The History of the Yakima Valley, Washington, Comprising Yakima, Kittitas and
Benton Counties, The S.J. Clarke Publishing Co., 1919, Volume II, page 977 

O. K. CONANT.

O. K. Conant, widely known as the efficient secretary and treasurer of the
Yakima County Horticultural Union, his cooperation being considered a most
valuable factor in promoting the interests of the organization, was born in
Plainfield, Illinois, in 1868, a son of A. E. and Elizabeth (Filbrook) Conant,
both of whom were natives of Maine. They removed to Illinois in 1833 and there
the father devoted his life to the occupation of farming, but both he and his
wife have now passed away.

O. K. Conant supplemented a public school education by attendance at Valparaiso
University of Indiana and the University of Wooster, of Wooster, Ohio, and
through the period of his later youth and early manhood he followed farming in
Illinois. He was thus identified with its agricultural interests until 1906,
when he trade his way to the Yakima valley and purchased seventy-two acres of
land four miles west of the city of Yakima. He still has sixty-five acres of
that tract, of which fifty acres is planted to fruit, including apples and
pears. He makes his home thereon and is situated in the midst of most attractive
and pleasant surroundings. He became secretary and treasurer of the Yakima
County Horticultural Union and in order to prosecute his duties in that
connection he drives into Yakima each day. The Union was formed to promote and
protect the shipping and other interests of the horticulturists of the valley,
to encourage fruit raising and to direct and manage the sale of fruit. The
business has been thoroughly systematized and splendidly developed and as one of
the executives of the Union Mr. Conant is taking a very active and helpful part
in formulating and prosecuting its plans. He is widely recognized as a man of
notable sagacity and progressiveness, nor does he stop short of the successful
fulfillment of any plan which he makes.

In 1899 Mr. Conant was married to Miss Bessie Flagg, of Plainfield, Illinois,
and they have two adopted children, Ralph and Neal. The religious faith of the
family is that of the Presbyterian church and the political belief of Mr. Conant
is that of the republican party. His activities, however, are mostly
concentrated upon his important business affairs and in addition to his other
interests he is a director of the Yakima Valley Canal Company. He is justly
proud of the Union and what has been accomplished in that direction. He early
recognized the value of concerted effort in promoting the interests of
horticulturists and his work for the Union has been far-reaching, effective and
valuable.

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Submitted to the Washington Bios Project in January 2008 by Jeffrey L. Elmer.
Submitter has no additional information about the subject of this article.