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Researched by Darian B. |
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Research Introduction
Native Americans (or the Yakama Tribe)
were the first to discover/ live in the Yakima Valley. In 1805,
while on the Lewis and Clark Expedition, the white settlers first set
foot in the Yakima Valley and realized how plentiful all of the outside
resources were. Later on during the 1900’s the Yakima Valley
towns were beginning to grow and prosper. I researched some of
the important people of the past and what they did. Production of
fruits, vegetables, beef and dairy cattle is a very important thing in
the Yakima Valley too.
Native Americans in the Yakima Valley
In
the Yakima Valley there was (and still is) a Native American tribe
known as the “Plateau People” or the “Yakama.” The "Plateau
People" were the 14 hunting and gathering tribes of the Yakima
Valley. These Indians were later put together under the name
"Yakama." The “Yakama” is now on a reservation along the Yakima
River.
The Extremes of the 1800’s in the Yakima Valley
There
were many things that happened during the 1800’s in the Yakima Valley;
they ranged from the first records of white men on the land, to the
turn of the century.
According to records the first time white
men stepped foot into the Yakima Valley was during the Lewis and Clark
Expedition of 1805. During that time period, the Yakima Valley
was being used for hunting, fishing, and agricultural reasons for the
Yakama tribe. The incredible descriptions that Lewis and Clark
had written about the Yakima Valley’s fertile grounds, and beautiful
wildlife persuaded trappers, traders, settlers, and mineral seekers to
move to the stunning Yakima Valley. Many of these new people came
by wagon train. Some of the wagon trails from these people are
still visible in the Chinook Pass area.
By the late 1850’s and
early 1860’s permanent settler parties began to arrive in the Yakima
Valley. The Yakama tribe was not very happy about their new
neighbors, and disputes broke out between the settlers and the Natives.
These disputes led up to the Yakima Indian wars of the years 1855
through 1857. In the year 1856 Fort Simcoe was established, and
the Natives were soon placed on a reservation. This had happened
to maintain peace between the settlers and Natives.
During
1870 there was a census that counted 432 pioneers living in the Yakima
Valley. These people were those who had seen major potential in
the volcanic soil along the ground of the Yakima Valley, and thought
the amount of rainfall wasn’t very large, the snow from the Cascades
kept the soil abundantly moistened. The population grew very
quickly to 3,000 by the next decade. By the turn of the century,
this had grown even more to 15,000 people.
The Highlights of the 1900’s in the Yakima Valley
Many
changes occurred during the 1900's in the Yakima Valley, and the towns
were beginning to form. Soon water and electricity became
available leading up to railways transporting agriculture and
industry. Libraries and other civic services became available
too. During the great year of 1907 a trolley was put in Yakima by
the Yakima Valley Transportation Company or YVT. During 1909 the
Union Pacific took over the YVT extending its lines to other nearby
towns. In 1923 the Steeple Cab #298 was built and still today
hauls around freight cars. By 1994 the population of the Yakima
Valley had grown to 59,740.
Important People of the Past in the Yakima Valley
Robert
S. Lince was one of the many important people in the Yakima Valley and
was also an incredible historian. Mr. Lince was especially
important in Selah. Robert researched Selah’s history and
published it in a book title The Selah Story
Another very
important person in the Yakima Valley was judge William O. Douglas
(1898-1980). When William was a toddler he and his family moved
from Minnesota to Yakima. As a child William had polio, so he
would hike up the Cascade Mountains to get stronger.
Mr. Douglas
went to many colleges and taught at many schools. After William
graduated from Whitman College, he taught at Yakima High School.
He later moved on to Columbia University law school and taught at Yale
University. For a little while after Columbia University he
worked for a private law practice.
Mr. Douglas ruled on the
Supreme Court from 1939 when he was nominated, to his retirement in
1975. At age 41 in 1939 President Roosevelt nominated William O.
Douglas for the U.S. Supreme Court. During his career William
wrote over 20 books and gave more opinions than any other judge.
Production in the Yakima Valley
In
the Yakima Valley there are many farms that grow different types of
plants and have many kinds of animals. The Yakima Valley has over
4,200 farms. The Yakima County leads the nation in apple, fruit
juice, mint, winter pear, and hop production. The county also
ranks first in the number of fruit trees, and fourth in the value of
fruit grown. The Yakima County also ranks second in the country
in wine production. Did you know that the Yakima County produces
about 40% of Washington’s total grapes? Other crops in the Yakima
Valley are cherries, pears, asparagus, peaches, onions, and also
plums. Beef and dairy cattle are also important products in the
Yakima area.
Research Conclusion
As you now
understand, the Yakama is the Yakima Valley’s Native American tribe and
has lived on the land for many years. The first settlers came to
the Yakima Valley in 1805, and began to establish the towns slowly,
into what they are today. The Yakima Valley began to rapidly grow
especially in the 1900’s with the population up to about 59,740
people. There were many very important people in the Yakima
Valley’s past, and they did some awe-inspiring things! Also the
production of fruits, vegetables, cattle and dairy products are very
important to Yakima Valley because the Yakima Valley is the nation’s
top apple producer, and many other plants too.
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