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


     WILLIAM T. RAREY.  The gentleman whose name initiates this article, one of the prominent residents of Wenatchee, Chelan county, is a nephew of the eminent horse tamer, whose reputation was world-wide thirty years ago, J. S. Rarey.  At present he is manager of the W. T. Rarey & Company's mercantile enterprise, at Wenatchee.
     He was born at Lafayette, Indiana, May 27, 1866.  His father, Charles W., was a farmer.  He died near Lafayette in 1878.  His mother, Sarah E. (Beaver) Rarey, was a native of Pennsylvania, of Dutch ancestry.  William T. Rarey was reared and educated in Lafayette, attending the public schools, and graduating from the Robinson business college, in that city.  In 1887 he removed to Texas where he represented a large wire and iron manufacturing company, making his headquarters at Dallas.  Following a short stay in San Francisco, California,  he went to Tacoma and from there to Fresno, California, where for a year he conducted the Tombs House.  Thence he went to Whatcom, Washington, where for a year he was in the offices of the Union Pacific railroad company.  In August, 1890, he came to Wenatchee, and at first worked in the general merchandise store of W. E. Stevens.  In January, 1900, he was in charge of the Leavenworth branch of the Wenatchee Mercantile Company's business, where he had been during eight years past.  It was at that period that he began working for the present house, which was then known as Baker & Hiatt's, later as Baker & Bethel, as general manager.  On February 1, 1903, the firm was incorporated as the W. T. Rarey Company, and they took over the business of Baker & Bethel.  The new company carries twenty thousand dollars worth of stock, owns a two-story and basement business building, fifty-five by eighty feet, located on Wenatchee avenue, and valued at fifteen thousand dollars.  E. D. Scheble is president, J. R. Lanham, vice-president, and William T. Rarey, secretary and general manager.
     Our subject has two brothers, John F. and Charles W., and two sisters, Annie, wife of William Labaree, Colorado, and Sadie, an artist in Chicago, and unmarried.
     In December, 1893, Miss Patsey Briskey became the wife of our subject, the marriage taking place at Mission, Washington.  She is a native of Alabama, as were her parents.  She has one brother, Henry, and three sisters, Carrie, Belle, and Mary.  Mrs. and Mrs. Rarey have one boy, Jack, aged seven years.  Mr. Rarey is a member of the Elks and the Eagles, one of the leading citizens of Wenatchee, popular and influential.