The History of the Yakima Valley, Washington, Comprising Yakima, Kittitas and
Benton Counties, The S.J. Clarke Publishing Co., 1919, Volume II, page 1037 

BURT F. IRISH.

Since 1913 Burt F. Irish has been identified with fruit raising in Yakima
county. A life of activity along other lines led up to his present connection
and now he is classed with the successful orchardists of his section of the
valley. He was born in Linn county, Kansas, February 1, 1858, a son of Columbus
G. and Frances A. (Hurd) Irish, who were natives of Pennsylvania and of
Massachusetts respectively and became pioneer settlers of Kansas, where they
located in the '60s. The father was in the United States army during the Civil
war and afterward participated in Indian fighting, being stationed at a later
period at Fort Sill and Fort Randall in Dakota territory. He was a carpenter by
trade and eventually became a contractor. He located at Yankton, South Dakota,
after leaving the army and later went to El Paso, Texas, where his last days
were passed. His wife survived him and died in Colfax, California, in 1918, at
the age of eighty-one years.

Burt F. Irish acquired a public school education in Minnesota and started out in
the business world to provide for his own support when a youth of seventeen. He
learned the printer's trade and became manager of the press department in a
printing house at Fergus Falls, Minnesota. He was connected with the Fergus
Falls Daily Journal for thirty years and severed his connection with that paper
in 1910, at which time he came to the Yakima valley. For one winter he worked on
the Yakima Herald. In 1913 he purchased ten acres of land on Parker Heights,
which was already planted to orchard, and is now raising apples, pears, peaches
and cherries. He has built an attractive residence upon his place and also
substantial barns. He likewise has a good packing shed and every facility for
the care of his fruit and he is a member of the Yakima County Horticultural
Union.

On the 9th of May, 1885, Mr. Irish was married to Miss Amy U. Hawes, who was
born in Minnesota, and they have become parents of a daughter, Nina E., who is
now attending the normal school at Bellingham, Washington.

Mr. Irish is connected with the Knights of the Maccabees and the Modern Woodmen
of America and his wife has membership with the Presbyterian church. In politics
he votes as an independent republican. He is interested in all matters of
citizenship and gives his support and co-operation to well defined plans and
measures for the general good. He does not seek nor desire office, however,
preferring to concentrate his efforts and attention upon his business affairs,
which have been carefully and wisely directed during the period of his residence
in the Yakima valley. Today he is the owner of excellent orchards and in
addition to the cultivation of his fruit he raises a few full blooded trotting
horses and Guernsey cattle. Fine horses have always been his hobby and he has
broken and trained horses for pastime throughout his entire life. He is an
excellent judge of fine stock and takes great delight in raising such upon his
ranch.

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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.