The Kittitas Range War
Armed settlers and their wives confront a canal company to defend their family farms from state-sanctioned land seizure.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
Trouble which has been brewing for several weeks between land-owners on the course of the Kittitas irrigation canal and the company engineering the enterprise, relative to the right-of-way, culminated today in a personal encounter between several ranchers and their wives and laborers who are clearing the route. Two weeks ago a board of appraisers at Ellensburg estimated the damages that would be sustained by the several ranchers residing on the south side of the river, opposite Cle Elum, by the construction of the ditch through their lands. Several ranchers refused to sign an acceptance, and declared that they would protect their property from all trespassers until an adjustment of matters. This morning a large force of laborers, headed by Sub-Contractor Madison, attempted to enter the property of Pressey and Surrell, when the latter with their wives and men help met the party of invaders with Winchesters. Both the men were very determined, and a promise to let daylight through either the company's employes or the contractor if a rail was touched, convinced Madison that he had better delay proceedings. Hence the work was stopped and a call made upon the sheriff for assistance. The settlers as a rule are disposed to be liberal with the enterprise, while no practical benefit is derived, but they are opposed to giving up the best portions of their fine farms and in a measure impoverishing themselves to insure the prosperity of settlers of the desert lands of the lower Kittitas.
“Both the men were very determined, and a promise to let daylight through either the company's employes or the contractor if a rail was touched, convinced Madison that he had better delay proceedings.”
Conflicts over water rights and eminent domain for infrastructure projects have defined Washington agriculture for over a century. The 'Kittitas' dispute mirrors the ongoing tension between centralized state development and the autonomy of individual landowners.
From readers
No comments yet. If you know something about this story — a correction, a family memory, a source — it belongs here.