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Researched by Lauren G.
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Introduction
This report will tell of some of the major events in the history of
our little town Selah, Washington.
The Beginning
Selah was founded over 200 years ago and was as small as, maybe even
smaller, than it is now. Indians lived all over the town and not a white
man or woman was anywhere within view.
Alfred Henson
Alfred Henson was the first white man to move into Selah. He and his
family remained and settled there. Later on his cabin became the first
known schoolhouse in Selah.
Schools
The first Selah school was the in the Alfred Henson cabin. Then, later, an ordinary schoolhouse was built, called the Taylor School.
Later on, in around 1912, a new high school was finished. (John Campbell)
Community Days
The Community days started when the new high school
was built, around 1912 in celebration of Selah’s joy, and merriment. As
the celebratory time of year became older the events got bigger, like the
common things in Selah for the community are rides and games like a mini
carnival. Back in the 1920’s they just had games and a little citywide
party, with food plenty of games for children and adults. Can you see the
difference between now and then? Perhaps there are more exciting things
for the community days in the future. Selah trading company is an old piece
of history in Selah. It was actually once a two story building, it was
a fairly large building with not much of a history, until the fire known
as ‘the Fire of 1908’, struck the building.
Fire of 1908
The fire of 1908 started at the trading company a woman passing by
the trading company saw it catch on fire, she tried to the owner, who just
happened to be her husband, but before she could get there the fire spread
to the grocery store, and nearly everyone was running around screaming
and yelling.
By the time she got there all of the telephone poles caught on
fire, and the fire had also spread to the new Hotel! The fire station was
nowhere near finished! However the owner of Selah trading company had made
a deal with the Yakima fire station. “We will put out any fire in exchange
for $100.”
He had made the call just before the telephone polls were burned.
Then about 30 minuets later, the Yakima Fire Department came at top
speed the sirens ringing quickly and put out the fire just before it got
too big to even put out.
The Year of Rebuilding
After the fire the next year was know as the year of rebuilding. The
city area that had caught on fire was being rebuilt. Selah had just, recovered
from the fire, and decided to rebuild the Trading Company, except this
time they rebuilt it to a one floored company instead of a two floored
company like it was before, and the new hotel was rebuilt (and finished!)
and was very well known through out the years because of it’s 25-cent homemade
meals, and clean rooms. They also constructed a new high school. Which
was the beginning of community days.
The Apple Juice Capital
Selah was named the apple juice capital of the world in the1960’s because
of it’s two apple juice plants and all of the apple juice that it they
could produce within one month of work. The Tree top company was newly
built (actually it was made just before Selah got the title) but made a
large prophet, and is up and running in Selah today.
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