Transcribed from "An Illustrated History of The Big Bend Country, embracing Lincoln, Douglas, Adams and Franklin counties, State of Washington",  published by Western Historical Publishing Co., 1904.

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     JAMES F. WEST is a prominent young farmer residing nine miles northeast of Washtucna.  He is a native of Clay county, Missouri, where he lived until coming to Washington with his parents at the age of twelve years.  He attended school to a limited extent in his native state, and continued his education after coming here until he attained a fair common school education. When eighteen years old he engaged in farm work in the employ of his uncle, James Kennedy, a sketch of whose life appears elsewhere in this volume, and remained thus engaged until 1900, when he was married and settled on the farm where he now lives.  He filed on his land as a homestead, and has since come in possession of three hundred acres in addition upon which he raises some stock but his principal income is derived from his wheat crop, of which he raises as high as six thousand bushels year.
     Mrs. West, in maiden life, was Mary P. Dempsey, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. C. Dempsey.  Her mother is now dead, and her father is residing in British Columbia.
     Mr. West was born on October 16, 1874, the son of Madison and Bettie (Kennedy) West, natives of Kentucky.  The parents came to Missouri early in life, and there the father died in 1886.  Upon the death of her husband, the mother came to Washington and located in Adams county, where she is now living, aged sixty-four.
     Mr. West has two sisters, Mattie L., and Annie.  He also has two sons, Charles M. and James F.  In political opinion, he is a Democrat and takes an active interest in the affairs of his party.