The History of the Yakima Valley, Washington, Comprising Yakima, Kittitas and
Benton Counties, The S.J. Clarke Publishing Co., 1919, Volume II, page 580

WILLARD E. THOMPSON.

Ranching interests in the Yakima valley are ably represented by Willard E.
Thompson, a very successful agriculturist in the Cowiche district. He was born
in Washington Courthouse, Ohio, December 20, 1863, a son of Thomas and Elizabeth
(Boyd) Thompson, the former a native of South Bloomfield, Ohio, and the latter
of Uniontown, Pennsylvania. His paternal grandfather was John Thompson, a son of
William Thompson, who was born in Ireland and emigrated to the Buckeye state as
a young man, settling near Chillicothe during the days of the Indians. He
removed to that state with his father, who was among the first settlers of Ohio.
Mrs. Elizabeth (Boyd) Thompson is a daughter of William Boyd, who served with
Perry on Lake Erie during the War of 1812, being an officer in the navy. The
Boyd family is also numbered among the prominent and early pioneers of Ohio.
Thomas Thompson followed farming throughout life and in 1902 came to Yakima,
making this city his home until his demise on the 19th of August, 1914. His
widow survived hint only a short time, her death occurring in February, 1915.

Willard E. Thompson was reared under the parental roof, spending his boyhood
days in Washington Courthouse, Ohio, and there attending the public schools. In
1882 he removed with his parents to Livingston county, Missouri, and there he
took up agricultural pursuits, having acquired thorough knowledge of that
occupation under the able guidance of his father. He continued farming in
Missouri until the 7th of January, 1901, and then came to Yakima county,
Washington. Here he immediately began work on a farm owned by M. Strausz, his
father-in-law, the property comprising two hundred and forty acres on the
Cowiche. Two years later Mr. Thompson acquired the property and he has since
devoted his attention to its further cultivation, adding many improvements until
it is now one of the most valuable farms of the neighborhood. He has now sold
all of his holdings except fifty-seven acres. He has erected a fine residence
and suitable buildings for the shelter of grain and stock and in other ways has
made many improvements. He largely raises hay and grain but also keeps a
valuable dairy herd.

On the 25th of August, 1897, Mr. Thompson was united in marriage to Miss Ida B.
Strausz, a daughter of M. and Mary (Fritz) Strausz, who in August, 1900, came to
Yakima county from Missouri and are now living retired on Nob Hill. In the
family of Mr. and Mrs. Thompson are four children, Neva, Zelma, Heber and
Clifford.

Mr. Thompson is an adherent of the republican party, to which he gives his
support, and has always been interested in matters of public import. Along
religious lines both he and his wife are members of the Evangelical Association,
taking a deep interest in its work, and both are ever ready to aid in plans for
higher moral and educational development. They are highly respected residents of
Cowiche, having made many friends in the neighborhood.

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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.