The History of the Yakima Valley, Washington, Comprising Yakima, Kittitas and
Benton Counties, The S.J. Clarke Publishing Co., 1919, Volume II, page 735 

JAMES A. PILAND.

James A. Piland, an orchardist living near Wapato, was born in Ozark county,
Missouri. February 4, 1854, a son of Joseph J. and Nancy C. (Peden) Piland, who
were natives of North Carolina and of South Carolina respectively. They became
pioneer settlers of Missouri, where the father devoted his life to the
occupation of farming, and both he and his wife died in that state.

James A. Piland acquired a public school education and when a youth of nineteen
years took up a homestead in Ozark county, Missouri. He there devoted his
attention to general agricultural pursuits until 1888, when attracted by the
opportunities of the northwest, he came to Kittitas county, Washington, and
secured a preemption claim. There he engaged in farming for fourteen years,
after which he came to Yakima county in 1902 and bought a ranch on the 27th of
May. In June he took up his abode upon this place and he now has forty acres of
land on the Parker Bottoms. This is a valuable and productive tract, of which
twenty-four acres is planted to peaches, while the remainder of his land is
devoted to pears and cherries. It is a beautiful ranch, splendidly situated in
the rich and fertile Yakima valley and commanding a magnificent view of the
snowy peaks of Mount Adams and Mount Rainier. His place is located on the state
highway and is supplied with an abundance of water. By reason of his care and
cultivation of the land, his wise selection of nursery stock and the
thoroughness with which he protects his trees from blight of any kind he has
become owner of one of the finest orchards in his section of the state.

On the 6th of March, 1873, Mr. Piland was married to Miss Martha J. Evans, who
was born in Missouri, a daughter of Jesse and Bartema Evans. The mother passed
away in Missouri, but the father came to the Kittitas valley of Washington in
1882 and later died at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Piland. Eight children have been
born to Mr. and Mrs. Piland. William S., who is married and has five children,
is engaged in ranching near Outlook. Joseph K., who has a wife and six children,
is ranching near the home place. Jesse S., who has a wife and one child, is also
a rancher in the vicinity of Wapato. Dora D. is the wife of Oscar Lazier, of
Seattle, and has one child. James A., who has a wife and ,one child, is living
in Walla Walla. Robert E., who is married and has two children, follows ranching
near his father's place. Ernest, who is married and has five children, makes his
home in Hoquiam, Washington. The other member of the family died in infancy. Mr.
and Mrs. Piland now have twenty-two grandchildren.

In politics Mr. Piland is a republican, strongly supporting the principles of
the party because of his firm belief in their efficacy as factors in good
government. He served for twelve years on the school board while in Kittitas
county and he has served as a director of the irrigation district in Kittitas
county. His aid is always given on the side of advancement and improvement and
his efforts in behalf of public progress have been practical, far-reaching and
beneficial. What he has accomplished in a business way represents the fit
utilization of his innate talents and powers. He has always made wise use of his
time and has ever recognized the fact that industry is the basis of success. As
the years have passed he has worked earnestly and diligently and as the result
of his labors he is today one of the prosperous orchardists of the Yakima
valley.

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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.