THE CITY THAT MOVED

History records note the first white men to view the Yakima Valley were members of the Lewis and Clark Expedition of 1805. During that period, a century and a half ago, this vast area, lying at the foot of towering Mt. Rainier and it's neighbors in the Cascade Range, served as hunting, fishing and agricultural land for the Yakama Indian Tribe.

The early day stories of the Lewis and Clark Expedition enticed trappers, traders and mineral seekers to the area throughout the first half of the 19th century. As early as 1847, a Catholic mission was established in the Ahtanum area a few miles southwest of the present site of the city of Yakima.

A dozen years later, in the late 1850's and early 1860's, a permanent party of settlers began to arrive. Some came from the Columbia River while others moved from Lewis and Clark headquarters near Walla Walla. Military units arrived in the area in 1856 to quell Indian hostilities, and an army garrison was established at Fort Simcoe, 38 miles southwest of Yakima. This historic fort, abandoned and neglected many years ago, has been restored to allow the public to see it in it's original state.

During this settling down period, many Indian skirmishes were recorded, but in a comparatively short time, permanent and honored treaties were signed with the Yakama Nation, and in 1865 Yakima County was officially established. A census in 1870 accounted for 432 pioneers in the county. These hardy transplanted easterners and midwesterners were people of vision and quickly realized the tremendous potential of the rich volcanic soil covering the Yakima Valley floor. Although rainfall was not great, the Cascade watershed, with it's heavy snows, provided an abundance of moisture.

By 1880, nearly 3,000 people were reported in the county. With agriculture becoming firmly established, the railroads naturally followed. In 1884, Northern Pacific extended it's iron horse service to the valley. Some of the townspeople of the growing community of Yakima City refused to make certain concessions asked by the railroad. Northern Pacific then routed it's track 4 miles north of the original Yakima City and named it's terminal point, North Yakima. The railroad then offered to move any of the Yakima City buildings to it's newly established community, and one of the strangest and most colorful periods in Yakima's history was the actual movement of some 50 to 60 buildings from "Old Yakima" to "North Yakima" to surround the railroad terminal. The courthouse, banks, general store, blacksmith shops, saloons and some homes were moved on log rollers over the 4 mile trail. Some reported that business never ceased as the buildings were strung out along the route.

On January 27th, 1886, North Yakima was incorporated and was named the county seat. It was not until 1918 that the prefix "north" was dropped from the name. At that time, the original Yakima City, four miles to the south, and commonly referred to then as "Old Town" by some and "Union Gap" by others, officially adopted the latter as it's name. Old timers in the area still refer to Union Gap as "Old Town."

On September 27, 1889 a franchise was given to A. G. McIntyre of Helena, Montana, to lay water mains, place fire plugs and hydrants, and sell water to the city and its inhabitants. Charges for water were based on the size of the house served. A four room home paid $1.00 per month, over four rooms $1.20, while use of one bathtub was an additional 33 cents.

For the first time on September 4, 1890, electric lights were turned on. On June 11, 1891 the electric light and water works companies consolidated under the name of Yakima Water, Light and Power Company. In 1910 the properties of the Yakima Water and Light system were sold to Mr. A. Welch of Portland who operated the Northwestern Corporation. Subsequently the corporation was taken over by a predecessor of the Pacific Power & Light Company and in 1913 the water and power system were segregated.

The very earliest utility, however, was the telephone system which was named The Sunset Telephone Company. Operation started on December 15, 1889 organized by Mr. John Lawrence who came to Yakima for that purpose. The company would give services to forty different subscribers between the hours 8:00 a.m. and 9:00 p.m. Later the Sunset Telephone Company was taken over by the Pacific States Telephone and Telegraph Company.

The organization for the first street car system was started in 1907 and was first known as the Yakima Intervalley Traction Company. In 1908 it was reorganized and named the Yakima Valley Transportation Company. In 1909 it was sold to the North Coast Railroad Company because of the effect of the depression in 1907.

At the turn of the century, nearly 15,000 residents were counted in the area, and the growth continued rapidly as man-made irrigation systems transformed the vast acreage into prosperous farms. Those seeking crop diversification visualized fruit trees on part of the field crop and pasture lands. The success of this venture has established Yakima as one of the most important fruit producing and diversified farm areas in the world.

IRRIGATION IN THE YAKIMA VALLEY

A history of irrigation in the Yakima Valley comes near to being a history of everything in the Valley. The history of irrigation is practically divisible into two distinct sections - first, that of private enterprise, and second, that under government direction.

There seems to be slight differences of opinion as to when the first irrigating canals in Yakima came into existence. There is a general agreement, however, that the first ditch was that of Kamiakin. (A hero of the Yakama Nation in about 1853). According to Leonard Thorp, early pioneer, the first irrigation by persons other than Indians was performed in 1866 by Thomas and Benton Goodwin at a point about a mile south of the present City of Yakima. This ditch carried water from the Yakima River to a small 5 acre wheat field which yielded about 40 bushels per acre.

According to an old government history record, the first canal was the Nelson Ditch of 1867 which took it's water supply from the left bank of the Naches River a short distance north and west of the present Nelson Bridge on the Naches highway. Also, in 1867 a small cooperative system, starting a mile above the mouth of the Naches River, was constructed - this later became known as the Union Canal.

Several other small canals followed a few years later with Charles Carpenter raising the first hops under irrigation at his place on the Ahtanum in 1872. That same year Charles and Joseph Schanno and Sebastian Lauber made the first attempt at a canal of more considerable size. In 1874 the Schanno brothers undertook a much greater enterprise, a ditch that took off from the Naches River some eight miles from their places. This ditch, eighteen feet wide and eighteen inches deep, followed a natural hollow which ran not far from the present railroad tracks. At first the water was used mainly for raising gardens and a small amount of wheat, but it wasn't until 1881 that Yakima's first crop of alfalfa was raised on land by the Schanno ditch.

During the 1880's and 1890's, a number of larger enterprises were launched on the Naches River rather than the main stream of the Yakima. The first important canal during that era was the Selah Valley Ditch Company. About the same time, the Moxee Company was constructing a canal on the east bank of the river.

It was in 1902 that the governmental phases of irrigation came into the picture. A survey of the Tieton by a private group in that year created sufficient interest in the feasibility of an irrigation project for that area so the Reclamation Service made their own surveys of 1903, 1904 and 1905. These resulted in the preliminary work which began in 1906 under government supervision and water was first delivered to the Naches branch of the Tieton Project in 1910. At the same time, the Tieton Project was being carried through to completion, negotiations were under way which eventually led to the transfer of the property of the Washington Irrigation Company, (the Sunnyside Canal) to the federal government.

With the completion of the Tieton Project and purchase of the Sunnyside Canal, the federal government was definitely in the irrigation business. In the years that followed, the government brought more land into production under the Kittitas, Kennewick Highlands and Roza Projects. These, plus private irrigation systems, deliver a never failing supply of water, making the Yakima Valley one of the productive areas in the nation.

TRIBAL DAYS OF THE YAKAMAS

In the grandfather days the Yakamas were a sovereign nation. Smoke from army camps lifted above the valleys of the Kittitas and Yakima. From the snowy heights of the Cascade Mountains to the flashing waters of the Enche-wana, the "Big River" which we call the Columbia, everything was theirs. The animals, berry patches, root ground, the salmon--all belonged to them.

With tribes and bands allied by blood and speech, they controlled a vast area of what is now Central Washington. Even today, there is but vague distinction between the elements that combined to form it. In the process of joining together, identities of the smaller groups have long since disappeared. All the descendants on the Yakima Reservation represent the components of this once powerful Indian Nation. Other tribes are represented too; Nez Perce, Paloos, Umatilla and Puget Sound.

The Yakamas themselves originated from several groups that occupied the Yakima Valley from the headwaters of the Yakima River, in the Cascades, to the stream's junction with the Columbia. Important among these tribal stocks were the powerful Pish-wana-pum, (River Rock People) of the Kittitas region; the Skwa-nana, (Whirlpool People) whose main camp stood just below the outlet of the Wenas Creek; the Pah-quy-ti-koot-lema, (People of Mountain Heads Coming Together) at Union Gap. Next were the Ahtanum-lema who lived on the banks of the Ahtanum Creek; the Pisko-pum, (Sagebrush People) of the Toppenish plains; the Thap-pah-nish of Toppenish Creek; the Setass-lema on Satus Creek and the Chim-na-pum of the lower Yakima to the Columbia and down the latter to where that mighty flow begins bending westward. A small band, the Kow-was-sa-yee lived on the Columbia, opposite the mouth of the Umatilla River. West of them were the Pish-quit-pah, and a little further down the north were the Skeen-pah. Scattered along the Columbia, from the mouth of the Snake up to Priest Rapids roamed the So-kulks, closely related to the Yakamas, who called them Wana-pum or River People.

With the possible exception of the River Rock People and Whirlpool People, who have been classified as Salishan stock tribes, the foregoing divisions were members of the Shahaptian linguistic family. Both the River Rocks and the Whirlpools have spoken the Shahaptian tongue of the Yakamas since historic times.

Below, are several names of towns/cities as the Indians called them and what they actually mean.

HISTORY AND LEGEND OF THE APPLE

The apple, as we know it, probably originated in Central and Southwestern Asia. Historical evidence shows that cultivation of the apple started with the beginning of agriculture in Europe. Apples were introduced to England during the Roman invasions in the first century, B.C. Later, their cultivation was appropriated by the monasteries. Monks sought out isolated places, drained swamps and terraced mountains...to make their apple orchards and vineyards abundant and fruitful.

In America, the first apple trees were planted at Massachusetts Bay by the Pilgrim fathers, just nine years after the first colony was established. By the middle of the eighteenth century, the Dutch had apple trees growing extensively throughout New York State. As restless settlers pushed the western frontier across the Appalachians, into Ohio, Illinois and beyond, they took apples with them. Each family unit usually had it's sack of apple seeds. Often, the family orchard was planted before the ground was broken for the log dwellings called "home". Settlers in Ohio and Indiana found a thriving nursery of apple trees awaiting them...carved out of the wilderness and planted by Johnathan Chapman, better known by his legendary name of "Johnny Appleseed".

Apples found their way to Washington State in 1826, on a Hudson Bay Company's sailing vessel. Seeds of a "good luck" apple given to the vessel's Captain Simpson, on the eve of his departure from London, were planted at Fort Vancouver, Washington in the spring of 1827. From this beginning, the Washington State Apple Industry has grown nationally to a production of about 65 million boxes each season.

Legends surround the history of the apple. Greek and Roman Mythology honored this fruit, particularly golden apples, as a symbol of reward or love or beauty. The Bible refers to the apple as the fruit that tempted Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden; the Songs of Solomon mention the apple; Swiss folklore tells the story of William Tell's defiance of a tyrannical ruler; his courageous act of shooting an apple from his son's head.

Washington State stands unchallenged as the "Apple Bowl of the World." Though this state, located in the far Northwest corner of the country measures 68,192 square miles, it holds 65,000 acres of apple orchards to produce an average crop of more than 6 billion apples each year. It is uniquely suited to the fine development of apples; all natural factors such as soil, climate and irrigation contribute in perfect proportion to the special needs of the apple. This particular equation of natural factors is found nowhere else in the world.

Although apples are grown in commercial volume in 39 of the 50 states, and the national crop averages 190 million bushel boxes each year, Washington State's portion of this is 30%...1/3 of all apples grown in the United States.

When all apples diverted to processing are eliminated from the national apple total, leaving only those apples sold fresh, you will find that Washington State packs and ships approximately 45% of all apples sold fresh.

HOP GROWING IN THE STATE OF WASHINGTON

There are only four states that grow hops; Washington, California, Oregon and Idaho. Washington produces approximately 75% of the nation's total production. All of these hops are produced in the Yakima Valley (Yakima and Benton Counties).

Hops are a specialty crop used in the production of beer. They are sensitive to worldwide supply and demand factors. A small overproduction can cause the price to decline to a very low level, and a small underproduction can create a very high price.

Hop producers must start out with good fertile soil, since the perennial nature of hops makes it very difficult to rotate the land. Establishing a new hop yard costs approximately $12,000 an acre to install the trellis and to plant the roots. The trellis for an acre of hops requires approximately 1,200 pounds of heavy wire. There are 889 hills per acre when they are planted on a 7 foot square. The trellis extends 18 feet above the ground with the poles planted 2 feet deep. The roots are secured from established hop yards by cutting root pieces or "slips" from existing plants.

Each year the grower starts out by straightening and repairing poles and wires and working the ground. The root crown is then mechanically pruned to hold back early growth. Later growth will be more uniform and vigorous.

"Twining" occurs in mid-April, with two strings attached to overhead wires and secured in each hill. This string, called "coir yarn", is made from coconut fiber and has a breaking strength of approximately fifty pounds. It is used because of its ability to resist rot, and the fact that it runs through the picking machine better than other types of string. At the present time, there is also considerable use of paper twine.

After twining, two vines are trained by starting them clockwise around each string. This training is done approximately the middle of May. It is not unusual for a hop plant to grow 12 or more inches in a 24 - hour period if the weather is favorable.

Around the middle of June, crews of workers go through the field and "arch". In the process of arching, the two strings that lead from each hill are tied together approximately five feet from the ground. This enables the grower to send his tractors and equipment through for disking, cultivating and ditching without disturbing the vines that are growing up the strings.

Hop growers have to watch very closely the movement of aphids and spider mites into their hop yards, and around the first of July will spray for these insects. Mildew is another enemy of hops, but because of the dry weather in the Yakima Valley, it has not been as serious a problem as in other areas. By Mid-August, early varieties are ready to harvest. Late varieties are ready for harvest by mid-September. Over a dozen varieties are grown in the Yakima Valley.

The introduction of mechanical picking in 1941 greatly increased to the point that today all the hops are picked with either a stationary machine or a hop combine, eliminating the necessity for thousands of hand laborers in the Valley. In order for a grower to own a stationary machine, he must be able to harvest from 100 to 200 acres of hops. This machine will operate for approximately thirty days and will pick about 7 acres a day in a ten to twelve hour shift, depending upon the size of the vines and the efficiency of the operator. A modern machine today costs the grower approximately $350,000.

Hops from the picking machine are conveyed to hop kilns, which have drying units to eliminate moisture down to about eight percent. After drying, hops are pushed from the drying floors into a cooler-warehouse where they are allowed to cool before bailing into 200 pound bales. The bales are wrapped in 24 ounce burlap from India, which also supplies the coir yarn used for twining. The drying unit and the baler require a capital investment of approximately $250,000.

Hops are an expensive crop to grow. Through the years there has been established a precedent of selling hops in advance for contracting for one to five years. When a grower is in possession of a contract for his coming crop, the buyer will advance him a portion of his expected return in March for the growing of his crop, and a portion of his expected return in August for the harvesting of his crop. Under normal prices, the production per acre the grower obtains will have a great deal to do with whether he makes a profit or not. Production in Washington has averaged around 1,935 pounds of dry hops per acre over the past ten years.

In 1981, Washington reached its peak in acres with 31,337. In 1987, 20,100 acres were grown in this state.

Hops are grown in many countries throughout the world, with the United States being the second largest, producing 25% of the 1987 world crop. West Germany, Czechoslovakia, and Yugoslavia are the main countries competing for the world market. The United States exports approximately 55% of its crop.

Washington has become the largest producing state in hops because climatic conditions have been conducive to the health and production of the crop. However, hops have been grown in many other states, several of which have had to discontinue after a period of years because of disease and lack of production. Consequently, research is important to the hop industry and the State of Washington. The Washington Hop Commission funds a research program at the W. S. U. Irrigated Experiment Station at Prosser, and they work in cooperation with the other states in their many different programs.

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