"An Illustrated History of Klickitat, Yakima and Kittitas Counties." Interstate Publishing Co., 1904. p. 688. WILLIAM H. CLINE a resident of Sunnyside and one of the commissioners of Yakima county, Washington, has followed farming under the Sunnyside canal successfully for ten years. He is a native of Indiana, born February 5, 1855, the son of John and Caroline (Ortt) Cline. The mother (deceased) was of German descent, born in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, in 1834. The father, now living in Des Moines, Iowa, was born in Indiana, April 8, 1833, and was a pioneer of Iowa, going there overland from Indiana in May, 1855. He was for thirty-one years in the mercantile business in Guthrie county, Iowa, and the business was continued by one of his sons until 1902. The son, William, spent his youth and early manhood in Panora, Guthrie county, Iowa, and was there educated in the public schools. Leaving school at the age of nineteen, he entered his father's store as a clerk, remaining with him until thirty-one years old, and having in the meantime a capital interest in the business. In addition to their general merchandise business, they had built up an immense grain trade and operated seven elevators along the line of the Des Moines and Northwestern Railroad. In 1885, having traded a farm for a stock of merchandise in De Witt, Nebraska, the subject of this biography found it necessary to go there and sell out the stock. This occupied eight months in 1885 and, in the spring of the year 1886, he went to Broken Bow, Nebraska, erected a brick block and opened a general store. His business grew rapidly and he soon found it necessary to secure more commodious quarters. He built what is now known as the Opera House block, where he continued his business until January, 1891, when he was forced to make an assignment owing to his inability to collect accounts from farmers who had been financially crippled by drought and insects. In August, 1892, he moved to Tacoma, Washington, and engaged for a few months in the grocery business. Selling out in 1893, he chartered a vessel, loaded it with merchandise and went to Alaska, enduring many hardships, but disposing of his stock at a fair profit and returning in September of the same year. In December, 1893, he came to Sunnyside, put up the first business building in the town and opened a store, which he conducted for seven years in connection with farming. He had much to endure and met with many reverses ; many of the settlers left the country in 1895-96 and there was a great scarcity of money and work, but Mr. Cline had his business and forty acres of fruit trees to attend to. He left his family in Tacoma, where school privileges could be enjoyed, and himself remained with his farm and business until the return of prosperity brought to him the reward of endurance and perseverance. Besides attending to his private affairs, he guarded the stock from the shade trees in the streets of Sunnyside, cared for them as best he could, and to his watchfulness is due much of the beauty that is now added to the streets by the presence of these trees. He served as postmaster from 1893 to 1897. Mr. Cline is second in a family of eight children, he having brothers and sisters as follows: Joseph M., Mrs. Viola La Pettit, Mrs. Lizzie Roberts, Mrs. Emma Baughman, James and John. living in Iowa, and Mrs. Etta Gilbert, living in Pendleton, Oregon. Mr. Cline was married in Iowa, in 1878. to Miss Margaret J. Maddick, a native of England, born in 1856, the daughter of Thomas and Anna (Turner) Maddick, also natives of England. The mother is dead; the father is living in Iowa. The brothers and sisters of Mrs. Cline are: Mrs. Emma Jones, wife of the Sunnyside physician; Mrs. Anna Snyder. in Kansas: Mrs. Nellie Tones, in Denver, Colorado: Mrs. Susan Plaine, Mrs. Gertrude Emers, Thomas and Ford, living in Iowa. Mr. and Mrs. Cline have one daughter, Mrs. Gertrude Young, born in Panora, Iowa, November 20, 1879, now living in Sunnyside. Mrs. Cline is a member of the Episcopal church. Fraternally, Mr. Cline is connected with the Masons. Politically, he is an active and influential Republican. January 1 he was appointed county commissioner to fill a vacancy, the term of service being until the next general elections. He has the largest farm under the big canal and a beautiful home in Sunnyside. He is a representative citizen, highly respected by all who know him. ******************* Submitted to the Washington Biographies Project in October 2011 by Diana Smith. Submitter has no additional information about the person(s) or family mentioned above.