The History of the Yakima Valley, Washington, Comprising Yakima, Kittitas and
Benton Counties, The S.J. Clarke Publishing Co., 1919, Volume II, page 796
A portrait of Benjamin F. Young appears in this publication.
 

BENJAMIN FRANKLIN YOUNG.

Benjamin Franklin Young is concentrating his efforts and attention upon fruit
raising, which he successfully follows in Yakima. He was born in Salem,
Wisconsin, May 13, 1870, a son of Lucius and Maria (Lewis) Young. The mother
passed away in the year 1877, while still residing in Wisconsin, after which the
father removed to Tennessee, where his death occurred. His entire life was
devoted to agricultural pursuits.

Benjamin F. Young pursued a public school education and then took up the
occupation to which he had been reared. He followed farming until 1897, when he
became connected with the hardware trade at Colfax, Illinois, and was thus
engaged until 1903. In that year he arrived in the Yakima valley, removing to
the northwest on account of ill health. At first he did not like the valley, for
conditions were so different from those to which he had become accustomed in the
middle west. After a time, however, he recognized opportunities and he has
become an enthusiastic and zealous champion of this section of the country. He
received a gift of ten acres of land near Yakima from relatives and began the
development and improvement of the place, which is today all planted to orchard,
including pears, apples, cherries and peaches. Mr. Young was also engaged in the
concrete block business in Yakima for a period of twelve years, but has recently
traded his business there for six acres more of fruit land and now has sixteen
acres in all, upon which he has built a fine home and placed other excellent and
modern improvements. He is deeply interested in the subject of fruit raising and
does everything in his power to promote scientific work of that character. He is
a member of the Yakima County Horticultural Union and cooperates heartily in any
movement for the benefit of the horticultural interests of the state.

On the 2d of October, 1891, Mr. Young was united in marriage to Miss Mary H.
Howard, of Kalkaska, Michigan, and they have become parents of five children:
Edgar, who is now engaged in the fruit business and is married and has two
children; Ellen Marie, at home; Elgie Franklin, who is a member of the United
States navy; and Eldora Frances and Howard, both at home.

Mr. Young is a member of Yakima Lodge No. 24, F. & A. M., also of the Christian
church and in politics is a prohibitionist. His aid and influence are always
given on the side of those forces which work for mental and moral culture and
which pertain to progress of the community along that line.

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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.