Seattle's First Strawberries Head East
Local horticulturists test the viability of shipping Puget Sound fruit to Eastern markets by rail.
Having reached the point where the production of the soil has increased beyond the demands of home consumption, the horticulturists of Western Washington are now engaged in making experimental tests of shipping their surplus to Eastern markets. It is only by taking risks that results can be ascertained. During the past week, the first carload of strawberries left Seattle, destined for the Eastern states. The perishable nature of the fruit is well known, and coupled with the delays incident to transporting so long a distance, makes the first venture look somewhat problematical. Still, with improved modern methods of packing and transportation in cars especially constructed for the purpose, perishable fruit should reach its destination in good and salable condition. The superior size of the strawberries of Puget Sound, together with the fine flavor, should at once command attention and a market.
“It is carrying out the old adage of nothing ventured, nothing have, and if timid imbecility were to prevail instead of lively effort, the country would present a sorry spectacle.”
This 1895 experiment marks the beginning of the Pacific Northwest's transformation into a global agricultural powerhouse. Today, while the 'carload' has been replaced by global logistics, the region's struggle to balance local consumption with the demands of export markets remains a central theme of the Washington economy.
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