An Illustrated History of Klickitat, Yakima and Kittitas Counties, Interstate Publishing Co., Chicago, IL., 1904
ERNEST L. WELD is a comfortably situated rancher and stockman residing six miles south and one and a half miles west of Goldendale, Washington. He was born in La Salle county, Illinois, October 10, 1863, the son of Timothy and Samantha (Alvord) Weld, both of whom at present reside in Klickitat county. Timothy Weld is a stockman by vocation and a carpenter by avocation. He was born in Maine in 1828 and arrived in Klickitat county in 1881. During the first few years of his stay here he was engaged in the planing mill business, and later he worked as a contractor and builder. At present, however, he is devoting his attention to stock raising. Samantha (Alvord) Weld, who was born in Illinois in 1844, is still living. She is of German descent. Ernest L.'s parents moved from Illinois to Story county, Iowa, when he was five years old, and after residing eleven years at Ames in that county moved to Furnas county, Nebraska, where they settled at Arapahoe. Here the elder Weld followed contracting and building. Buffaloes were not yet extinct from this part of Nebraska, and the first influx of settlers was pouring into the country and breaking away the barriers which Nature is ever wont to place in the way of pioneers. The Weld family came to Klickitat county in 1881, Ernest accompanying. For a time he engaged with his brother Charles in the stock business, but after two years thus spent he moved to Sherman county, Oregon, where he took up land. Upon this he made his home till 1903; then he returned to Klickitat county and bought the farm which is his home at present.
In 1898 Mr. Weld married Miss Rose Venable, then a resident of Oregon. She was born in Willamette valley, Oregon, August 29, 1873, the daughter of Francis and Jane (Hubbard) Venable. Francis Venable was born in Illinois in 1825. He crossed the Plains to Oregon when twenty-four years of age, and after residing in that state for seven years engaged in farming and stock raising, came to Klickitat county, arriving in 1859. At this writing he is living and in good health for one of his age. Jane (Hubbard) Venable was born in Missouri, June 5, 1836. She is now residing in Sherman county, Oregon. Mr. Weld's brothers and sisters are Frank, Ray, Alice, Hattie, Bertha, and Charles, the last mentioned deceased. Mr. and Mrs. Weld have one child, Wayland, born July 11, 1903. Fraternally, Mr. and Mrs. Weld are associated with the Knights of Pythias and the Rathbone Sisters, respectively. Mr. Weld is a Republican and makes it a point to attend all caucuses and conventions of his county. He is a vigorous advocate of all measures to the betterment of educational facilities, and at present is discharging the duties of school director. By individual ownership and as a partner with his father and brother-in-law he is interested in nearly thirteen hundred acres of real estate, part of which is valuable pasture land. His herd of cattle at present numbers one hundred and forty head, mostly of the Durham breed.