History of the Yakima Valley, Washington; comprising Yakima, Kittitas, and Benton Counties, Vol. I, Part 64

Author: Lyman, William Denison, 1852-1920
Publication date: 1919
Publisher: [Chicago] S.J. Clarke
Number of Pages: 1134

USA > Washington > Benton County > History of the Yakima Valley, Washington; comprising Yakima, Kittitas, and Benton Counties, Vol. I > Part 64
USA > Washington > Kittitas County > History of the Yakima Valley, Washington; comprising Yakima, Kittitas, and Benton Counties, Vol. I > Part 64
USA > Washington > Yakima County > History of the Yakima Valley, Washington; comprising Yakima, Kittitas, and Benton Counties, Vol. I > Part 64

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SEC. 8. That to enable the Secretary of the Interior to classify and ap- praise the aforesaid lands as in this act provided, and to conduct the sales there- of, and to define and mark the boundaries of the western portion of said reser- vation, including the adjoining tract of two hundred and ninety-three thousand eight hundred and thirty-seven acres, to which the claim of the Indians is, by this act, recognized, as above set out, and to complete the surveys thereof, the sum of fifty-three thousand dollars, or so much thereof as may be necessary, is hereby appropriated from any moneys in the treasury not otherwise appropri- ated, the same to be reimbursed from the proceeds of the sales of the aforesaid lands : Provided, That when funds shall have been procured from the first sales of the land the Secretary of the Interior may use such portion thereof as may be actually necessary in conducting future sales and otherwise carrying out the provisions of this act.

Approved, December 21, 1904.

Major Lynch tells us that the Indians did not at first take to the allot- ment idea at all. To a civilized man this seems strange, but upon reflection it is readily seen that the very effect-an evil though unavoidable one-of the Reservation system has been to destroy the ambition for individual holdings and improvements.

Major Lynch entered upon the task of making assignments almost int- mediately upon his first appointment in 1890.

Special agents were sent by the Government to execute the details of the work. Major Lynch summoned meetings of the head men of the tribe and pa- tiently went over all the details. White Swan, perhaps the most dominant and influential Indian since the time of Kamiakin, led the opposition to allotments. The prevailing idea with him and his followers seems to have been that the allotment plan would break up the unity of action and hence the means of self- defense by the tribe,-a very mistaken, but from the Indian's viewpoint, a very

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HISTORY OF YAKIMA VALLEY

natural idea. There was at first almost hopeless confusion in carrying out the process of allotments.

In response to the urgent representations of Major Lynch the Government sent Colonel Rankin as a special allotment agent, and gradually order came out of confusion.

Some Indians tore up the surveyor's stakes and otherwise impeded the pro- cess. There were some counter claims as to special location. In general, how- ever, there was not so much conflict over locations as might have been ex- pected. By a sort of common consent the Indians had had for years a recog- nized habitat belonging to a family. They were already distributed pretty much according to convenience and preference, and when after long weeks and months of arguing and explaining they consented to allotments they were gen- erally ready to designate their specific locations.

IRRIGATION ON THE RESERVATION

The next great question confronting Major Lynch was irrigation. Of the vast body of land about sixty-five miles by forty miles, and embracing about 1,100,000 acres, about 200,000 acres are irrigable. Something over a quarter million acres have been alloted in individual tracts. The natural facilities for irrigation on a great scale are all there-snowy mountains, culminating in the stupendous, glacier-encircled bulk of Adams in the southwest corner-numer- ous rapid streams, lands of uniform slope, natural drainage-every condition, in fact, marking out the valleys of the Simcoe, Toppenish and Satus as an ideal location for a great irrigation system.

Major Lynch tells us that an erroneous survey during the time of Agent Stabler cut off 300,000 acres from the heads of some of the mountain streams on the west from the Reservation and caused difficulties in commanding the sources of water supply. Many troubles and complications arose by reason of pressure from the railroad company, private irrigation companies, state de- mands, and schemes of all sorts for control of desirable locations on the Reser- vation. As a result of legal proceedings the Government put bounds to the railroad and state aggressions.

Laws were passed allowing the location of town sites by conferring patents upon Indian allottees by which they might convey their lands at certain points. In pursuance of those laws, Toppenish, Mabton and Wapato were established in about 1902, and have had a rapid growth. As a result of the gathering of white business men in these towns the demand for a comprehensive system of irrigation became insistent. In 1898 the leasing of farm lands was inaugurated by Government, and this situation made yet more imperative the call for water. Into the voluminous projects and discussions, national, state and local, we can not enter. Believing that there was danger of the Indians losing their rights Major Lynch clung tenaciously to securing for them a distribution system as part of their inalienable guaranties. Much credit for preserving those essen- tial rights to the Indians must be accorded to Mr. L. V. McWhorter and the Indian Rights Association.

The United States Reclamation Service recommended charging part of the expense of the Reservoir system to the Reservation lands. Major Lynch

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HISTORY OF YAKIMA VALLEY

succeeded in getting a modification of that plan so that the Government made an appropriation of $600,000, by which the Indians were to grant the water to the control of the Reclamation service, but were to receive in part free water rights.

The final law dealing with the subject was that of August 1, 1914, by which each allotment was granted a free water-right to one-half of its area. By offi- cial ruling this right has been declared to attach to all successors of lands under Indian titles. This provision will have a most important bearing on the agri- cultural growth of the Reservation. For by reason of this smaller irrigation expense, as well as the fact that the lay of the land is such as to reduce all ex- penses to a minimum, the Reservation will have no rival in net profit of produc- tion.

As a summary of the present situation regarding the distribution of water and the character of the different holdings, with allied data of value, we include here some statistics from a folder issued by the Commercial Club of Toppenish in August, 1918.

FACTS FROM GOVERNMENT REPORTS

The following statistics concerning the Wapato unit of the Reservation project are given in United States Government figures.

Acres, 120,000.

Number of allotments, 1,800.

Area now irrigated, 53,000 acres.

Area sold by Indians or patented in fee, 22,720 acres, of which 20,000 acres were sold prior to the act of May 18, 1916, which authorized the insertion of a lien to cover water charges.

Number of allotments, or parts of allotments sold, 310.

556 miles of canals and laterals, and 44 miles of drainage canals have been constructed.

Construction cost to June 30, 1917, is $486,838.46.

Operation and maintenance cost to June 30, 1917. $212,774.33.

Irrigable lands within the Wapato unit may be divided into four classes.

1. Owned by Indians under trust patents in which repayment for water charges may be made from their share of tribal or other funds, or (the irriga- tion charges will constitute a lien against their land). Act of 1916.

2. Patented in fee to Indians prior to the act of May 18, 1916, which places the land in the same class as that owned by whites, as shown in Class 3.

3. Owned by whites and purchased prior to May 18. 1916, for which ar- rangements for repayment of irrigation charges is to be made in accordance with the provisions of the act of that date.

4. Patented in fee since May 18, 1916, which patents include a lien for the irrigation charges.

STORAGE WATER

The Reclamation service has built or has in process of construction storage reservoirs with capacity as follows :

Kachess, 210,000 acre feet, completed.

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HISTORY OF YAKIMA VALLEY

Keechelus, 152,000 acre feet, 90% completed.

Bumping Lake, 34,000 acre feet, completed.

Cle Elum, 25,000 acre feet, temporary crib dam.

Clear Creek, 1,700 acre feet, completed.

Tieton, 185,000 acre feet, 15% completed.

Future plans contemplate the construction of a permanent dam at Lake Cle Elum, making a reservoir of 496,000 acre feet capacity, and possibly one at Pleasant Valley on the American River with a capacity of 50,000 acre feet, so that the maximum ultimate storage development may reach approximately 1,126,000 acre feet. The Reclamation service has also completed, or has well under way, the construction of canals and distributing systems of the Tieton unit covering 34,000 acres, the Sunnyside unit covering 109,000 acres, and future plans contemplate the construction of Kittitas unit to cover 82,000 acres, the High Line unit, 150,000 acres, and the Benton unit, 100,000 acres. Final location may change considerably the relative and total area under units yet to be built.

The Wapato, or Reservation unit, by reason of its topography and other natural advantages, can be placed under cultivation more quickly and at less expense than any other unit of the project, and its completion is logically the next step in the general project plan.

The storage now developed by the Reclamation service is insufficient to meet the full requirements of the Wapato unit, the Reclamation units when completed, and of those canals which have purchased water under the Warren act (36 Stats. 925).

Estimates of cost of storage and of division, distribution and drainage have been made, based on present prices for labor and materials. Both labor and material markets are very unstable on account of war conditions, and it is understood that the amount to be reimbursed shall be the actual cost of con- struction.

Engineers of the Indian service estimate that the average cost per acre for diversion, drainage and distribution system will be $35.00 (an increase of $10.00 per acre on account of present prices for labor and materials). It is understood that the actual cost of this part of the work will be assessed against every acre of irrigable land under the completed Wapato unit. Engineers of the Reclama- tion service estimate that it will cost $5.40 per acre foot for a perpetual right to the use of water to be furnished annually to the Wapato unit, in addition to the 720 cubic second feet provided by the act of August 1, 1914. This supply will consist of combined storage and natural flow, it being understood that the proportion of natural and impounded waters will vary from season to season, and will accord with the proportions of the elements of such supply for other units and contractors under Sections 2 and 3 of the Warren act of Yakima project. In the final determination of the cost of the additional water supply the natural flow element shall be a free element reducing the average combined acre foot cost. Such water supply costs will be charged against all irrigable lands within the Wapato unit, except the forty acres of each allotment to which is apportioned water free of storage charges from the aforesaid 720 cubic feet per second.

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HISTORY OF YAKIMA VALLEY

From the same publication we derive a valuable summary of the kinds of crops and area devoted to each, at the present time.

PRINCIPAL CROPS

The reservation lands are adapted to almost any crop grown in the tem- perate zone. The principal products are alfalfa, potatoes, sugar beets, grains of all kinds, beans, peas, watermelons, canteloupes, hops, onions, garden truck, clover hay and clover seed, garden vegetable seed and livestock.

DAIRYING

The dairying industry, due to the splendid crops of alfalfa, corn and other feed products has grown to large proportions. The dairymen are rapidly building up herds of first grade milk producing stock and the industry is prov- ing highly profitable to those engaged in it. The development of the dairying industry has been such that the largest butter, cheese and milk condensing plant in central Washington has been built in Toppenish under the direction and own- ership of the Mutual Creamery Company.

SUGAR BEETS

The sugar beet industry inaugurated two years ago has already grown to large proportions. The reservation lands are singularly adapted to this prod- uct. Crops averaging well over twenty tons to the acre were common for the season of 1917, and the average for the district according to the investigations of experts was the largest for the entire United States. For the current year approximately 3,000 acres of reservation lands have been planted to sugar beets.

POTATOES

The Yakima Indian Reservation is known as "The Home of the Great Big Baked Potato." The Northern Pacific dining car service, until war conditions ruled the Big Baked Potato off their menus, obtained a large part of its supply of that popular table delicacy from the Reservation lands. The potato acreage this year is already in excess of 3,000 acres. Yields of the tubers vary from eight tons to twelve tons per acre.

OTHER CROPS

Alfalfa hay still claims the largest acreage on the reservation lands, the crops averaging five tons to the acre. Three cuttings are made each year with a valuable pasture asset left for sheep and cattle in the late Fall.

Under pressure of war conditions there has been a large increase in plant- ings of wheat, oats, corn and barley. All of these grains yield remarkably well and have proven a great source of profit to the growers.

A complete crop census of the Reservation prepared by the United States Indian service for the years of 1916, 1917 and 1918 will be found in the accom- panying tabulation.

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HISTORY OF YAKIMA VALLEY

YAKIMA INDIAN RESERVATION, YAKIMA, WASHINGTON, CENSUS OF CROPS, ETC.,

1916, 1917, 1918

Name of Crop, etc.

1916 Acres.

1917 Acres.

1918 Acres.

Alfalfa (old)

20,549

20,238

19,946

Alfalfa (new)

743

2,213

2,992

Alfalfa, seeded with Grain.

4,650

4,333

5,611

Bearing Orchard-

(Clean)

1,083

1,194

855

(In Alfalfa)

1,279

1,408

1,979

(In Grain)

151

253

144

(Other Crops)

140

164

Young Orchard-

(Clean Cultivation)

380

108

(In Alfalfa)

109

201

(In Grain)

178

186

108

(Other Crops)

182

Clover

1,471

1,347

1,068

Pasture

1,692

2,396

2,582

Barley

1,056

1,955

2,291

Wheat

3,864

8,724

13,386

Oats

1,428

1,324

1,163

Corn

1,961

2,569

2,347

Potatoes

2,321

3,772

3,626

Beans

475

313

Peas

Timothy

1,290

738

385

Rye

Cantaloupes

1,163

445

325

Hops

Onions

142

307

225

Truck

768

637

405

Nursery

220

192

105

Sugar Beets

1,552

2,843

Miscellaneous Crops

1,204

830

1,211

Total Acres

48,123

57,707

64,481

166

Watermelons

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HISTORY OF YAKIMA VALLEY

Livestock-

No.

Horses

3,440

4,115

4,463

Milk Cows

2,032

2,376

2,547

Steers

1,137

364

469

Other Cattle

3,671

4,103

4,028

Hogs

4,737

3,303

4,983

Sheep

9,910

7,999

8,745

Poultry

35,323

36,864

36,701

Silos

Respectfully submitted,

L. M. HOLT, Superintendent of Irrigation.

The present population of the Reservation is about three thousand of full or part Indian blood. It is believed by many close observers of both races that the gradual absorption of the Indians by the whites through marriages is only a question of time. Already, we are told, one-half of the so-called Indian pop- ulation is of mixed blood. At nearly every one of the townsites the Indians are large owners and in many cases have wealth and culture which put them on a par with their white neighbors. The townsites have been largely on lands . owned by Indian or half-breed women and girls. In most instances these women have become well educated and cultivated and point the way to a pro- cess of evolution by which the "Indian Problem," so far as Yakima is con- cerned, seems in a fair way to solve itself.

We are told by Mr. Samuel McCaw of Wapato and Mr. Frank Olney of Toppenish that a good many of the Indians are "making good" in farming or other lines of enterprise.

Yet it is true that the majority are leasing, not working their lands. These lands command so high a rental as to make a good income for the owners. This condition offers a great temptation to the owners to draw revenues from rent- ing and thus live in idleness.

At the best, even with the encouraging improvement of the past few years most of the natives, even of the mixed blood, are improvident and desultory in their habits, and easily open to the seductions of intemperance and unchastity. And, even with the general good tone among the white residents, there are always some who will encourage these weaknesses, with the ulterior aim of gratifying their own lecherous natures or of beating the Indians out of their property. The Indian lands are in great demand and rentals run from $3 or $4 to $12 or $15 per acre for the season, according to location and quality. The Japanese gardeners, who are past masters in intensive production, as well as in ability in making good bargains, pay the highest rent, but they secure the best land and make the largest net profits. They pay as high as $15 an acre, some- times even higher for choice locations. They raise cantaloupes, melons, berries and high-class "truck," of which there are almost incredible quantities produced.

The whites make no effort to compete with the skillful Japs in those lines, and devote themselves generally to wheat and hay land, for which they pay

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HISTORY OF YAKIMA VALLEY

from $4.00 to $8.00 an acre. The output and value of products from the four stations of Toppenish, Mabton, Alfalfa, and Wapato, for recent seasons are as follows :

Shipments from the Reservation each year amount to about 8,000 cars, including hay, grain, melons, potatoes, fruit, livestock, dairy products, nursery stock, etc., all products of the soil.

CROP VALUES

Engineer L. M. Holt, superintendent of Irrigation United States Indian Service on the Yakima Reservation, reports as follows :

"The estimated value of crops, made in July, 1915, was $30.00 per acre, but this estimate 1 have recently revised owing to the fact that prices have been much higher than I estimated in July. My revised figures are $38.00 per acre. If the total area irrigated by the government ditches and slough ditches are based on that figure, the total value of the crops produced on the Wapato project is $1,599,112. If the project had been completed the crops on the 120,000 acres would have had a value of $4,560,000, or more than sufficient to pay for the distribution system and necessary storage in one year, and practi- cally equal to one-half the value of crops produced in the entire Yakima Valley."

Of interest in connection with the products of the region is an extract from the Toppenish "Review" of November 13, 1918:

"The Yakima Valley Potato Growers Association will market the sea- son's crop of spuds from 3,000 acres of land and totaling an output of 1,250 cars and more through the firm of Denny & Company, distributors, of Chicago. The first announcement of the big deal was made in 'The Review' last week, since which time an agreement has been made between the company and the growers which makes Toppenish the headquarters for handling the pool, which includes about seventy-five per cent. of the valley potato crop.

"The growers will be represented throughout the transaction by Hans Benz, head of the Benz Brothers Corporation, and a recognized authority in the spud game, both from a growing and selling standpoint. Denny & Company, the marketing end of the deal, have their headquarters at Chicago, but their marketing facilities are almost as wide as the country. They reach into Cali- fornia and Texas and cover the entire Mississippi Valley.

"It is the purpose of the company to sell the valley spuds strictly on grades, including firsts, seconds, and a special brand of 'Yakima Bakers,' such as in pre- war days were featured on N. P. menu cards.

"Those on the inside believe the arrangement will solve the potato prob- lem for the season, and insure the growers an average of $40.00 for their crop. There is an admitted shortage of potatoes throughout the country and the val- ley surplus is regarded as the best shipping spud obtainable. They will be fed to the market as conditions warrant and no risk of rushing the crop too rapidly will be taken. The distributors have ample storage facilities in the west as also in the middle east. They can care for several hundred car loads for an in- definite period in that manner if necessary.

"The deal completed this week is the outcome of negotiations extending over a lengthy period and is regarded as satisfactory by all interested."

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HISTORY OF YAKIMA VALLEY

The most interesting object lesson of the gradual assumption by the In- dians of business enterprises is found in the American State Bank at Wapato, of which F. A. Olney is president and Samuel McCaw is cashier. The personnel of this bank, both stockholders and officers, is entirely Indian. Their business, however, is not confined to the red race. They conduct a high-class business with all comers, and many of their depositors and borrowers are white men. A full account of this bank is given in Leslie's magazine of a recent date. Mr. McCaw was brought up among wild Indians on the Ahtanum, but when a boy of ten attracted the favorable attention of some one who knew of the Govern- ment Indian School at Forest Grove, Oregon. There he secured an elementary education. Then the ambitious young boy went east where he completed an academic and then a college course at Whittier College, Indiana. Following that he was in a banking house in Chicago for five years, after which he re- turned to his old home and was for twenty-three years the cashier of the Yakima National Bank at Yakima. In 1917 he entered upon the enterprise of banking at Wapato. The results thus far have been such as to amply justify the ven- ture. His associates in the enterprise are several members of the Olney family on the Reservation, descendants of Nathan Olney, a former Indian agent in Ore- gon and one of the first settlers on the Ahtanum.

As another illustration of the transition in the lives and outlook of the Indians we incorporate letters from Chief Stwire Waters and Nealy Olney as a result of a journey to attend the meeting of the Federation of North American Indians at Washington City.

Writing under date of December 7th, Chief Waters says:

"Washington, D. C., December 7, 1911.

"Mr. Lancaster Spencer, Toppenish, Washington :

"Dear Sir: This afternoon's meeting was with thirty-four different tribes of Indians in the hall, and all are joined in brotherhood of the North American Indians' national organization. Our old Owhi and Sluskin raised up and voted for our Indian friendship of brotherhood and good citizenship among its mem- bers and citizens, and I am very glad for our two old men that signed. I signed and so did Mrs. E. Waters and another Cherokee Indian woman, so two ladies have signed, Mrs. Waters and that Cherokee Indian woman, in our conference or council, and I say hurrah, hurrah, hurrah, for our Indian constitution that is going to be one, one all United States North American Indians. Thirty- four different tribes of Indians are signing tomorrow. We will open again our own Indian council or meeting at eleven o'clock in the morning until we all sign. Some more Indians are going to be here, then we will all go up to the capitol office some time next week. Our new chairman is a Sioux Indian, John J. Poherty. The next mail shall be citizens.

"Yours truly, "STWIRE G. WATERS."

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HISTORY OF YAKIMA VALLEY

The letter of Mr. Olney, written December 8th, is as follows :

"Washington, D. C., December 8, 1911.

"Mr. Lancaster Spencer, Toppenish, Washington :

"Dear Friend: We are all well. We have organized the National Brother- hood of North American Indians, with Richard C. Adams as sachem or presi- dent, and the sub-chiefs of the local ones were chosen. Every Indian here is well pleased with this organization as it means a great deal for the Indians if we get properly organized and work properly together. I have no doubt that we will succeed in our organization.

"There are about fifty or more Indians here representing nearly every state west of the Mississippi River. Every old Indian and young are surely greatly pleased with the conditions they found here. Mr. Adams is a very fine fellow, and I certainly believe he will do something for us.

"This means a great deal to us Indians. It means good hard work so that we can succeed in trying to get what is due us and have equal rights with our brother, the white man, so let us all work together and help each other in the best manner we know how. Be true and faithful one to another.

"Mr. Spencer, I inclose you a few clippings from newspapers. Yesterday they took our pictures.

"Well, I will close with best wishes to all and success for our people and the cause we are working for.

Your friend, "NEALY OLNEY."

As a general view of many interesting and important features in regard to the history, organization, and officers of the Reservation at one of the recent stages of time, we are closing this chapter with a valuable extract from an article by Superintendent S. A. M. Young, which appeared in a special number of the Wapato "Independent" on December 15, 1911. Through the kindness of Mr. William Verran, proprietor of the paper, we have the privilege of using this fine article.

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History of the Yakima Valley, Washington; comprising Yakima, Kittitas, and Benton Counties, Vol. I, Part 64

Author: Lyman, William Denison, 1852-1920 Publication date: 1919 Publisher: [Chicago] S.J. Clarke Number of Pages: 1134

Author: Lyman, William Denison, 1852-1920
Publication date: 1919
Publisher: [Chicago] S.J. Clarke
Number of Pages: 1134