Lyman, Professor W. D. "An Illustrated History of Walla Walla County, State of Washington." W.H. Lever, Publisher; 1901. p. 356. DR. Y. C. BLALOCK Physician and surgeon in the Rees-Winans building, was born in Mitchell county, North Carolina, August 3, 1859. He was early taken by his parents to central Illinois, where he resided until 1873, attending the public schools. He then started across the plains to Walla Walla, driving a four-mule team all the way from Macon county, Illinois. For a number of years after his arrival he worked on his father's farm during the summer months, attending school in winter, and at last, by dint of hard, patient effort in the face of difficulties which would have overwhelmed a less resolute man, he prepared himself for entrance to Jefferson Medical College. Immediately after graduation Dr. Blalock began practice in Walla Walla, opening as office on April 1, 1884. Since that date he has devoted his energies assiduously to his profession, building up a large practice, and attaining a high standing among his fellow practitioners. At present he holds the office of county coroner, and for four terms he was health officer of the city. His interest in the welfare of Walla Walla is manifested in many ways, but finds more particular expression in his activity in connection with the Volunteer fire department, of which he has served as chief for six years. The Doctor is very active in politics. In 1898 he was elected chairman of the Republican County Central Committee, and in the present year he was again chosen to fill that office. In fraternal circles the Doctor is intensely active. He has held many high officers in the Masonic order, both in the grand and subordinate lodges, and is also very prominent in the K. of P., and a member of the I.O.O.F. He was married, in April, 1883, in Walla Walla, to Julia Sanderson, a native of that city, who died in October, 1885, leaving one son, Jesse N. In 1890 he again married, the lady being Lillian Ballou, who resided just across the Oregon line from Walla Walla, and to this marriage was born one daughter, Phoebe I. Page 261: County Fruit Fair, 4th, held about 1897; Miss Rose Blalock was chosen (goddess) as a direct compliment to the Hon. N.G. Blalock, her father, the pioneer orchardist of Washington. Page 116-118: 1888 elected coroner, Y. C. Blalock 1898 elected coroner, Y. C. Blalock "In the constitutional convention which was summoned to meet in 1890 for the purpose of framing a constitution for the new state, ...Dr. N. G. Blalock represented Walla Walla." Page 152: "Probably the greatest "eye-opener" to the people of Walla Walla as to the latent resources of their section and the greatest influence inaugurating wheat raising on a large scale here was the bold undertaking of Dr. N. G. Blalock on the tract of land known as the "Blalock Ranch," now owned mainly by George Delaney, six miles south of Walla Walla. Dr. Blalock has been a pioneer in a number of the most important enterprises in Walla Walla, and not the least of his great services to this country and his inauguration of wheat raising on an extensive scale. Coming to Walla Walla in 1872 and soon being actively engaged in medical practice he was keenly alive to the industrial possibilities of the country around him. It was not at that time generally believed that wheat raising would among to much at any great distance from the water courses. Dr. Blalock bargained for two thousand, two hundred acres of land, at a price of ten bushels of wheat per acre. After having gotten it into cultivation he received a yield of thirty-one bushels to the acre, a sufficient demonstration of the producing qualities of this land. In 1881 Dr. Blalock's ranch yielded an average of thirty-five and one-fourth bushels per acre on the entire tract of two thousand, two hundred acres. One body of one thousand acres yielded fifty-one thousand bushels, probably the largest wheat crop ever produced on an equal area in the United States." Page 155: "Among many men whose energy and industry laid the foundation of the fruit industry as at the present developing, may be especially named: Dr. N. G. Blalock....Dr. Blalock began the development of his magnificent fruit ranch in 1885. The place originally contained an entire section of land. A donation of forty acres on the east end was made to the Walla Walla College, and around that quite a village has grown up. Of the remainder, the western part is still comparatively undeveloped. The major portion of the place, some four hundred acres, now contains about sixty thousand trees, of which half are prunes, a fourth apples, and the remainder pears, cherries, plums, peaches, nectarines, and apricots. Among other great public enterprises undertaken by Dr. Blalock in connection with his fruit ranch is his contract to receive and dispose of the sewage from the city of Walla Walla. This is worthy of special note, both as being an interesting experiment in land enrichment, also as being historically connected with this great step in the progress of the city by the inauguration in 1900 of a sanitary and scientific method of sewerage. "In connection with Dr. Blalock's undertakings it is fitting to mention here his vast enterprise on Blalock's Island, in the Columbia. There he has sixteen thousand acres which he proposes to put into trees. Ten thousand trees are already out. The soil and climate are especially well adapted to peaches and apricots. The season there is so early that trees blossom in February, and yet on account of the proximity of the river and the constant movement of the air, there has never been a destructive frost." Page 157: "The Walla Walla Produce Company shipped in 1900 about fifty thousand boxes of apples. The Blalock Company, which handle only their own fruit, shipped in 1900 about five tons of prunes, two hundred tons of apples, and one hundred tons of mixed fruits." "This review of the fruit and garden industry of Walla Walla would be incomplete without reference to the fruit fairs which have now become an established feature of the autumn's enterprises. There have now been six of these fairs under various auspices, the first one being held at the court house in connection with the meeting of the fruit-growers association, of which Dr. Blalock was then president." Page 178: (public schools) "District No. 1 is now organized under the new system of cities of the second class. This provides for five directors. These five directors are at present N. G. Blalock,...." Page 196: 1888 Health officer, Dr. Y.C. Blalock 1889 Mayor, Dr. N.G. Blalock; health officer, Y.C. Blalock 1890 Mayor N.G. Blalock; health officer, Y.C. Blalock 1891 Health officer, Y.C. Blalock Page 203-204: The Cumberland Presbyterian Church; The officers of the church at the present time are as follows:....Dr. N.G. Blalock..... Page 209: Walla Walla Chapter, No. 1, R.A.M., a chapter of the Royal Arch Masons....present officers are.....Y.C. Blalock, principal sojourner... Page 209: Washington Commandery, No. 1, K.T., commandary of Knights Templar...present officers.... Y.C. Blalock, secretary...... Page 217: Young Men's Institute; Dr. Y.C. Blalock, medical examiner Page 224: The Walla Walla Club, Dr. Y.C. Blalock, member of the governing committee Page 266: volunteer fire force, under the direction of chief Dr. Y.C. Blalock "The Story of Early Days in the Big Bend Country," as told by William S. Lewis W.D. Allen, Publisher; Spokane, Wash.; 1926 Page 19; Among the Pioneers "In 1879 and 1880 the occasional lonely homestead cabins or shanties (12 by 14 by 16) of the first "bunch grass" farmers were four to five miles apart. Colfax and Walla Walla were the nearest trading points. Among the first "bunch grass farmers" in the southern Big Ben and Rock Creek country were:...Yancey Blalock....." * * * * Submitted to the WA. Bios Project in July 2006 by Diana Smith. Notice: These biographies were transcribed for the Washington Biographies Project. Unless otherwise stated, no further information is available on the individual featured in the biographies.