Archives West Finding Aid

Clifford N. Harthill was born October 2, 1902 in Pine City, Washington, the fifth child and first son of William Paul and Anna Catherine (Kimm) Harthill, pioneer farmers of the Palouse region of eastern Washington. He attended elementary school in Pine City and in 1919 enrolled in the twelfth grade at Rosalia High School. In January, 1920, his father died and Clifford quit school to assume the responsibility of running the family farm. He later earned a high school diploma from Pine City High School in 1924.

In 1928 Clifford married Melva A. Schelly. Originally from Ritzville, Washington, she was a student at Cheney Normal School when the couple met. They had three children, William Paul, Wanda Arlene and Nola Joy (who died as an infant).

Throughout the years in Pine City, Clifford devoted most of his time to the labor and management of the family farm which was virtually a one-person operation. He oversaw seeding, harvesting and selling crops; purchased, operated and repaired the farm equipment and machinery; built and maintained the farm buildings; and managed finances. Crops included wheat, potatoes, barley, peas and lentils. He also raised cows, pigs and chickens, and tended a vegetable garden which provided much of the family's food. In the years before central heating became standard, Clifford also earned an income by selling and delivering cords of wood to area homes. He helped harvest and transport crops from other farms for additional wages.

Although farming was Clifford's primary occupation, he was also a successful musician and jeweler. He played the trumpet, violin, banjo, saxaphone and clarinet as a member of various bands which provided music for regional dances. Over the years his earnings as a musician substantially supplemented the volatile family farm income. A self-taught jeweler, Clifford also collected and repaired watches and clocks, and operated a small business out of his home. By 1961 he had become railway watch inspector and soon after he opened a retail business, Harthill Jewelry, and The Antique Clock Museum in Rosalia, Washington.

In 1965 Clifford and Melva retired from the family farm and purchased a home in Rosalia. The remaining years until his death in September, 1984, were devoted to his work as a jeweler.