History of the Yakima Valley, Washington; comprising Yakima, Kittitas, and Benton Counties, Vol. I, Part 92

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 92
USA > Washington > Kittitas County > History of the Yakima Valley, Washington; comprising Yakima, Kittitas, and Benton Counties, Vol. I > Part 92
USA > Washington > Yakima County > History of the Yakima Valley, Washington; comprising Yakima, Kittitas, and Benton Counties, Vol. I > Part 92

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

Mayor Bannister is renominated for a second term, George T. Wake is continued as city clerk, Harry L. Brown as city attorney and Eugene DeGabriele as treasurer. Ben Farrimond had no opposition for the nomination as council- man-at-large.

The vote by wards follows :

First ward-Mayor, El Roy A. Bannister, 198: councilman-at-large, Ben Farrimond, 181; councilman First ward, Joe Trucano 155, John E. Morgan 117, Richard Hart 154, Frederick Seddon 113, James A. Miller 148; city clerk, George T. Wake 217; city treasurer Thomas Walmsley 72, Eugene DeGabriele 183; city attorney, Harry L. Brown 208.

Second ward-Mayor, El Roy A. Bannister 259; councilman-at-large, Ben

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HISTORY OF YAKIMA VALLEY

Farrimond 226; councilman First ward, Joe Trucano 151, John E. Morgan 144, Richard Hart 195, Frederick Seddon 134, James A. Miller 175; city clerk, George T. Wake 273; city treasurer, Thomas Walmsley 111, Eugene DeGabriele 185; city attorney, Harry L. Brown 273.

A fact of much interest in Roslyn is the organization of the miners. The members of the district held their election at the time of the general election. A report of candidates in the "Miner" is worthy of preservation as showing the personnel at the date of this work.

MINERS ELECT OFFICIALS

ANNUAL ELECTION FOR DISTRICT NO. 10 HELD YESTERDAY THROUGHOUT THE STATE OF WASHINGTON

Taking advantage of the layoff throughout the mines of the state for gen- eral election purposes Tuesday afternoon, the annual election of officers for District No. 10. United Mine Workers of America, embracing the state of Washington, was held in this field and elsewhere. Results will not be known for a day or two. The complete list of candidates for district officers follows:

International board member-Sam Caddy, L. N. No. 934; Wm. Farrington, L. U. No. 237 : Jack Gaff, L. U. No. 2373.

District president-Martin J. Flyzik, L. U. No. 3458; Charles Castle, L. U. No. 2373; James McGraw, L. U. No. 2871.

District vice president-Ben Farrimond, L. U. No. 227.

District sercetary-treasurer-Ernest Newsham, L. U. No. 2257 ; John Rob- ertson, L. U. No. 2373.

District auditors-Frank Purse, L. U. No. 2634; Thomas Walmsley, L. U. No. 2510; Nicholas Joy, L. U. No. 2583; Wm. Morgan, L. U. No. 2510; Roy Carson, L. U. No. 2257 : E. A. Dickerson, L. U. No. 3458; Anton Schuller, L. U. No. 3458: Fred Seddon, L. U. No. 2510; George Barber, L. U. No. 1717; John Flemming, L. U. No. 1853.

Sub-district board member, sub-district No. 1-H. J. Burge, L. U. No. 2512; George Temperley, L. U. No. 2583; George Lesich, L. U. No. 2510; James Reece, L. U. No. 227; Edward Matthews, L. U. No. 2871.

FROM COAL CENTERS DOWN HILL THROUGH THE HAY CENTERS TO THE ORCHARDS

From the rugged and wooded flanks of the Cascades with their treasures of "black diamonds" and lumber, we pass swiftly by rail or highway to the opening prairies of the Kittitas, dotted with great herds of cattle, green in Spring and fragrant with the purple blossoms of alfalfa and those of various fruits, in Summer or Autumn covered with domes of hay, or golden shocks of wheat and buzzing with processions of mowing machines, with the sky-lines down the valley bordered with the multiplied arms of the stackers.

It is a fair and hopeful sight and leads the traveler to the comforting assur- ance that howsoever scanty may be the food supply in some of the unhappy lands devastated by this pitiless war just ending, the Kittitas Valley will not starve and will play its part in providing sustenance for those so destitute.

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THE VILLAGE OF THORP

On our way down the valley we pass the fine little village of Thorp. This place has historic interest and preserves the name of the "Daniel Boone of Yakima," F. Mortimer Thorp, of whom we have made frequent mention in these pages. While there is nothing in the location to make a city, it is the natural center of a beautiful and productive region, the upper part of the agri- cultural section, and will always be a substantial town, developing with the development of the country. One remembrance of special interest at the town of Thorp is that Mrs. Melissa Thorp Splawn, second wife of Charles Splawn, is still living near there, two and a half miles from the village, at the home of her daughter, Mrs. Bruton. Mr. Charles Splawn is called up in many interest- ing ways in connection with this location. He had played a very important part in the first wedding in the Yakima Valley, which occurred in 1863 at Fort Simcoe, he being the bridegroom, Dulcina Thorp the bride, and Father Wilbur the officiating clergyman. Then Mr. Splawn, as justice of the peace, performed the first wedding ceremony in the Kittitas, the principals being Charles Coleman and Clara Cooke, daughter of Mr. C. P. Cooke, the time being 1872 and the place being Matthias Becker's house. (It should be noted that A. J. Splawn gives the first marriage in Kittitas as that of John Gillespie and Caroline Gerlick in November, 1870, Frederick Bennett being the officiating justice. The story appears in another chapter of this volume.) Various members of the Thorp family settled on Taneum Creek, and Milford Thorp, cousin of Mrs. Splawn, was the founder of the town of Thorp. A postoffice was established in 1890. In 1895 a plat of the townsite was filed by John M. and Sarah Isabel Newman. The Newmans had located in 1878 at the place on which they laid out the town.

Leaving Thorp and its pleasant surroundings we resume our downhill course past the metropolis of the Kittitas, where we have already made an extended sojourn, abundantly satisfied thereby, and approach the first and by far the longest and deepest of those curious gaps which divide the Yakima Valley into distinct sections. Through this gap the impatient river takes its foaming way, beautiful and wild to look at, with its alternate falls and riffles and deep clear pools. The ragged basaltic walls and towering mountains of this great canyon reveal the creative and moulding forces of earthquake, volcanic outflow, and water floods. We can easily believe that old Indian legend about Wish- poosh, the Beaver of Lake Cle Elum or Lake Keechelus, which we narrated in an earlier chapter. But if we choose to travel by auto, we cannot follow the trail of Wishpoosh, for there is no highway down the tortuous course of the Yakima through the intercepting mountains.

The Northern Pacific Railroad occupies all the available space, allowing room for the first filing on the property by the river. The Yellowstone trail follows nearly the course of the historic old Durr toll-road across the Ump- tanum Mountains, down the fair and historic Wenas Valley, past the fine ranch of one of the most honored of the pioneers, the first white man now living in Yakima to have seen that valley, David Longmire, whom we are proud to name among the Advisory Board of this work. Beside the Yellowstone Highway, within a few hundred feet of Mr. Longmire's house, is one of the historic

courtesy of L. V. MeWhyin I

PICTOGRAPHS

Showing a part of a remarkable series of Indian sign painting, consisting of more than sixty distinet figures done in lasting colors on a great cliff of basaltie columns at the Naches Gap, near Yakima. The present Indians know nothing about these paint- ings, attributing them by legend to the Wah-tee-tas: "'ancient people, " spirit dwarfs who inhabit the Puh-tuh-num: "painted" or "marked rocks," the Yakima name for the cliff

ساب عا طرـ

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HISTORY OF YAKIMA VALLEY

monuments erected by the joint labor of the Washington State Historical So- ciety and the Yakima Historical Society.

This monument, we discover upon passing, commemorates the first immi- gration crossing the Cascade Mountains and also the presence here of the McClellan surveying party, the two events being near together in 1853.

TOWN OF SELAH

A few miles beyond the monument we come to the fine little town of Selah. In earlier chapters we have narrated the development of the irrigating system and resulting creation here of one of the finest belts of orchard and garden land anywhere in the entire valley. We have the assurance of the immortal Dogberry in Shakespeare's "Much Ado About Nothing" that "Comparisons are odorous," and hence we shall not expose ourselves to the charge of making comparisons, but if we wished to impress the mind of an intending settler and reveal to him the best that Yakima or the state of Washington had to offer, we would not be far astray in dropping him down in the Selah district.

The town is typical of the district. It is one of the very heaviest shipping points on the Northern Pacific Railroad.

Like practically all communities in the Yakima country Selah, along with its pleasant homes, makes fitting and generous provision for its educational, religious and social needs. The school system is one of which many a good sized city might well be proud.

We learn from Superintendent A. L. Thomsen that the high school was established in 1910 and that A. E. Kliss was first superintendent and J. H. Snyder was first principal. At present date the value of school property is $75,000. Pupils in high school during the past year total 72; in the grades 343.

At present date, A. L. Thomsen is superintendent, and A. E. Curtis is prin- cipal of the high school. There are five teachers in the high school and ten in the grades. The names of these teachers, as well as those of the other towns, appear in the directory in the chapter on schools.

Selah has an estimated population of 325, has connections both by railroad and electric line, a bank, churches of the Christian, Methodist, Episcopal and Swedish Lutheran denominations and several well-stocked stores. An extra- ordinary amount of business is transacted for the size of the town.

One can not make any stay in Selah without wishing to return. With the hope that our wish may be fulfilled, we will resume our journey down the valley toward the hub, Yakima itself.

SELAH GAP AND PAINTED ROCKS

Passing the Selah Gap we find our way across the impetuous torrent of the Naches, the largest tributary of the central stream and a rival in beauty and utility. Of the use made of the Naches in irrigation, power and all other agencies for which a river can be utilized we have spoken at length in earlier chapters. Just above the entrance of the Naches we pass through Selah Gap, a pocket edition of the prolonged Yakima canon, but though a very small obstruction to the river it reminds us still of the dredging undertakings of the infuriated

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HISTORY OF YAKIMA VALLEY

beaver Wishpoosh. The auto tourist through this region should not fail to drive up the Naches, the wild beauty and finny inhabitants of which appeal to artist and fishermen and lover of nature alike. In the tributary regions of the Naches, too, are some of the noblest mountain retreats, lakes, forests, glaciers, access to the approaches of the mightiest mountains of the state, Adams and Takhoma, and yet still farther the great government sources of irrigation sup- plies, Bumping Lake, the Tieton, and McAllister meadows. Of all these wonders, scenic, hydrographic and industrial, we have written in earlier chap- ters. Yet we feel that we should not be doing right by our readers if we did not route them through the manifold attractions of the Naches Basin. One of the curiosities near the city is the "Painted Rocks" at the mouth of the Cowiche. These prehistoric works evidently belong to the series of which there are many examples in different parts of the northwest. The most striking perhaps are at Lake Chelan. Opinions vary widely as to the makers of these pictorial re- mains. The Indians consider them to have been wrought by people prior to themselves.

SODA SPRINGS

Of the great central valley, with the city of Yakima set like a diamond in the middle, we shall not pause here to add to the large space it has already been given. Yet we shall certainly insist that the tourist will have lived partly in vain if he does not traverse the Ahtanum to the Soda Springs and beyond. He must also note some of the historic spots, the Ahtanum Mission, the monument of Pohotecute, the Moxee settlement at the "Big spring," where the Thorp family laid the first foundations of an American home in Yakima. The tourist must not fail, either, to move to and fro and up and down Nob Hill, Naches Avenue, the Country Club across the river, and view the sights to the west- ward, especially if it be clear enough to see the majestic heights of the two great snow peaks.

NACHES

Several pleasant villages form centers of business and social life in the Valley near the metropolis and are connected with it by branch railroads or trolley lines, as well as paved highways. One of these typical centers is Naches at the terminus of the Naches branch of the N. P. R. R. It has a population of 300, a bank, a high school, a church (Presbyterian), and several well-stocked stores.

AHTANUM, WILEY CITY, TAMPICO, MOXEE CITY

On the Ahtanum are three villages, centers of similar active life, Ahtanum, Wiley City and Tampico. The first of these is the location of two historic in- stitutions, already noted at length in the chapter on the schools and churches of Yakima County. These are Woodcock Academy, now a part of the public school system, and the other is the Congregational Church, the oldest church, with the exception of the Catholic, in the Yakima Valley. Near Tampico is the old St. Joseph Mission house. Another of the interesting villages near Yakima is Moxee City. This is a place of about 400 residents and is the center of one of the oldest and best developed sections of the Valley, distinguished by artesian

MAY DAY, 1918, AT WAPATO

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water. A good many of the settlers are of French origin and have the thrift, good taste, and general intelligence characteristic of the great people from whom they spring. A branch of the Northern Pacific Railroad has its terminus at this place. Excellent public schools, a bank, a Congregational and a Catholic church, and well-equipped mercantile establishments, mark this prosperous town. Of great historic interest is the fact that not very far distant from the town is the original home of Mortimer Thorp, first settler in the Valley.

BELOW POHOTECUTE OR PAHQUYTECOOT

This high-sounding native name, meaning "putting two heads together" (as of the ridges on either side meeting), has been supplanted by the common- place and prosaic appellation of Union Gap. Pohotecute or Pahquytecoot it was and ought to continue to be.

But under whatsoever name, it is a curious as well as historic spot. Here are two monuments, one erected by the Daughters of the American Revolution, assisted by the Historical Society of Yakima. The other monument was the work of the Yakima Indians and friends to commemorate an Indian battle. As we pass through the Gap, we note the headworks of the Wapato Canal, the largest of the government canals, doubtless the largest in the state. It carries about 1,200 second feet of water, though its dimensions allow 1,500.

As we pass through the famous Gap and realize the convulsions of nature which produced it, we can not fail to think of the picture which presented itself to Col. L. S. Howlett :

HOW IT HAPPENED.

A thousand years ago, I guess, At any rate it can't be less- A mountain broke itself in two And let a sea go rushing through. Scared fishes turned their tails to flee

From Soda Springs to far Moxee;

The wolves ran howling up the hills,

The porcupines ruffed up their quills ; The little Indian girls and boys Were frightened at the dreadful noise ; As through the Gap, with giant strength,

The flood sprawled out its frightful length.

Next morning's sun in rising saw The valley of the Yakima.

May 10, 1892.

L. S. HOWLETT,

Being fairly within the Valley below Pohotecute we discover that this area far exceeds either the upper or the central Valley. A large part of the western section of this area is within the Yakima Reservation. Of this, too, we have fully written in earlier chapters. Suffice it to add here that the tourist should not fail to visit Fort Simcoe with all its historic associations, nor should he fail

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to see White Swan and the Coburn collection of Indian curios. Within recent times one of the great auto routes has developed up the Yakima Valley to Mab- ton and thence following the Satus Creek to the Simcoe ridge, thence to Golden- dale. from there to White Salmon, and at that point the autoist may cross the Columbia River to the Columbia Highway, or by the Evergreen Highway on the north side may proceed to Vancouver and Portland.

A number of towns have grown up on the edge of the Reservation. Three of these, Wapato, Toppenish and Mabton, have pretty nearly entered the rank of cities.

WAPATO

This vigorous little city is in the very heart of the 50,000 acres of fruitful. land which is watered from the great canal that we noted in coming out of Pohotecute. That area is but a minor part of what is to come. For the gov- ernment plans contemplate the irrigation of 120,000 acres from the gravity sys- tem and an additional 80,000 from the pumping plant. When this quarter of a million acres is in actual productivity, it will certainly support several large cities. Wapato will without doubt be one.

The name of this town signifies "potato," though the original native word applied to a bulbous root growing in shallow ponds, especially west of the Cas- cade Mountains, a root which was one of the prime articles of food for the natives. The town was laid out by George S. Rankin and Alexander McCready in 1903. These enterprising and intelligent builders took up this matter as one among a number of large undertakings, perceiving clearly the sure development of the country. They bought the land of the Indians under the townsite law. They also inaugurated the first bank and the Wapato Development Company.

The town now has nearly 1,000 inhabitants. There is a well edited weekly paper, the "Independent," founded in 1906, now owned and managed by William Verran, who took charge in 1909. There is a first-class school system, with high school and grade schools, with an enrollment in the high school of 89 and in the grades of 625, an enrollment truly surprising for the size of the town, until we learn from the officers of the school that the adjoining region just out- side the town furnishes a strong contingent. The value of the school property is estimated at $100,000, also a surprising aggregate for a town of less than 1.000, a good many of whom are of the Indian race.

The high school was founded in 1910, at which time A. C. Kellogg was superintendent and S. W. Ness was principal, assisted by Mrs. C. R. Duncan. At the present date the teaching force is as follows:

C. Paine Shangle, superintendent.

High School-A. W. Wheeler, principal ; Elsie A. Hartmann, Etta Adams, E. H. Dixon.

Central School-Gerald Van Horn, principal ; Alma Flower, Bernice Fol- som, Verl Bardwell, Jessie M. Cobb, Maude Meeker, Hazel M. Cobb, Jean Campbell, Lillian R. Schoenberg, special teacher, music and art.

Harrah School-Caroline Enright, principal : Ruth A. Spencer, Lucile Ro- maine.

Johnson School-Hattie Eakin.

CITY PARK, TOPPENISH

SHI

TON

WEST SIDE OF TOPPENISH AVENUE, TOPPENISH

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HISTORY OF YAKIMA VALLEY

Guyette School-Iris Rueger.

Bradshaw School-Caroline Waters.

Liberty School-Eula Campbell.

Leroue School-Genevieve Smith.

There are two substantial banks, one of which is officered and owned en- tirely by Indians. This is said to be the only bank in existence of which this is true. A very readable article in a recent number of Leslie's magazine gives facts in regard to this bank which can not fail to be of encouragement to mem- bers of the native race.

Wapato is provided with Christian, Presbyterian, Seventh Day Adventist, and Catholic churches. As normal consequences of the hay, grain, fruit and vegetable business in all directions around the town, it is the location of a num- ber of huge warehouses and the amount of shipments is something tremendous. The present city government consists of the following: Mayor, LeRoy W. Tay- lor ; clerk and attorney, C. A. Maston ; health officer, J. H. Ragsdale ; marshal, H. J. Sourwine; treasurer, E. H. Wagner ; police judge, J. F. Niesz; council- men, R. M. Johnson, J. Kaler, S. D. Smith, C. H. Castor, Albert De Vries.

TOPPENISH

This fine little city may be justly entitled to the name of the metropolis of the Reservation. We find among the folders just issued by the active Com- mercial Club of Toppenish so succinct a statement of the present conditions and assets of the town that we incorporate it bodily at this point.

THE CITY OF TOPPENISH AND THE YAKIMA INDIAN RESERVATION

The city of Toppenish with a population of approximately 3,000, is located on the main line of the Northern Pacific Railway, in Yakima County, Washing- ton. It is also the main line terminus of the Sunnyside and the Fort Simcoe and Western branches of the Northern Pacific system.

Toppenish is the commercial and distributing center of lower Yakima County. It is located in the center of a highly developed farming and fruit growing district and enjoys an ever-growing trade with the surrounding terri- tory. It is one of the largest shipping points for agriculture products in the state, and is centrally located with reference to the cities of Seattle, Spokane and Portland, the three large commercial centers of the northwest, which are its chief marketing points.

IMPORTANT ADVANTAGES

By virtue of its advantageous location and the fertility and high productive power of the lands surrounding it, Toppenish has enjoyed a steady growth which bids fair to continue for an indefinite period. Its people are progressive and public spirited and have laid the foundations of the community on broad and enduring lines.

The business section of the city is improved with paved streets and broad concrete sidewalks. The main thoroughfares leading to the various farming districts surrounding the city are to be paved during the present year.

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HISTORY OF YAKIMA VALLEY

PUBLIC UTILITIES

The city owns its water system and enjoys the reputation of having the finest water supply of any community in the Yakima Valley. The water is obtained at a depth of 125 feet, is pumped to an elevated storage tank and is distributed through iron mains to consumers throughout the city. The water rates are reasonable and have been lowered from time to time to encourage the citizens to improve their homes with lawns, shade trees, gardens, etc.

A modern sewer system likewise installed by the city, drains the business and principal residence sections.

Toppenish is a central distributing point for the Pacific Power and Light Company, which supplies electric light and power to a large portion of eastern Washington. The streets are well lighted and the use of electricity is general in the homes of the city for lighting and other household purposes.

SCHOOLS AND CHURCHES

The school system has been built up along modern lines. There are two grade schools and a four year high school course, leading to any of the higher educational institutions of the state. The high school site comprises a tract of ten acres of land utilized in part for experimental agricultural purposes.

There are five commodious church buildings in the city and the various religious organizations constitute an important and effective factor in the life of the community.

Fraternal organizations are well represented, including the Masonic order, Odd Fellows, Knights of Columbus, Knights of Pythias, Loyal Order of Moose, Foresters of America, Eastern Star and Rebekah lodges.

INDUSTRIAL AND COMMERCIAL ENTERPRISES

Chief among the industries of the community is the beet sugar factory, now under construction by the Utah-Idaho Sugar Company. The plant will have a capacity of 700 tons of beets or approximately 120 tons of sugar per day. In addition to the main factory the plant is equipped with machinery for handling several important by-products developed in the manufacture of sugar from sugar beets.

Grain production has greatly increased in this district during the past few years, due to the extraordinary yields produced under irrigation. To care for the grain crops, the growers have united in financing and building a com- modious grain elevator located on the outskirts of the city.

Other important industrial and commercial enterprises may be enumerated as follows :

Steam grist and rolling mills manufacturing rolled oats and barley, corn meal, alfalfa meal, etc.

Modern ice manufacturing plant.

Ice storage warehouses with capacity of 12,000 tons.

The largest nursery plant in the state.

Fruit and cold storage warehouses.

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STOCK ON THE CHARLES BULL RANCH, MABTON

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HISTORY OF YAKIMA VALLEY

Concrete pipe factory.

Machine shops and iron works.

Large steam laundry.

Two weekly newspapers, the "Review" and "Tribune."

Several well equipped auto garages and service stations.

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History of the Yakima Valley, Washington; comprising Yakima, Kittitas, and Benton Counties, Vol. I, Part 92

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