The History of the Yakima Valley, Washington, Comprising Yakima, Kittitas and Benton Counties, The S.J. Clarke Publishing Co., 1919, Volume II, page 158 REUBEN J. HICKOK. A fine tract of thirty-five acres one mile east of Zillah bespeaks the prosperity of Reuben J. Hickok, who now has twenty-four acres of this land in apples. He is not only prominent in fruit raising, along which line he has been very successful, but he also runs his own packing house and thus derives an extra profit from his undertaking. A native of Clay county, Nebraska, he was born February 1, 1880, and is a son of John G. and Bertha (Olson) Hickok, the former a native of Ohio and the latter of Norway. They were early settlers of Nebraska but in 1888 made their way to Washington, going to Snohomish. Seven years later, in 1895, the family arrived in Yakima county and here the father engaged in draying at Zillah, which city is still his home. He also has a small orchard there. Mr. Hickok of this review in the acquirement of his education attended the public schools and subsequently assisted his father until he reached his majority, when, in 1901, he took up a homestead claim one mile east of Zillah, comprising one hundred and sixty acres. All of this was sagebrush. He made a number of valuable improvements here and also instituted modern equipment, thus demonstrating his ideas in regard to farming. Later, however, he sold all but thirty-five acres and twenty-four acres of this tract is now in apples and he derives a very gratifying income from his orcharding. He has not only built a substantial and handsome home but also has its own packing house, thus facilitating the shipment of fruit and a storage cellar with a capacity of six thousand boxes. On September 9, 1900, Mr. Hickok was united in marriage to Miss Leona D. Dunham, a daughter of George B. Dunham, the Dunhams being numbered among the pioneer families of Yakima county, located on the Ahtanum. To Mr. and Mrs. Hickok were born three children: Lloyd, Ralph and Wilda. The family is highly esteemed by all who know them as they are people of genuine worth who are ever ready to give their aid to worthy measures undertaken on behalf of the general public. Fraternally Mr. Hickok is a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and has held all the chairs in the subordinate lodge and is a member of the Grand Lodge. Politically he is a republican but has never found time, nor has he the inclination to participate in public affairs, preferring to do his duties as a citizen in his private capacity of voter. There is great credit due him for what he has achieved, as he has transformed a tract of wild land into a productive orchard which is today one of the valuable estates of Yakima county. ******************************** Submitted to the Washington Bios Project in December 2007 by Jeffrey L. Elmer. Submitter has no additional information about the subject of this article.