The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1911-11-15

'''V P"i poSe OF getting local color for
ms works he would be able to get il
without employing detective. Local
color is to be met with at every step.
rink of town that had only one
store IN it in 1908, whereas it now
mas more than score, with churches
national bank. a live weekly news
paper, warehouses, three-story school
building, frst-Class hotel and good
restaurants. a city hall, theater to seat
Soo' commercial club, baseball club,
and u brass band
Early History
just ten years ago, towit. in 1901
the present site of Wapato was being
iarmed The first lease from the In
dlahs Tor farming was consummated
that year by b. F.. Barge, now an
honored citizen of North Yakima, He
sold his lease the following year to f.
Groshen, who placed Sterling Smith
in charge of his farming operations.
the principal crops being potatoes,
cantaloupe and melons. The only
buildings there were the Northern Pa
cific depot and section house.
First store in Town
The first building off the Northern
Pacific right-of- way on the present
site of the town, was that erected by
Alex McCredy, in 1908. in which he
| established a general store 1t was
not until the spring of 1904 that there
was even a postofiice where the resi-
dents could get their mail, but it was
brought i'm by carrier, being on the
Zillah rural free delivery route No. 1
The townsite was laid out i'm 1906 by
the Wapato Development company of
which Alex e. McCredy was at the
| head. The population by that time
had increased to between $50 and 500
Two Years later, September, in 1908
| the village was Incorporated as a towr
| of the fourth class. Prior thereto, q
| census taken to show positively that
the town had the legal right to in
| corporate, gave the population ms
| 800 The decennial census of the
United States government in tn,
| spring of 1910 gave the population a!
even 400. Conservative estimates o.
| the present population place it at be
| tween $50 and 600. Those familiar
with "Dante's Inferno" will recall
| that false prophets, after having beer
consigned to the bad place haC
| their heads transposed on Their
shoulders so that they We're contin
ually looking backward. If it were
not for that horrible punishment star
| ing one in the face, your cores
pendent might be induced to make
some wild predictions. AS it is, h'
| 60 rIo
punishment and predict that Wapat,
will have population of 5000 by the
time the government next count!
| noses
First Mayor and Clerk
| j. r. Douglas was the FIRST mavo
of the town, while II. Il. Trimbe wa
its first clerk Both of these gentle
men, then as now. are moving Spirits
| in the Hub Mercantile company. Thu
present mayor is E. f. Carver, of tn
| Carver Shadbolt company OncD
while Mr.. Trimble is still clerk.
Townsite Sales Day
The townsite of Wapato was form
| ally thrown upon the market Septem
Der 30, 1906, that date being referre,
| TO as sales utN. II WAS tDput lllt
time that the Wapato Trading com
pany commenced to erect the frs
| brick block on the townsite, while
| simultaneously the Hub Mercantil,
| company commenced the erection o
| the first concrete block building
| which edifice is at the corner o
| Wapato avenue and Third street. Th'
la tier building has an extensive front
| age on Wapato avenue, the corncl
being originally occupied by the bank
| put at the present by the Offices of the
| United States Reclamation Service ant
| by the Wapato Development compan,
/ as real estate and business Offices
| The second concrete block buildins
was that of Moran & Siegel. occupy
ing q quarter of block, now thu
home of large meat company. /
| was in 1904, also that Burke & Carve
| erected their mammoth brick ware
| house adjoining the railroad track
| where shipments can easily be made
| That building has passed into thu
| ownership of the Carver Shad bol
| company Incorporated.
| A drug store came in 1907 ant
| different kinds of business have beer
| entered into from time to time unit
| he present, when, for a small place
| it may be stated that Wapato is
veil supplied. mercantile stocks be
| ng large and varied.
The Hub Mercantile company car
| 'es an immense stock and is beins
| managed by ]. F. Douglas Charlie
| S. Bilger, the former manager, Is a
| present in Russia in connection will
| a deal of the Commercial Wireless
| Telegraph and Telephone company
The Wapato Trading company, an
ther big concern. has W. y. Luby
I trustee Of the Wapato Commercial
| hub as its manager.
| The Carver Shadbolt company (In
| corporated), has the reputation o
arrying the largest stock Of farm
| implements and vehicles of any tirn
II the valley. AS a sample. the fol
| lowing will emphasize the abov'
] Statement: At n special sale, afte
thorough advertising in the Independ