOBBS.

The great prosperity of the state of Washington is to a very large extent due to
its progressive agriculturists. who have made this one of the richest ranching
sections of the country. Among these is numbered Thomas Edward Hobbs, who has a
valuable farm in the Cowiche valley, of which ten acres are devoted to apples,
peaches and pears. He has closely studied fruit raising methods and has been
very successful in orcharding. Born in Ripley county, Indiana, July 22, 1857, he
is a son of William and Eliza (Rozell) Hobbs, natives of Virginia and Kentucky
respectively. Both on the paternal and maternal sides the family were pioneers
of Indiana, his grandparents having located in that state at an early day. There
William Hobbs and Eliza Rozell were married and the former successfully engaged
in farming; in that state until his demise.

Thomas Edward Hobbs was reared under the parental roof, amid farm surroundings,
and from his parents received his first lessons in regard to life's duties. Thus
were taught him honesty, industry and perseverance -- the three virtues upon
which a successful career essentially depends. Acquiring his education in the
public schools, he subsequently, turned his attention to farm labor in his
native state but in 1881, at the age of twenty-four, removed to Pottawatomie
county, Kansas, where he successfully farmed for about seventeen years. In 1898
he came to Yakima county and at first rented twenty acres on the Cowiche but in
1908 was able to buy the ranch which he now owns and he erected thereon a
handsome residence and also built suitable barns and installed modern equipment.
When he arrived here there were only thirty families in the valley and he has
seen this district grow into one of the prosperous agricultural sections of the
state. Since fruit raising has proved so successful, Mr. Hobbs has taken up this
profitable industry and now has ten acres in orchard, devoted to apples, peaches
and pears, while the remainder of the land is under the plow.

On the 9th of January, 1883, Mr. Hobbs was united in marriage to Miss Sarah
Sumner, who was born in Brown county, Illinois, and is a daughter of William and
Sarah (Colson) Sumner. natives of Virginia. who early in their lives became
pioneers of Indiana, but later removed to Illinois and subsequently, in 1868, to
Kansas. where both parents died. Mr. and Mrs. Hobbs have a son, Clarence, now
engaged in ranching. He married Grace Stewart, a daughter of William Alfred and
Alice (Smith) Stewart, prominent pioneers of this district, of whom more
extended mention is made on another page of this work. Mr. and Mrs. Clarence
Hobbs have two children. Mrs. Thomas E. Hobbs and her son and his family attend
the Baptist church, in the work of which they are actively interested.

In his political affiliations Thomas E. Hobbs is a republican, upholding the
standards of that party in national and state politics although in local affairs
he follows his own judgment to some extent. He has ever been interested in the
growth and development of his district, to which he has greatly contributed. He
is a successful man and great credit is due him for what he has achieved as he
began life empty-handed. Many are those whom he calls friends in his district,
all of whom agree as to his good qualities as a citizen, business man and
valuable member of the community.

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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.