The History of the Yakima Valley, Washington, Comprising Yakima, Kittitas and
Benton Counties, The S.J. Clarke Publishing Co., 1919, Volume II, page 332

JOSEPH A. SNYDER.

Joseph A. Snyder, actively engaged in farming on a ranch of one hundred and
fifty-eight acres nine miles southwest of Yakima, was born in Harrison county,
Ohio, June 21, 1861, a son of John and Nancy Jane (Hutchinson) Snyder, who in
1864 removed from Ohio to St. Clair county, Missouri, where the father continued
to reside until his death. The mother is now living in Pittsburg, Kansas, at the
age of eighty-one years.

Joseph A. Snyder acquired a public school education in Missouri while spending
his youthful days upon his father's farm and through vacation periods he early
became familiar with the work of the fields. He was actively identified with
agricultural interests in his native state until 1909, when he removed to the
northwest Seattle as his destination. In young manhood he had learned the
carpenter's trade, which he followed in connection with construction work for
the Seattle Exposition. He also built a Joy Wheel, which he operated during the
exposition, and made considerable money on that venture. In 1910 he located in
Yakima and became a carpenter foreman in connection with the erection of the
buildings for the State Fair. Pleased with the northwest, its opportunities and
prospects, he then rented an eight hundred acre wheat ranch near Ellensburg and
continued its cultivation for eighteen months. He afterward rented the Mountain
View ranch, near Naches City, living thereon for three years, and in January,
1916, he purchased one hundred and fifty-eight acres nine miles southwest of
Yakima and has since devoted his energies and attention to the cultivation and
development of the place. He is now engaged in raising wheat, alfalfa, corn and
other diversified crops and he also conducts a profitable dairy business,
keeping graded cattle for this purpose.

On the 31st of December, 1885, Mr. Snyder was united in marriage to Miss
Virginia C. Bushong, of Virginia, a daughter of Samuel and Mary Bushong, who
removed from the Old Dominion to Grundy county, Missouri, during her girlhood
days. Mr. and Mrs. Snyder have never had any children of their own, but their
kindness and generosity have prompted them to rear six children: Walter and
Minnie Redford, now of Spokane; William and Lettie Merritt, the latter the wife
of Andrew Dahl, a rancher; and two others, who are deceased.

Mr. Snyder is a member of the Woodmen of the World, also of the Loyal Order of
Moose and of the Grange. His political allegiance is given to the republican
party and while in Missouri he served for eight years as deputy sheriff but has
never sought or desired office in the northwest. He concentrates his energies,
efforts and attention upon his business affairs and has become the owner of an
excellent farm property, from which he is now deriving a substantial annual
income.

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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.