The History of the Yakima Valley, Washington, Comprising Yakima, Kittitas and
Benton Counties, The S.J. Clarke Publishing Co., 1919, Volume II, page 847 

CLARENCE MANUEL KEYES.

Clarence Manuel Keyes, although comparatively a young man, is today considered
one of the foremost representatives of the fruit raising industry in the Yakima
valley. he looks after five hundred acres of orchard, part of which tie manages
for eastern capitalists. The fruit from his ranches, which is sold under the
brand of "The Boy." is not only of the very highest quality but in its packing
the utmost care is used in order to preserve its aroma and condition until it
reaches the market.

Mr. Keyes was born at Montevideo, Minnesota, November l, 1888, a son of Ruthven
S. and Mary (Manuel) Keyes, the former a native of Connecticut and the latter of
Canada. The father, who was a very successful mill owner and capitalist, passed
away in 1898. The mother survives and now resides in Pullman, Washington. 

Clarence M. Keyes received a public school education in Minnesota, after which
he removed with his mother to Washington, taking up their residence in Pullman.
where our subject attended the State College, specializing in agriculture and
horticulture. Having thus studied theoretical as well as practical methods, he
in 1910 became connected with the United States forestry service in Idaho but in
1911 came to Yakima county and entered the employ of Manuel Brothers, becoming
manager for their tracts of fruit land. In 1909 M. H. and R. W. Manuel started
to develop fruit ranches in the Yakima valley, acquiring one hundred and sixty
acres of land two miles east of Buena. Soon this tract was increased to three
hundred and twenty acres and during the years 1909, 1910 and 1911 all was
planted to orchard. Subsequently they sold most of this land, retaining about
eighty acres, which is now operated under the management of Mr. Keyes. In the
spring of 1909 Manuel Brothers bought one hundred acres in the Grandview orchard
tracts and of this they kept twenty. They also developed forty acres southeast
of Grandview, planted to apples and Concord grapes, but this tract has since
been sold. In 1911 they planted forty acres on the edge of Grandview tracts to
apples and pears and they still own one-half of this land. They bought the
Burton ranch, two miles northwest of Sunnyside, comprising one hundred and fifty
acres, which they platted and have since sold one-half of the tract, while they
planted seventy-five acres to fruit, which is now in full hearing. All of this
is planted to Winesap, Jonathan and Rome Beauty apples and peaches and pears. In
1918 these properties produced sixty carloads of apples and twenty carloads of
peaches and pears. The Manuel Brothers, who are uncles of our subject, market
their fruit in Minneapolis and St. Paul. It is sold under the brand of "The
Boy," and particular care is taken in packing. In fact they put up a very high
grade of fruit and much of the success of their large enterprise is due to the
executive ability, large experience and conscientious performance of duty of Mr.
Keyes.

On December 23, 1912, Clarence M. Keyes was united in marriage to Miss Alice
Walter, a native of Bellingham, Minnesota, and a daughter of George W. and Tilly
(Dolquist) Walter, agriculturist, who removed to Pullman, Washington. There her
father was at one time representative of the International Harvester Company but
is now connected with the the business in that city. He served as county
assessor of Whitman county, Washington, for four years. Mrs. Keyes is a graduate
of Washington State College, completing her course in that institution with the
class of 1911. Mr. and Mrs. Keyes have three children, Elizabeth, David and Mary
Jane.

The family are very prominent socially and have many friends in Zillah. They are
members of the Congregational church and politically Mr. Keyes is a republican
but has not had the time nor the inclination for political office. Fraternally
he is connected with the blue lodge of Masons in Zillah. As a young orchardist
successfully handling the largest propositions he occupies a prominent position
among the men who are connected with the fruit raising industry in his part of
the state. He has divided the orchards into various tracts and each tract is in
charge of a foreman who is held responsible. Each foreman receives a salary and
also a bonus if the harvests of the tracts warrant such. In that way the
different foremen feel that they have a permanent position and exert their best
efforts in order to gain the highest results. Mr. Keyes now looks after about
five hundred acres of orchard in one of the largest tracts in the Yakima valley,
part of which is managed for eastern owners. he has closely studied the latest
horticultural methods and the success that has come to hire is clue entirely to
his own industry, experience and foresight. he himself has considerable
financial interest in the orchards and in the discharge of his duties ever
displays rare executive ability, trying to get the best men for the positions he
has open. Being a close student of human nature, he has been extremely fortunate
in the selection of his foremen. Numerous buildings have been put up under his
direction and good homes have been erected, equipped with electric lights and
running water. Thus he has greatly contributed toward the growth and development
of the valley and especially the fruit raising industry and his services in this
connection are widely recognized. How large a proposition he handles is evident
from the fact that they have their own blacksmith shop on the ranch and also
their own machine shop.

The Manuel Brothers are prominent real estate and investment brokers of
Minneapolis and R. W. Manuel is the president of the Exchange State Bank of that
city, while M. H. Manuel is in charge of the land properties, but both reside in
Minneapolis. They were born in Wisconsin and went to Minnesota as boys. For a
number of years they taught school and then went into business and now are
widely and favorably known in the financial and real estate circles of their
cite. They have over two hundred investors interested with them in their various
development propositions and it may be mentioned in order to illustrate how
fairly they treat their clients that they have never foreclosed an investor.
Although they have never lived in the Yakima valley there is probably no one who
has done more for the development of this district than have the Manuel
Brothers, who established one of the first development companies here. Their
reputation as financiers, bankers and real estate dealers is unassailable and
Mr. Keyes as their personal representative has done much in the line of
development, for which thousands of the residents of the Yakima valley are
indeed grateful.

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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.