youngbros
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.
YOUNG BROTHERS is the style of
a mercantile house in Stratford. The members of the firm are Louis
C. and Jacob T. Young. They were the promoters of Stratford and own
the only general merchandise store in the place. They carry a complete
stock of goods wisely selected for the needs of the people of this section
and also handle implements and other goods. While they are pioneers
of this county they have not been long in this line of business which now
occupies them, still they have already a fine patronage and are to be numbered
with the leading merchants of the southern part of Douglas
county.
Jacob T. Young was born in Winneshiek county,
Iowa, on June 4, 1861, while Louis C. Young was born in the same county
on July 4, 1867. Their parents are Charles F. and Margaret (Gezell)
Young, natives of Germany and Pennsylvania, respectively. The mother
died in Iowa. The father came to the United States when young and
settled as one of the pioneers of Iowa. His death occurred at Hartline.
The brothers were educated in the common schools of their native county
and when 1881 came, they went on to Nebraska, where they traveled about
and worked on the railroads. The next year they made their way to
Idaho and in 1883, they came to Washington. They first made settlement
in the California community, nine miles north from where Hartline now stands.
In 1887, they settled in the Grand Coulee at the head of Blue Lake, in
the section known as the "Park." They soon established a cattle ranch
and improved the place in good shape. They stocked the lake with
fish and made their place both valuable and attractive. Here they
raised stock until June 19, 1902, when they sold the entire property to
James H. Smith, the present owner. The following September, the Young
Brothers opened a general merchandise store in Stratford, having previously
purchased the land here and laid out a townsite. They have built
up the place and are enterprising and public minded business men.
Our subjects have the following brothers and
sisters, Phillip J., Charles W., Adolph H., William H., Mrs. Caroline Blumerader,
Mrs. Louisa Henning, Mrs. Christian Hess, and Mrs. Kate Rudolph.
The marriage of Jacob T. Young and Miss Violet
E. Shaw occurred at Waterville, in 1899 and to them two children have been
born: Charles F., at the Park, on June 22, 1900; and Merrill M., at Stratford,
on March 9, 1903. Mrs. Violet Young was born in Wisconsin, in 1872.
At Coulee City, in 1897, Mr. Louis C. Young married Miss Jessie McClellan,
the daughter of William and Lucy McClellan, natives of Iowa, where
also Mrs. Young was born. To this union two children have been born,
Violet M., at the Park, on May 22, 1898, and Vernie E., also at the Park,
June 21, 1900. The Lutheran church appeals more strongly in its tenets
and doctrines to our subjects, although they do not belong to any denomination.
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