The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1901-07-25
THE YAKIMA HERALD.
THURSDAY, JULY IS, 1901.
EARLY YAKIMA.
An OLD Copy Of west Shore" Gives an Idea
OF Building q Town.

W. J. Aumiller, the real estate man,
found an old copy OF "The West Shore"
at his home few days ago that has con-
siderable interest attached to it in a his
toric way. 1t is dated April, 1885, was
published at Portland, Oregon, and was
medium for the dissemination of in
formation pertaining to the northwest.
In this number is an article entitled,
Building a Town." and it applies to
North Yakima. BY way OF introduction
it saws:
"Three months ago the mingled tufts
OF bunch grass and sage brush alone
claimed possession of North Yakima,
and now thriving town, with railroad
depot and side tracks, stores, residences,
a church and even thousands of shade
trees, is to be seen. Only in the great
West do conditions exist which render
such things possible. North
Yakima is the latest addition to the list
OF live western towns, and in every es-
sential particular it excels all its pre-
decessors, presenting many interesting
features peculiar to itself"
After speaking Of the feature of the
Yakima valley in a general way, noting
its possible resources and citing the adj
vantageous position it holds and gener-
alizing on the mineral region contiguous
to it, the matter of productiveness of the
soil is taken up. 1t says:
"Fields of such soil have successfully
grown wheat for years without fertilizers,
the crop often yielding fifty bushels to
the acre. Fruits and vegetables attain
the highest excellence in point OF size
and flavor. Grapes grow to fine size
and in some localities are perfect in fla
vor. Peaches have done well in many
places, but are not considered safe
crop. With this exception there is ev-
erything to encourage the fruit grower.
Vegetables are of the finest quality.
Small fruits attain astonishing size and
perfection in flavor. The climate is such
that fruits, like flowers, receive the most
delicate coloring, and no insect has yet
appeared to injure them"
The author of this had some prophetic
instinct, it can be seen, but he could not
see into the possibilities of peach cul-
ture. 1t is said peaches "are not con-
sidered safe CROP" which everybody
knows to the contrary today. This is
the greatest peach country in the whole
northwest. The product cannot even be
beat for quality and quantity in Cali
fornia. As a matter Of history the fol-
lowing is quoted
"When the Northern Pacific decided
to begin actual construction upon the
Cascades division, the officials of the
land department made a careful exam
ination of the Yakima country. Their
examination resulted in the decision
that the site described above was the
natural commercial center of the Yak
ina country. In that valley they found
the town of Yakima City, containing
about 500 people, and transacting the
business for large part of this new
and sparsely settled region. In several
respects the town did not meet the re-
quirements for great inland metrop-
oils, and the officials were compelled to
decide between adopting it with it's i'm
PROJECTIONS or founding new one. The
latter course was decided upon as being
the wlsest one to pursue, and site in
every way eligible was selected three
and one.half miles north of the old town.
This was surveyed and laid out in blocks,
lots, streets and alleys, with plats re-
served for public uses. State capitol and
other buildings of a public and educa-
tional character. To compensate the
citizens of the town as much as possible,
the company offered to donate to such
of them as would remove their build
ings to North Yakima, the name chosen
g. L.. Il
ones there, business and residence prop
erty equivalent in value and location to
that occupied by them in the old town.
! Gas soon as this decision was an
nounced, there was great rush of en-
terprising business men to the new town
site. The company Immediately be-
gan the construction of depot, side
tracks, etc, and work was commenced
on two score buildings almost in day.
Several business men OF the old town,
clearly approaching the situation, i'm
mediately began the removal of their
building or the construction of new ones
upon lots accepted on the company's
proposition. Others held back and
sought to maintain the prestige OF the
old town but one by one they recog-
nized the handwriting on the wall, and
were wise enough to see permanent
advantage in what appeared to be a
temporary calamity. More contracts
were daily let to the house-movers, un-
til now the movement northward is a
continuous procession. Large buildings
are in some instances cut in two and
taken in sections, while others are
moved in their entirety. Smaller build
ings are mounted on wheels and drawn
across the prairie by twenty-mulet teams.
So quickly is this work done, and so gen.
eral has become the hegira, that the