The History of the Yakima Valley, Washington, Comprising Yakima, Kittitas and
Benton Counties, The S.J. Clarke Publishing Co., 1919, Volume II, page 1049 

JAMES WOLCOTT.

James Wolcott, of Cle Elum, master mechanic for the Independent Coal & Coke
Company, was born in Flint, Michigan, December 10, 1866, a son of James and
Margaret (Gillespie) Wolcott. The father was born in Orleans county, New York,
while the mother's birth occurred in Ireland. They went to Michigan in 1837,
traveling across the country with ox team and casting in their lot with the
pioneer settlers of that region. They aided in reclaiming the wild district for
the purposes of civilization and lived to see remarkable changes as the years
passed on. The mother died at the birth of her son James, but the father
survived to old age, passing away in 1918, after reaching the eighty-fourth
milestone on life's journey.

James Wolcott obtained a high school education in his native city and afterward
took up railway work in the engineering department of the Pere Marquette
Railroad. He advanced until he was made engineer and remained with the road
until 1893, when he entered the employ of Belding Brothers at Belding, Michigan.
He represented that firm as master mechanic for fourteen years and in 1906 he
made his way to the Pacific coast. Settling first at Baker City, Oregon, he was
there employed in railway work as shop foreman and later removed to Portland and
afterward to Tacoma and Seattle, where he started work for the Heffernan Engine
Works, with which he was connected until January, 1909. He then went to
Beekman, Washington, and installed the machinery for the Roslyn Fuel Company,
with which he continued for five years as master mechanic. Later he was again at
Seattle, and on the 1st of May, 1916, he arrived in Cle Elum as master mechanic
for the Independent Coal & Coke Company. which responsible position he is now
filling.

On the 21st of November, 1891, Mr. Wolcott was united in marriage to Miss
Fischer, who was born in Saginaw, Michigan, a daughter of Frederick Fischer. Mr.
Wolcott belongs to the Knights of Pythias and to the Masonic fraternity and in
his life exemplifies the beneficent spirit upon which these orders are based.
His political endorsement is given to the republican party at national elections
but he casts an independent local ballot. He has made steady advancement in his
business career since starting out along mechanical lines and has developed
superior ability as a mechanical engineer.

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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.