The History of the Yakima Valley, Washington, Comprising Yakima, Kittitas and
Benton Counties, The S.J. Clarke Publishing Co., 1919, Volume II, page 1071 

WILLIAM C. WILLETT.

William C. Willett has charge of the county farm in Yakima county and has the
distinction of being the only man who has made the property self-supporting. In
fact he has so carefully and wisely directed its interests that he not only
makes expenses but profits have also accrued upon the work that has been carried
on there. Mr. Willett is a native of Boston, Erie county, New York. He was born
June 19, 1869, of the marriage of Christopher and Catherine (Leib) Willett. The
father has now passed away but the mother still resides in New fork. For many
years Christopher Willett was identified with agricultural pursuits.

William C. Willett is indebted to the Empire state for the educational
privileges which he enjoyed and which qualified him for life's responsible
duties. He was reared to the work of the farm and after his schooldays were over
concentrated his efforts and attention upon agricultural pursuits in New York
until 1902, when he removed to Poplar Grove, Illinois, and was cashier of the
Poplar Grove Bank at that place until 1908. He afterward devoted three years to
general farming and in 1911 came to Yakima county, where he purchased a fruit
ranch of five acres south of the city of Yakima. He sold that property in 1914
and for a short period was a resident of the city, being connected with the
Yakima street department until November, 1915. He was then appointed
superintendent of the Yakima county farm, of which he has since had charge. His
work in this connection has been highly satisfactory. Since he assumed the
superintendency two silos have been built, the barn has been painted, a basement
has been put under the house and all buildings upon the place have been painted.
The water system has also been improved, a large amount of new pipe line having
been added, and Mr. Willett deserves much credit for what he has accomplished,
for he is the only man who has made the county farm self-supporting. He has sold
considerable hay, cream, potatoes and stock from the place, his sales of hay in
1918 amounting to over two thousand dollars. The farm has doubled the amount of
stock with which it was equipped in the last three years and in every way Mr.
Willett has proved himself an able and enterprising business man.

On the 30th of May, 1893, occurred the marriage of Mr. Willett and Miss Harriet
Almira Churchill, of West Falls, New York. Their children are: Mabel, now the
wife of Niles Strow, of Yakima, by whom she has two children; and Byron
Churchill, who is a member of the United States army, now on active duty in the
spruce department. He is married but has no children.

Mr. Willett is a member of Yakima Lodge, No. 318, B. P. O. E.; of Yakima Lodge,
No. 295, I. O. O. F., and also is affiliated with the Daughters of Rebekah and
with the Knights of Pythias lodge in Yakima. While in Illinois he filled all of
the chairs in the Odd Fellows lodge. His political allegiance is given to the
republican party and while residing at Poplar Grove, Illinois, he filled the
office of alderman. He stands staunchly in support of every principle in which
he believes and of every cause which he espouses. He has become well known
through the period of his residence in the northwest and his many substantial
qualities which make for personal popularity.

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Submitted to the Washington Bios Project in January 2008 by Jeffrey L. Elmer.
Submitter has no additional information about the subject of this article.