Suffolk County Biographies
WILLIAM STEPHENS
submitted by Sherrill Stevens
YAKIMA, WASHINGTON
William Stevens, his wife Sophia and son Norman came to the
Yakima Valley about 1886 accompanied by his first cousin once
removed, * Mahlon Stevens. The reason for their move to
Washington is not known except that land was plentiful and
inexpensive.
The following is a biographical sketch of William Stevens printed
in "An Illustrated History of Klickitat, Yakima and Kittitas
Counties" Interstate Publishing Company, 1904. (With an
outline of the early history of the State
of Washington).
"Captain William Stevens, one of the leading farmers of the
Toppenish country, is a native of Suffolk County, New York, where
in the year 1836, he was born to the union of Halsey and
Elisabeth (Halleck) Stevens. The father was also a native of that
state, and died there in 1888. The mother, who died in 1898, was
a niece of General Halleck, and had two other uncles who served
with distinction in the Revolutionary War. The son, William, was
occupied with attending school, farming, and sailing on the
Atlantic coast until eighteen years old, when he settled in
Winona County, Minnesota, filing on government land. At the
outbreak of the Civil War he enlisted in Company B, Seventh
Minnesota Infantry, the date of his enlistment being August,
1862.
This regiment went to Fort Snelling before going south, and while stationed at that post was called upon to quell the Indians around Fort Ridgely and in Dakota. The Indians were captured, and thirty-nine were executed at Mankato. During the Civil War Mr. Stevens was in many battles, the last being that at Spanish Fort, Mobile, Alabama. He was mustered out at Minnehaha Falls, August, 1865, and immediately engaged in farming and stock raising in Bates County, Missouri, remaining in that section for twenty years. Upon his return from the war he was elected captain of a militia company, and this fact, together with the fact that when a young man he was captain of a boat, has conferred the title of captain upon him in private life.
In 1888 he came to
Yakima county, purchasing a farm near North Yakima(now Yakima),
and living a portion of the time in the city. The next twelve
years we find him engaged in raising alfalfa, melons, etc., and
breeding thoroughbred Plymouth Rock chickens. However, in 1900 he
left the Yakima valley and leased a quarter section of land two
miles and a quarter northwest of Toppenish, and on this place is
now living, engaged in general farming and breeding Plymouth Rock
chickens.**
Mr. Stevens was married in Missouri, 1867 to Sophia Requa,
daughter of Rev. William Requa, a Presbyterian missionary in
Missouri and Arkansas. He was of French descent; the mother of
scotch. The father died in 1895. Mrs Requa died five years
previously. Mrs. Stevens was born in Missouri and died in 1895 in
the city of North Yakima, leaving, besides her husband, one son,
Norman, to mourn their loss. The Captain is an enthusiastic
Republican, and is, of course, justly proud of his membership in
the Grand Army of the Republic. He is respected as a pioneer, a
veteran of the Civil and Indian wars, and a substantial citizen,
and is favorably known in his community.
This page was last updated February 3, 2004.