The History of the Yakima Valley, Washington, Comprising Yakima, Kittitas and
Benton Counties, The S.J. Clarke Publishing Co., 1919, Volume II, page 711 

THOMAS C. McNAMARA.

Thomas C. McNamara, one of the leading orchardists of Yakima county, whose
progressive spirit is manifest in the excellent results which have attended his
efforts, was born in Dayton, Ohio, July 26, 1854, a son of Martin and Johanna
(McNahan) McNamara, both of whom were natives of Ireland. They came to the
United States in 184p and established their home in Wisconsin. Later they
removed to Dayton, Ohio, but subsequently returned to Wisconsin, settling in
Manitowoc county in 1856. There they lived until 1876. when they went to
Nebraska, where the father engaged in farming to the time of his death, which
occurred in 1893, when he had reached the advanced age of eighty-four years. The
mother afterward died at the home of her son Thomas, when she had reached the
notable old age of ninety-three years.

Thomas C. McNamara acquired a public school education in	Wisconsin and
through his youthful days was with his father upon the home farm, there
remaining until 1885, at which time his father deeded him one hundred and sixty
acres of land. He was obliged to give up his farm, however, through losses
entailed by the hog cholera. He afterward went to Sterling, Colorado, where he
followed railway construction work, and he took up a homestead in Weld count,
Colorado. He subsequently removed to Utah, where he assisted in building a big
canal near Bear creek. Later he engaged in railway work again, teaming and doing
contract work in connection with buildings. It was always his desire, however,
to obtain land and have a home for himself. Selling his team, he went to Montana
in 1892 and there entered upon railway work in connection with the Great
Northern. He was next at Anaconda, Montana, where he was employed in the
smelters for two and a half years. He had heard much concerning the Yakima
country and came to the district to look at it, arriving in the city of Yakima
on the 20th of June, 1898. He had previously been in twenty different states of
the Union and was more pleased with the Yakima valley than any other district
which he had ever seen. He began working in the hay fields at a wage of a dollar
per day. He found that the homestead law had been changed, so that he could take
another homestead, and looking over the new country on Selah Heights and the
lower Naches, he bought a relinquishment on a homestead from a Mr. Webster,
obtaining one hundred and sixty acres of land in all. This was right in the
hills of the lower Naches and there was not a house within a mile. The land was
all wild and undeveloped, being covered with sagebrush, and no one considered
the hills worth anything. Mr. McNamara, however, cleared twenty acres of his
land the following year and thereon raised a good crop of potatoes, onions and
alfalfa, obtaining water from the Selah ditch. Later the Wapentox ditch
extension was built and Mr. McNamara became foreman of the construction work.
This furnished water for ninety acres of his land. About 1907 he also bought a
water right from the Selah ditch and in 1908 he planted ten acres to apples. He
has since sold all of his land save fifty acres and he now has twenty-five acres
planted to fruit trees and is numbered among the leading orchardists of this
section of the state.

His orchards are in splendid condition. They present a most beautiful picture in
blossom time and one of equal loveliness when the fruit hangs heavy on the
trees. He cares for his fruit in the most systematic and progressive manner and
his sales annually reach a large figure.

On the 27th of November, 1884, Mr. McNamara was married to Miss Catherine
Hanlon, who was born in Nebraska City, a daughter of Edward and Catherine
(McGraw) Hanlon, both of whom were natives of Ireland, whence they came to
America when young people and were married in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. About
1853 they arrived in Nebraska, being numbered among its pioneers. They lost all
of their goods in the Mississippi river while crossing by boat, but
notwithstanding this early handicap, Mr. Hanlon became an extensive and
successful farmer of Nebraska, where he took up a homestead near Dunbar. Later
he sold that property and purchased a large ranch ten miles south of Nebraska
City. Both he and his wife have now passed away. To Mr. and Mrs. McNamara have
been born seven children: Mary Rosalia, the deceased wife of John Lynch, an
attorney of Yakima; Thomas Albertus, who is ranching on the Ahtanum and is
married and has three children; Ellen Johanna, who died at the age of seven
years and eight months while the family were in Montana; Edward Patrick. a
rancher near Toppenish, who has a wife and two children; Martin Marcus, a
sergeant in the Signal Corps of the United States army, now in France; John
James, who is ranching with his brother; and Bernard Joseph, at home.

Mr. McNamara and his family are communicants of St. Paul's Catholic church, in
which he has always taken an active and helpful interest. He has also been a
member of the Knights of Columbus for many wears. He was formerly a Bryan
democrat but is now a member of the Non-Partisan League. He is a successful
farmer, progressive and enterprising, carrying forward to successful completion
whatever he undertakes, and his life should serve as a stimulus to others.
showing what may be accomplished through individual effort.

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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.