Messerlya  
 
 

Transcribed from "History of North Washington, an illustrated history of Stevens, Ferry, Okanogan and Chelan counties", published by Western Historical Publishing Co., 1904.

     ALPHEUS MESSERLY, an enterprising and successful fruit-grower and nurseryman, and member of the Wenatchee Nursery Company, is a resident of Wenatchee, Chelan county.  He was born near Ellensburg, Kittitas county, Washington, November 2, 1877.  His father, Elias, a sketch of whom appears elsewhere in this work, is a native of Ohio; his parents of Switzerland.  The mother, Elizabeth (Switzer) Messerly, was also born in Switzerland, married in Ohio, and now resides at Greenville, Ohio, at the age of eighty-seven years.
     Alpheus, our subject, passed his boyhood's days at Ellensburg, and until the age of fifteen years attended the public schools in his neighborhood, and the graded schools at Wenatchee.  For nearly ten years he rode the range, while engaged in the stock business with his father.  In 1899 he purchased ten acres of land from Jacob Miller, which is now devoted solely to nursery purposes.  The members of the Wenatchee Nursery Company comprise his father, Edward Dennis, and himself.  Their business is constantly increasing, and, although it was exploited on a small scale at its inception, the company now has two hundred thousand trees, and the business is worth two hundred thousand dollars.  Particular attention is given to quality of stock, and the nursery bids fair to become one of the most noted in the state of Washington.  Mr. Messerly is, individually, interested in stock-raising, and usually owns seventy-five head of cattle and horses, which he breeds and sells.
     January 22, 1902, our subject was married to Laura Dennis, born in Spokane county.  The ceremony was performed at Wenatchee.  Her father is a native of New York state, and now resides at Ellensburg.  He was a pioneer of Kittitas county.  Her mother.  Matilda (Bartlett) Dennis, resides with her family in Kittitas county.  Mrs. Messerly has three brothers and four sisters, Edward, Jesse and Harry, and Mary, wife of Benjamin Shelton, Olive, wife of William Joyce, and Jennie and Lena.  One child has been born to Mr. and Mrs. Messerly, Edward, aged eight months.  Our subject is a member of the K. of T. M., and the Brotherhood of America, of which he is treasurer.  He is a Republican, but not a partisan politician.