"An Illustrated History of the Big Bend Country; Embracing Lincoln, Douglas, 
Adams  and Franklin Counties; State of Washington". Spokane, Western Historical
Publishing  Company, Publishers, 1904. pp. 815-816.

WILLIAM J. LANSING is superintendent of schools in Adams county, having been
elected to that office in the fall of 1902. He was born in Ontario, Canada,
December 12, 1871, the son of William and Minerva J. (Hart) Lansing, both also
natives of Canada. William Lansingís parents were of Canadian birth and Holland
descent. The original family settled first in New York state, and later, some of
the second generation removed to Canada. The family is a prominent one both in
New York and Canada. Mrs. Lansingís father was a native of Vermont and her
mother of Canada. Both of Mr. Lansingís parents died in Michigan, the father
June 25, 1894, and the mother October 11, 1902.
     William was reared principally in Michigan, where the family migrated when
he was five years of age. He was educated in the grammar and high schools of
Clare, Michigan, in Ferris Institute, at Grand Rapids, and in the state normal
at Ypsilanti. In 1896 he commenced teaching a Elmhall, Michigan, where he was
principal of the graded school for two years, which position he held later at
Coopersville, Michigan. He came to Adams county and for four years was principal
of the Lind public schools at Lind, which position he resigned in order to
qualify for the office he now holds. 
     Mr. Lansing has two brothers and four sisters: Dr. John W., in Ritzville, a
sketch of whose life is given elsewhere in this book; Henry S., a book-keeper of
Boyne City , Michigan; Margaret A., wife of Henry N.Cleveland, a farmer of
Clare, Michigan; Catharine, wife of Joseph DeGeer, also a Clare farmer; Anna, in
Michigan; and Minnie, a teacher at Hillyard, Washington.
     Socially, Mr. Lansing is a member of the Masonic lodge of Coopersville,
Michigan, and of Lind lodge, I. O. O. F., Lind, Washington.
     He is a man of many friends, and of pronounced ability as an educator. He
is an adherent to the principles of the Republican party, and although he has
for years been an active worker in the ranks of his party he has never
manifested greed for office.


Submitted by: Georgia Harter Williams, georgiahw@earthlink.net