The History of the Yakima Valley, Washington, Comprising Yakima, Kittitas and Benton Counties, The S.J. Clarke Publishing Co., 1919, Volume II, page 515 THOMAS B. ZIMMERMAN. Thomas B. Zimmerman has for more than a decade resided in the Yakima valley. He comes to the northwest from Illinois, his birth having occurred in Jackson county, that state, on the 25th of April, 1879, his parents being William and Louise (Freed) Zimmerman, who were pioneers of that state. They were born in Pennsylvania but removed to the Mississippi valley during the early epoch of its development. They were farming people of Illinois and both spent their retraining days in that state. Thomas B. Zimmerman pursued his education in the public schools and assisted his father in the work of the home farm until he reached the age of twenty-one years. He then devoted a year to the study of electricity in the Highland Park College at Des Moines, Iowa, after which he purchased an interest in the Illinois Engineering & Machine Company at Carterville, Illinois. He remained a director and the treasurer of that company for a period of five years, but the opportunities of the growing northwest attracted him and in April, 1908, he came across the country to Yakima county, Washington. He worked for wages at the carpenter's trade in Yakima for five years and then invested his savings in 1913 in twenty acres of land in the Cowiche valley. He built a house and barns upon the place and began the active work of its further development and improvement. The land is now devoted to the raising of hay, grain and potatoes and he annually harvests good crops. He is also the owner of a hay baler, which he operates throughout the valley. On the 16th of March, 1907, Mr. Zimmerman was united in marriage to Miss Lillian B. Bandy, who was born in Williams county, Illinois, a daughter of B. P. and Elizabeth (Epperson) Bandy, who came to Yakima county in 1909 and now reside in the city of Yakima. Mr. and Mrs. Zimmerman have become the parents of four children: Charlotte Marie, deceased; Louise Elizabeth; Robert; and Billy. In exercising his right of franchise Mr. Zimmerman considers the capability of the candidate rather than his party ties. In other words he casts an independent ballot. Both he and his wife are members of the Christian church and are people of sterling worth, enjoying the high regard, confidence and good will of all who know them. ******************************** Submitted to the Washington Bios Project in December 2007 by Jeffrey L. Elmer. Submitter has no additional information about the subject of this article.