Simonsw
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 FRANKLIN SIMONS resides
about three miles north from Creston and has the distinction of being one
of the very first settlers in what is now Lincoln county. He has
a very comfortable home, nice estate, good improvements and by his thrift
and business ability has accumulated a good competence.
William F. Simons was born in Pennsylvania,
on April 11, 1855. His parents, William and Eliza J. (Brown) Simons,
were natives respectively, of New York and Pennsylvania and devoted their
lives to agriculture. The father moved to Pennsylvania when a young
man. When our subject was fifteen years of age, the family came on
to Nebraska and there he followed the occupation which he had begun in
his native state. After that he began work on the farm as a laborer
and in 1875 went to Iowa where he worked for two years. It was 1877
when he took a journey to California and soon learned the business of pilot
and afterward worked in a sawmill. In 1879, we find Mr. Simons in
Oregon and the following spring, which was 1880, he came to his present
place, taking a homestead which is a portion of his farm today. He
has four hundred and eighty acres in this farm and the same is well laid
out and devoted to the production of the cereals.
In 1890, Mr. Simons married Mary C. Spencer,
who was born in Missouri, on July 18, 1866. Her parents were Joseph
and Margaret (Brasshears) Jump. By her former marriage, Mrs. Simons
has three children, Walter W., Harold, Charles F., and James J. Spencer.
To Mr. and Mrs. Simons, eight children have been born, named as follows;
Minnie M., Amy B., Gilbert L., Mary N., Alva R., Elsie Ellen, Dollie, and
Joseph William.
Mr. Simons is a member of the I. O. O. F.
He is a man who stands exceptionally well in the community. It is
interesting to note that when Mr. Simons landed here an invoice of his
possessions showed him to have but five dollars in cash, a horse and a
set of harness. At that time the cash was a great plenty as there
was no place to spend it. But it speaks well of Mr. Simons' ability
that he commenced without any capital and has come to be one of the wealthy
farmers of central Washington. In early days he used to travel to
Deep creek for his mail and during the summer would make pilgrimages to
settled portions of the state to earn funds to buy provisions with.
Continuing in this way and improving his farm between times he has made
an enviable showing which has given him a good competence.
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