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The Klickitat County Agriculturist, Goldendale, WA., February 23, 1934, page 1

WARD, HARNESS MERCHANT HERE SINCE '79

W.H. Ward, pioneer harness shop merchant of Goldendale, last week celebrated his 84th birthday. He came across the plains in an ox-drawn cart when but 3 months old, settling in California, where he later learned that harnessmaking trade.
In 1879 Mr. Ward moved to Goldendale and took over a harness shop established by Albert Johnson and succeeded by E.P. Ward, (a cousin), and Sigmund Brown. In 1888 he lost his shop and home by fire. When he rebuilt he erected one of the first brick buildings in Goldendale, where he still does business.
In talking over old times he tells stories of a hard times for business in Goldendale much worse than the present depression. One year the farmers in Klickitat county lost their crops of wheat on account of continuous rainfall during the threshing season and farmers in the county were unable to pay the business men the amounts they owed. As most of the business transacted was on a credit basis, business men were hard pressed to keep their credit with wholesale houses good. Ward paid some of his obligations a few dollars at a time and he at present has a note for several thousand dollars with the small indorsements recorded on the back. Some of them were as small as $1.
W.H. Ward became a member of the Goldendale lodge No. 31, A. F. & A.M., in November, 1886, and has held an office in the local lodge continuously every since - 48 years. He was first elected secretary immediately after becoming a member. He acted as secretary for three years; was senior warden 2 years; held office of worshipful master for one year; in 1892 he was elected treasurer, and has held that office continuously ever since. He is also a member of the Royal Arch chapter No. 36, Goldendale.

The Klickitat County Agriculturist, Goldendale, WA., November 25, 1927, page 1

W.H. WARD, PIONEER MERCHANT OF THE KLICKITAT VALLEY

W.H. Ward, pioneer harness merchant of the Klickitat valley, and the only one of the early-day Goldendale tradesmen still in business here and known to all old-timers as "Bill," has held an office in the local Masonic lodge continuously for 41 years, says the Oregonian, in an interesting article in Sunday's issue.
Mr. Ward is a Missourian, having been born in St. Louis in 1850, and a few months afterward his parents moved to southern California. After serving an apprenticeship and becoming a journeyman harness maker and saddler, he decided to come to Goldendale, which was in 1879, and started a harness and saddle shop here.
During his early business career in Goldendale Mr. Ward had to endure hardships and privations on the same basis as the pioneer homesteaders.
The veteran harness maker says that during the first winter he put in at Goldendale he did not have money enough to buy a bed and he spread blankets he had brought with him on the floor of the workroom in his shop. The thermometer dropped that winter to 30 below zero, making it necessary for him to get up and build a fire to keep warm.
As Klickitat developed his business grew, but he had a narrow escape from financial disaster in 1894, when the largest wheat crop ever harvested here was rendered valueless for commercial purposes by the continued rains, that started at threshing time, and continued for weeks.
Business in those days, said Mr. Ward, was conducted entirely on a credit basis, and when the farmers were unable to pay their bills, Mr. Ward faced financial ruin, as he was indebted to Portland and San Francisco houses in sums that were impossible for him to meet.
Pioneer business men were resourceful, and Ward did not give up, but made arrangements with his creditors to pay off the obligations as rapidly as possible. So he has to-day a souvenir promissory note for several thousand dollars given to a San Francisco house, with strips of paper attached to it several feet long of payments of $1 up, until he got the note paid off.
None of the payments on this note, however, exceeded $5, but were mostly in sums of $1, $2, 2.50, $3 and $4. After he recovered from this setback and the Klickitat country became a pros-… wheat growing belt he also prospered with the farmers.
To-day Mr. Ward has the only harness and saddle shop in Goldendale, and which contains some of the original articles that he had in stock when he established in business 48 years ago. Once in a while, he says, he has a call for some of the accessories that were used in early days, in connection with harness or saddles.
Mr. Ward to-day does not keep his store open on regular business hours at all times, and occasionally when anybody wants him they go to his house. He still follows, he says, the pioneer custom of going to his store at any time during the day or night.
Mr. Ward became a member of the Goldendale Masonic lodge in 1886, and has held an office in this lodge continuously ever since that day. He was first elected secretary, after becoming a member. Acted as secretary 3 years; was then senior warden for two years; and then held the office of worshipful master for one year. In 1892 he was elected treasurer and has held this office from that date. At the last election held by the local lodge he was installed for the 40th consecutive time as treasurer. He is also a member of the Royal Arch chapter of this city.