Yakima, Washington - An Illustrated History of Klickitat, Yakima and Kittitas Counties; Wit

An Illustrated History of Klickitat, Yakima and Kittitas Counties; Wit

The early history of Yakima City, the first town to be established in the Yakima country, is so intimately interwoven with the general history of Yakima county that it has been treated of in that connection. To tell again the story of the founding of this business center, to trace its growth from a mere hamlet to a thriving county seat of nearly two thousand population, to describe the numerous stirring events of which it was the scene, to detail the interesting story- of its struggle against the rise of North Yakima, its loss of the county seat to the rival town and its subsequent decline for many years, would be useless repetition. Yakima City has experienced its share of the vicissitudes of fickle fortune, but today its people rejoice in the stability and prosperity of their town and are firm in their belief that a bright future is before them.

Yakima City is situated on the western bank of the Yakima river, four miles south of North Yakima, on the line of the Northern Pacific Railway. Its location is both pleasing and convenient. The presence of an abundance of shade trees and other foliage and the fine view of the river and the surrounding country give their charm to the place. Two passenger trains stop daily to accommodate the traffic, while a mail stage operates daily (except Sunday) between the town and Fort Simcoe. A mile south of the town is Union Gap, which is the northern gateway into the rich Toppenish valley and Parker bottom region, much of whose trade comes to Yakima City.

The town has always been an important trading post, and to-day the business interests are well represented by prosperous establishments. Edwin H. Taylor, who is also postmaster, Mrs. Elizabeth Carmichael and Herman Kampmeier have general stores; W. Z. York has a feed, second-hand, saddlery and notion store combined with a wood yard; Albert Piche and Milton Hildreth own meat markets; Charles Campbell and Joseph Brownlow maintain hotels; Charles Campbell has a livery stable; Captain J. H. Thomas, owner of most of the townsite, and Cowles & Butler are in the real estate business; there are two saloons; B. H. McNeel is station agent, and there are a telephone exchange, express office and a telegraph station in the town. Besides these establishments, Yakima City possesses two important manufacturing concerns - a flouring mill and a creamery. The mill, which is the old Schanno property, has a capacity of thirty barrels a day and is operated most of the year by its owner, Edward Goins. Mrs. Elizabeth Carmichael owns the Yakima City creamery, a fair-sized plant, built two years ago, while Thomas H. Wheeler is the proprietor of the Yakima dairy, a large concern. Three church societies are established in the town - the Roman Catholic, the Methodist Episcopal and the Christian, the last two occupying a union church. Rev. A. C. Williamson, of the Methodist church, is the only resident pastor. A four-room school is taught by C. M. Beardsley, principal, W. A. Bowers and Miss Rubv Yertner. There are two

It is not at all improbable that Yakima City will in the near future possess a fine beet sugar factory. The whole Yakima valley is supporting the town in its efforts to secure this concern, which seems sure to locate somewhere in the Yakima country. It is said that one man alone has guaranteed half the necessary capital for a four-hundred-thousand-dollar plant, and the deal is now being closed for the granting of an eightyacre tract of land requested by the company. Such a manufactory, together with the opening of the Indian reservation, the boundary of which is only a mile distant from Yakima City, cannot fail to give the pioneer town a great impetus.

The town is incorporated under the general state laws, its present corps of officers being: Ma)'or, John L. Baker; councilmen, John L. Druse, Marshall Oliver, William Loudon, Reuben U. Underwood, Edward Goins; clerk, Edwin H. Taylor; treasurer, James A. Loudon; marshal, Walter Lindsey.

This thriving little hamlet is situated sixty-six miles southeast of North Yakima, on the Yakima river; also on the main line of the Northern Pacific Railroad. Like all the business points in the lower Yakima valley, it depends for its existence and growth upon the development by irrigation of the rich sage brush land surrounding it. The country immediately tributary is under the recently completed Northern Pacific canal, while the northern boundary of the famed Horse Heaven prairie is only two miles south of Kiona. Experience has demonstrated that tender fruits, such as strawberries, apricots, peaches and nectarines, grown in the lower Yakima valley can be placed on the market from ten days to two weeks ea.rlier than those produced in any other portion of the entire Northwest, all of which tends to the rapid development of the region, and gives the towns their hope for future development. One acre of melons on the Kennedy ranch netted the g'-ower one hundred and fifty dollars; Ezra Hill harvested fifty-five tons of potatoes from four acres, selling the entire crop at twenty-two dollars per ton; raspberries on the Ralph fruit farm yielded at the rate of four hundred dollars per acre, while equally valuable crops of other small fruits and berries are reported from the district immediately surrounding Kiona.

The townsite is now owned by Kelso Brothers and Mrs. Kennedy. The former conduct a hotel and livery stable, and Mrs. Tina Scott has a general store, besides which there are a blacksmith shop and a lumber yard. The Episcopalians, Methodists and Presbyterians maintain church organizations, though as yet there are no buildings especially dedicated to public worship. Rev. E. H. Rubicam, of the Methodist church, is the only resident pastor. There is a two-room schoolhouse in the village, presided over by Mrs. H. H. Nagle and Miss N. N. Williams, and the town also has a flourishing Modern Woodmen lodge, a Western Union telegraph office, a postoffice in charge of J. Giezentanner, and one physician, Dr. F. S. Hedger.

Fort S1Mcoe

Thirty-one miles southwest of North Yakima is Fort Simcoe, the oldest permanent settlement in the county, and for several decades the headquarters of the Yakima Indian agency. At that point are situated the agency buildings, schools, etc., occupying one of the prettiest nooks in the whole Yakima region. A postoffice, of which Mrs. J. D. Coburn is postmistress, and Cline & Coburn's general store constitute the business portion of the village, aside from the agency and the school. Fort Simcoe was established immediately after the Indian wars of 1855-56. Whenever the surrounding country is all placed under cultivation it is quite probable that the village will be converted into a large town, its location being so favorable.

Other business points in Yakima county are: Ahtanum, in the Ahtanum valley, which is the home of Woodcock Academy, and has, besides a general store kept by A. J. Chambers, a creamery and a public hall; Belma, consisting of a postoffice, of which O. Bergeron is postmaster, a general store kept by O. Bergeron, and a blacksmith shop, owned by O. Brunette; Bluelight, a settlement midway between Mabton and Bickleton; Cowiche, a trading point and postoffice of the Cowiche valley, sixteen miles northwest of North Yakima, with which it is connected by tri-weekly stage, W. H. Schenck, postmaster; Nile, a postoffice on the Naches river, thirty-four miles northwest of North Yakima, James Beck, postmaster; Outlook, a postoffice in the Sunnyside region; Tampico, a postoffice and trading point on the upper Ahtanum, twenty miles southwest of North Yakima, H. J. Knox, postmaster; Wenas, a station on the Northern Pacific Railway in the Selah valley; Wenas, the postoffice, on Wenas creek, Ida R. Kandle, postmistress; and Wapato, formerly Simcoe, a flag station and trading point on the Yakima Indian reservation. Alexander E. McCredy has a general store there, and Mrs. McCredy is postmistress.