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Transcribed from "An Illustrated History of The Big Bend Country, embracing Lincoln, Douglas, Adams and Franklin counties, State of Washington", published by Western Historical Publishing Co., 1904.

     WILLIAM W. NEARE, who is a prosperous farmer residing two miles northeast of Lind, was one of the first settlers in his locality. He came to this state and to his present location in 1889, filed on a homestead of a quarter-section of land and immediately engaged in farming and improving the same. The first year of his life here he harvested a bountiful crop, but during the succeeding six years his crops were almost failures. Conditions then changed, so that since that time he has prospered, and succeeded in acquiring more land until he now has three-fourths of a section all under cultivation and fenced. His farm is one of the best improved and most valuable ones in Adams county.
     William W. Neare was born in Cattaraugus county, New York, December 22, 1835, and is descended from two of the oldest Amercian families. His father and mother were Charles and Miranda (Nash) Neare, natives of New York. His father's father also was born in New York, and his wife's name was Cynthia Austin. They came to America early in the country's history, settled on the Mohawk river, in the state of New York, where they reared a family of six children, whose names, with dates of birth and death, respectively, were as follows : Charles, born 1812, died 1875; Betsy, 1815, 1883; Harriet, 1817, 1901; George, 1824, 1895; David, 1820, 1828, and John, 1835, 1853.
     Aaron Nash, our subject's mother's father, was killed during the War of 1812. Silas Nash, born June 14, 1762, died January 5, 1852, served in the Revolutionary War. Silas Nash, Jr., born August 23, 1784, died September 30, 1849, married Sally Bunce, and their daughter was the second white child ever born in Cattaraugus county. John Neare, grandfather of our subject, was born in 1786 and died in 1876.
     William W. Neare received a common school education, and at the age of nineteen left home to engage in work for himself. In 1857, he went to Minnesota but returned to his native state in less than a year and in 1861 was married to Lorinda Davis, daughter of Alva and Jerusha (Guil) Davis, both natives of Saratoga county, New York. Mrs. Neare's grandparents also were natives of the state of New York. Mrs. Neare was a member of a family of seven children, who, not including herself, were: Lewis, Lucinda, Norman, William, Marinda and Jane. To Mr. and Mrs. Neare have been born two children: Carl L., who reside in Adams county, and Burton J., a mail agent running between Seattle and Portland, whose home is in Tacoma.
     Immediately after his marriage, Mr. Neare engaged in farming in his native county, where he remained for twenty-five years, and in 1889 came to Washington.
     A stanch, though consistent, Democrat, Mr. Neare takes an active interest in the affairs of his party. He is also an enthusiast in educational matters, and was in 1889 a director of his district. He was one of the organizers of the Lind school, which was taught the first year by his son Burton before the son had attained his majority. Mr. Neare has been honored at different times by office and has at different places held the office of justice of the peace.

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