The History of the Yakima Valley, Washington, Comprising Yakima, Kittitas and
Benton Counties, The S.J. Clarke Publishing Co., 1919, Volume II, page 837 

ELMER B. MARKS.

Among the younger successful agriculturists near Yakima is Elmer B. Marks, who
has attained a foremost position among the stock raisers of his district, his
activities being particularly associated with Holstein cattle. Along this line
he has been very successful, having carefully studied the subject, and thereby
he has not only acquired individual prosperity but has greatly furthered the
status of cattle raising in his neighborhood. A western man by birth, Mr. Marks
has always displayed that western spirit of enterprise so characteristic of the
native sons. He was born in Linn county, Oregon, September 18, 1870, and is a
son of John P. and Ellen (Williams) Marks, middle-western people, the father
born in Kentucky and the mother in Illinois. John P. Marks comes of a family
that has been connected with the earliest pioneer times of the west and the name
of Marks has therefore been closely associated with the history of development
here. He was of Scotch descent and a son of Bluford Marks, who in 1854 crossed
the plains and located in Polk county, Oregon, where he ranched until his death.
John P. Marks, the father, was married in that state and in 1870 removed to the
Puget Sound. The year 1871 marked his arrival in what is now Yakima county, his
being the second wagon to cross the Snoqualmie pass. He took up government land
on the Ahtanum and was the first school superintendent of Yakima county, serving
for two terms. That this office not only required an energetic man of rare
foresight, tact and a thorough appreciation of the value of education but also
a man of physical endurance is evident from the fact that the county at that
time was one hundred and thirty miles long and that he many times had to cover
it on horseback in order to inspect the schools. Upon his land he entered into
the cattle business and also followed general farming, being as highly respected
on account of the qualities which he displayed in his private affairs as he was
in public life. All who knew him spoke of him in the highest terms and his work
was indeed a force in the development and upbuilding of the county along
material as well as intellectual lines. He was thoroughly acquainted with the
history of development in his district from early frontier days to the present
stage of development and knew many of the famous frontier characters of the
early days. Both he and his wife were devoted members of the Congregational
church, in the work of which they were ever helpfully interested; in fact, he
was instrumental in having erected the second Congregational church in the
valley. Until 1893 he followed the republican standard in politics but then
joined the people's party and later became a democrat. He died in 1915, having
for twenty-four years survived his wife, who passed away in 1891. She was a
daughter of Charles Austin Williams, a native of Illinois, who in 1845 removed
to Oregon as one of the earliest pioneers, crossing the plains in the primitive
style of those days. Many were the dangers and hardships which beset him on the
trip but all of these were overcome and he settled in Linn county, Oregon, where
he took up a donation claim of six hundred and forty acres. When the gold
discoveries occurred in California he followed the general trend and moved
southward to that state, where he was engaged in mining the precious metal,
later returning to his Oregon home. He went through all of the pioneer
experiences of that period and thus was connected with Oregon and the west from
the earliest date of the white man's history.

Elmer B. Marks was reared under the parental roof, having been brought to Yakima
county when but a year old. Here he received his first lessons in life under the
guidance of his good parents, acquiring his education in the schools of the
neighborhood. He subsequently took a business course at Walla Walla in order to
better prepare himself for life's arduous duties and then assisted his father
with the ranch work until twenty-six years of age, when, in 1896, he leased land
from his father and with his brother, Charles A. Marks, entered the live stock
business on his own account. The latter retired from the firm in 1904, since
which time he has lived retired in California. Elmer B. Marks continued in the
general cattle business until 1910, in which year he established himself
exclusively in the pure-bred Holstein business. Specializing along this line,
he has become very successful and is today recognized as one of the foremost
breeders of pure Holsteins in the state. He has over one hundred head of pure
bred cattle and at many state fairs has taken first prize, in fact in 1914 his
herd took practically all state prizes at Washington and Oregon state fairs. Mr.
Marks now has a valuable ranch of two hundred and eighty acres, which is the
evidence of his western enterprise, energy and foresight. He has ever carefully
studied soil and climatic conditions, and employing progressive methods, has
made this one of the most valuable farm properties in the county. He has an
excellent home, good outbuildings, silos and modern machinery and equipment, all
of which denote his up-to-date ideas.

On the 3d of May, 1899, Mr. Marks was united in marriage to Miss Myrtle E.
Morrison, a native of Yakima and a daughter of James W. and Mattie (Good)
Morrison, natives of Illinois and Tennessee respectively. They crossed the
plains in 1876 to Oregon, in which state they remained until 1880, when the
parents took up their residence in Yakima county, the father successfully
following ranching here, and here he subsequently passed away. His widow
survives and is yet residing in Yakima. To Mr. and Mrs. Marks have been born two
children, John and Gladys, both attending high school. The family are highly
respected in their neighborhood and both Mr. and Mrs. Marks occupy a prominent
place among the best families of their section of the state. They have qualities
of character which endear them to all and many are the friends who partake of
their hospitality at their pleasant farm home.

Fraternally Mr. Marks stands high in the Masonic order, being a member of Yakima
Lodge No. 24, F. & A. M., and he also belongs to the Royal Arch Chapter. He is
an ex-president and at present the secretary and treasurer of the Washington
Holstein Breeders Association and also serves on the board of directors of the
Yakima County Holstein Association. Moreover, he is a member of the National
Association of Holstein Breeders and is also connected with the Washington Wool
Growers Association. Through these connections he not only receives valuable
information but at the meetings he also freely recounts his experiences, thus
helping along one of the important industries of the country. Public-spirited
in the best sense of the word, Mr. Marks is ever ready to give of his effort,
time and means in order to promote enterprises undertaken on behalf of the
public and has in many, ways promoted prosperity and mental and moral
development in his district. Through the upbuilding of an important stock
breeding as well as farming enterprise he has greatly added to the resources of
the state. In his political affiliations he is a democrat but not active along
party lines although he is thoroughly informed on the issues of the day. Both he
and his wife are devoted members of the Congregational church, in the work of
which they are deeply interested and to which they give their financial as well
as spiritual support.

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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.