The History of the Yakima Valley, Washington, Comprising Yakima, Kittitas and
Benton Counties, The S.J. Clarke Publishing Co., 1919, Volume II, page 344

JOHN B. SCHWAEGLER.

John B. Schwaegler is numbered among the prominent and successful apple growers
of the northwest- -- a district whose fruit equals if not surpasses any that is
raised in the entire country. Mr. Schwaegler was born in Buffalo, New York,
September 7, 1865, a son of Joseph and Josephine (Petrie) Schwaegler. The
father emigrated from Wurtemberg, Germany, to Buffalo, New York, in 1854 and
there engaged in the butchering business for a considerable period, both he and
his wife passing away in that city.

John B. Schwaegler acquired a parochial school education and started out in the
business world as clerk in a dry goods store. In 1892 he turned his attention to
manufacturing in Buffalo, establishing a factory for the manufacture of
shirtwaists and other ladies' wearing apparel. This business he conducted
successfully for thirteen years and on the expiration of that period crossed
the continent to Los Angeles, California, establishing business on Seventh and
Broadway in that city under the name of El Emporio, representing an investment
of over two million dollars. Mr. Schwaegler was president of the company and its
largest stockholder. The company erected a building but did not open their store
there. Eventually Mr. Schwaegler sold his business in Los Angeles and made a
trip over continental Europe. He then again came to the new world, making his
way to Canada and then traveling in the United States, spending four years in
travel over the North American continent for pleasure. In 1910 he came to the
Yakima valley and purchased eighty acres of land in the Selah valley and one
hundred and sixty acres on the Yakima Indian reservation. He also leased six
hundred and eighty acres of land on the Wenas, which he planted to wheat and
grain, continuing its cultivation for two years. In 1916 he disposed of his
reservation ranch but still owned the eighty acre tract, which is planted to
fruit, being the largest orchard in the Selah valley. He raised pears, apples
and peaches and had one twenty-acre orchard in which the trees are eighteen
years old. These produce from eighteen to sixty-six boxes of apples per tree,
each year, with one hundred and eight trees to the acre. In 1919 he sold his
ranch for one hundred thousand dollars, having purchased the same in 1910 for
forty-five thousand dollars. From this place he had received handsome returns on
an investment of one hundred thousand dollars, as he took from it twenty-eight
thousand dollars in fruit. He owns the Oleta apartments at No. 1816 Bellevue
avenue, Seattle, which is modern and up-to-date in every respect and is located
in one of the best residence districts of the city. It contains thirty-two
apartments.

Mr. Schwaegler has a son, Lester, who is married and who engages in orcharding
with his father. The latter belongs to St. Joseph's Catholic church and also to
the Knights of Columbus, while in politics he maintains an independent course.

Starting out in the business world in the humble capacity of clerk in a dry
goods store, he became one of the prominent figures in commercial circles on the
Pacific coast. All this has been accomplished through individual effort and his
life record should serve to inspire and encourage others, showing what it is
possible to attain when there is a will to dare and to do.

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Submitted to the Washington Bios Project in December 2007 by Jeffrey L. Elmer.
Submitter has no additional information about the subject of this article.