Munsonw

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

     WILLARD K. MUNSON is one of the younger men of enterprise who have assisted materially to make Okanogan county one of the leading political divisions of the state of Washington. He has labored here with great zeal and wisdom for a decade and a half and is now one of the prominent stock men of the county. The home place is about seven miles north of Malott postoffice, in Spring coulee, and is one of the choicest ranches of the entire county. It is very fine bottom land and has been improved with skill.
     Willard K. Munson was born in Inyo county, California, on February 4, 1872. His father, Stephen Munson, was born in the state of Maine and came around Cape Horn in the sixties. He settled first in Sacramento county and there married Miss Ursula Day, also a native of Maine. She had come west by the same route as her husband. Soon after the marriage they removed to Inyo county and in 1884 they came by wagon to Umatilla county, Oregon. Two years later, another move was made to Ellensburg, Washington, and in 1887, the settled on the place where our subject now lives. The father remained there until his death in 1889, being then sixty years of age. The mother died in 1895, at the home place, aged fifty. To this worthy couple seven children were born, six of whom were natives of California. The other one was born in Umatilla county, Oregon. They are named as follows: Mrs. Olive Hilton, of Creston, Washington; Mrs. Anna Walters, of Dawson, Alaska; Willard K., who is the subject of this article; Mrs. Cora Gamble, of Brewster; Byron and Myron, twins, the former dwelling in Silver, this county, and the latter married to Jessie Carlton and also living in this county; Lewis G., living with our subject. Willard K. engaged in the stock business soon after coming to this county and when the parents died he proved up on the place for the heirs. He has a large interest in the estate and has a fine band of cattle, besides various other properties. The farm is well fenced, irrigated and improved, having a five room residence, large barn, three acres of orchard, and various other accessories. The land is devoted largely to hay, both alfalfa and timothy. When our subject first came to this country, there were scarcely any residents and they had great difficulty in getting from place to place. Mail had to be transferred from Ellensburg and letters cost ten cents apiece in addition to postage. The country abounded in game and that was a great blessing to pioneers. Our subject states that he has frequently seen droves of deer, often as large as fifty in a band. He had very limited means when locating here but is now a prosperous citizen.
     On March 29, 1901, Mr. Munson married Miss Winetta Thodes. They are esteemed and respected people and have manifested progressiveness and uprightness in their walk.