The History of the Yakima Valley, Washington, Comprising Yakima, Kittitas and Benton Counties, The S.J. Clarke Publishing Co., 1919, Volume II, page 478 WILLIAM MINER THOMPSON. William Miner Thompson, who since his admission to the bar in 1890 has engaged in the practice of law in Yakima, was born April 14, 1870, upon the present site of the city of Pueblo, Colorado, his parents being William Joseph and Ellen (Winter) Thompson, the former a native of Vermont, while the latter was born in London, England. The father went to Colorado in 1866 after having previously participated in the Civil war as a stanch advocate of the Union cause. He spent a brief period in the west and then returned to Elmira, New York. In 1888, however, he made his way to the Pacific coast, reaching Tacoma, Washington, where he cast in his lot with the pioneer business men. He became a merchant there, establishing the first wholesale grocery house of that city. He remained at Tacoma for about five years and in 1893 he removed to Yakima, purchasing a ranch, upon which he resided until he retired from active business. He passed away in February, 1914, and is still survived by his wife, who yet makes her home upon the ranch. Mr. Thompson was very active in Colorado politics as a supporter of the republican party at an early day. He became widely and favorably known during the period of his residence in the Yakima valley and was classed with its substantial and representative citizens. William M. Thompson after pursuing his education in the public schools of Elmira, New York, attended the Free Academy there and later entered upon preparation for the bar as a law student in the office and under the direction of Hon. Mahlon Pitney, an attorney of Morristown, New Jersey, now one of the justices of the supreme court of the United States, whom he afterward served as private secretary for three years while Mr. Pitney was a member of congress. Mr. Thompson was admitted to the bar in May, 1900, in the state of Washington, having completed his studies here under the tutelage of H. J. Snively, of Yakima. He then opened an office and entered upon the practice of his profession, in which he has since continued, making steady progress as he has demonstrated his ability to successfully cope with the intricate problems of the law. He has never specialized along a certain line but has continued in general practice and has conducted many important cases. On the 23d of July, 1901, Mr. Thompson was married to Miss Minnie Alice Leach, a native of California and a resident of Yakima. Mr. and Mrs. Thompson became parents of two children, William Lisle and Thelma Bernice, aged respectively fifteen and fourteen years. Mr. Thompson belongs to the Benevolent Protective Order of Elks and for five years served as its organist. He is active as a member of the County Bar Association and was its first secretary. His political allegiance is given to the republican party and he has tilled the office of city councilman and also that of deputy prosecuting attorney. He has been a delegate to various local, state and national conventions, including the one at which William Howard Taft was nominated for the presidency. He has marked characteristics which render him a natural leader of public thought and opinion and his work in behalf of progressive citizenship in Yakima has been pronounced and resultant. ******************************** Submitted to the Washington Bios Project in December 2007 by Jeffrey L. Elmer. Submitter has no additional information about the subject of this article.