The History of the Yakima Valley, Washington, Comprising Yakima, Kittitas and
Benton Counties, The S.J. Clarke Publishing Co., 1919, Volume II, page 741 

C. E. RUSK.

C. E. Rusk, filling the position of receiver of the United States land office at
Yakima, being appointed for a four years' term, was born in Knox county,
Illinois, November 20, 1871, a son of James A. and Josie A. (Maxwell) Rusk, who
removed to the territory of Washington in the fall of 1874. They settled in the
eastern part of Klickitat county, where the father took up government land in
Wood gulch. Later he built "The Happy Home" stage station, situated near what is
now the town of Warwick, at the foot of the Columbia hills. This was in 1879 and
1880. He conducted the station for several years but afterward removed to a
ranch, which he occupied for a few years. In January, 1887, he established his
home at Wetemis Soda Springs, commonly known as Rusk Soda Springs, on the
Klickitat river, which property he had acquired, and he still owns two hundred
and forty acres of valuable land there. In the spring of 1896, however, he
removed to Josephine county, Oregon, where he became interested in mining
properties, and he makes his home in that district. He has been closely
associated with the development of the West in many ways and his labors have
been productive of excellent results not only in the upbuilding of his own
fortunes but in the development of the community at large. Mr. Rusk of this
review has a sister, Leah, who was born in Wood gulch, Washington, in 1878, and
is now the wife of M. Braat, residing near Dayton, Oregon.

C. E. Rusk obtained a public school education and when a youth of seventeen
began teaching in the schools of Washington. He took up newspaper work when in
1892 he became editor of the Goldendale Courier, with which he continued for a
year. He afterward studied law and in 1902 was admitted to the bar. He then
located for practice at Lake Chelan, where he followed his profession for six
years, but in the spring of 1910 left there and became the leader of the Mazama
expedition, which was making an effort to reach the top of Mount McKinley to
determine whether Dr. Cook as he claimed had climbed to the top of that
mountain. When his labors in that connection were ended he returned to Oregon,
where he was identified with mining interests until 1912. He next removed to the
Yakima valley and became editor of the Benton Independent, published at Prosser,
Washington, but sold his paper there in 1913 and resumed active law practice, in
which he continued until the spring of 1915, when he was appointed to the
position of receiver of the United States land office at Yakima for a four
years' term and is now concentrating his efforts and attention upon the duties
of that office.

On the 30th of October, 1898, Mr. Rusk was married to Miss Rachel N. Gilmore, a
daughter of James L. and Isabel (Crofton) Gilmore, who were pioneer residents
of Klickitat county, Washington. Her grandfather, John Crofton, was one of the
first settlers of that locality, having established his home there in the early
'70s. To Mr. and Mrs. Rusk has been born a son, Rodney L., now thirteen years of
age.

Mr. Rusk gives his political allegiance to the democratic party but has never
been a politician in the sense of office seeking. He belongs to the United
Artisans and to the Commercial Club and is interested in all that has to do with
the welfare and progress of community and state. His aid and influence are
always on the side of advancement and improvement and his support can be counted
upon for every measure for the general good.

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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.