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Research Notes: Retype of the article detailing the life of Benard Hanson from: An Illustrated History of Klickitat, Yakima and Kittitas Counties: with an outline of the early history of the State of Washington. Interstate Publishing Company, 1904, pp. 863-4. This article has many factual errors concerning dates, family names, etc., and is shown here to relate that Ben was uncomfortable providing personal information to strangers, officials or otherwise. In these days of identity theft, Ben might be seen as ahead of his time.

BENARD HANSON, born in Norway, October 10, 1844, is now a farmer residing on an extensive tract of land near Ellensburg. His father, Charley Hanson, a farmer, lived and died in Norway, the country of his birth. Our subject’s mother was Bertha (Beran) Hanson, also born in Norway. Benard Hanson left home at the tender age of eight and worked for his board and clothing until fourteen, when he adopted the life of a sailor. He followed the sea, covering the greater part of the globe until October 5, 1867, when he landed at San Francisco, and went to work in the state of California. He remained there for ten years, then came to the Kittitas Valley and worked among the mills thereabouts for five years. In the meantime, he had filed a timber claim, and later purchased 437 acres of railroad land. On this tract he made his present home. He has his land in a high state of cultivation, a select orchard, forty acres of alfalfa and twenty-five acres of timothy. The remainder of his land is in grain and native grass. His brothers and sisters are: Hans, Ole, John, Bardtnet, Brendier and Agnes. All were born in Norway and are still living in that country. Besides these, two brothers, Charles and Jacob, are dead.

Mr. Hanson was married in the Kittitas valley, December 25, 1882, to Miss Sophia Bell Jones, born in California, November 29, 1865. Her early girlhood was spent in school in her native state, when at the age of thirteen, she came to the Kittitas valley with her parents, where she finished her education. At the age of eighteen, she was married to Mr. Hanson. Her father is John B. and her mother, Martha L. (Brown) Jones; the former born in Kentucky and the later in Illinois. Mr. Jones was born in 1838, was a farmer and came to the state in 1877. He is now living on Wilson creek, five miles from Ellensburg. Mrs. Jones crossed the Plains to California in an early day. Her father was a Canadian and lived in California for a number of years. Mrs. Hanson’s brothers

and sisters are: Mary F. Coble, California, born in 1864; Mattie R. Waycott, born in 1867, now of Washington; Narcissus Needham, born in California in 1870, now of Washington; Johnie, born California in 1872, living in Washington; Henrietta Washburn, born in Washington in 1878 and still a resident of Washington; Walter, born in Washington in 1882, living on Wilson creek, and Alpha Fetters, born in Washington in 1884, and still living in the state. The children born to Mr. and Mrs. Hanson are: Bertha Taylor, born in Kittitas county, 1883, now living in the valley; John Henry, Kittitas county, 1886, at home; Martha E., Kittitas county, 1888; at home; Jacob W., Washington, 1891, at home; Mary F., Kittitas county, 1893, at home; Ora Bell Hanson, Kittitas county, 1895, at home; Charles Richard, Kittitas county, 1897, at home; Narcissa, Kittitas county, 1899, at home; and Theodore R., born in Kittitas valley, 1902, and now living with his parents. Mr. Hanson is a Republican, and both he and his wife are members of the Lutheran church. He has a good farm and a large number of cattle, horses, and hogs. He is well-to-do and a good citizen held in high esteem by his neighbors.

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