The Strawberry Gold Rush: Kennewick’s First Big Fruit Deal
Local growers secure a premium contract with Spokane’s elite Davenport Hotel, marking a shift from subsistence farming to high-stakes commercial agriculture.
The story, cleaned up
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The Kennewick Fruit Exchange booked an order this week for the first two crates of strawberries to be shipped to the Davenport Hotel in Spokane. The price paid will be $10 a crate f.o.b. Kennewick.
This significant commercial milestone coincides with the association receiving the big "Y" label, which will now be used on all strawberry crates. The labels are dark yellow with a blue "Y" and large Clark Seedling strawberries at either end. The word Kennewick is so prominently displayed as to leave no doubt as to where the berries were grown.
Meanwhile, County Agriculturist Lee M. Lampson continues to push for agricultural innovation, carrying on experiments in dry land crops this summer on F. P. McGuire’s place in Horse Heaven. Accompanied by Mr. McGuire, he seeded small quantities of Sudan Grass, Federita, Squaw Corn and Siberian Alfalfa to test the viability of alternative crops for the region.
In 1914, Kennewick was just beginning to transition from a general farming community into a specialized fruit-growing hub. Securing a contract with the luxury Davenport Hotel in Spokane signaled that local produce could compete with national markets, laying the groundwork for the Tri-Cities' modern identity as an agricultural powerhouse. Today, while the specific crop has shifted, the region remains defined by its reliance on high-value specialty crops and direct-to-consumer or high-end hospitality supply chains.
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