The Northern Pacific's Plan for the Yakima Valley
A railroad land agent outlines a strategy to monopolize grazing rights, promote 20-acre farm plots, and lure a sugar beet factory to the region.
The land department of the Northern Pacific company is implementing a new strategy for Eastern Washington. By granting long-term leases for grazing ranges, the company hopes to encourage improvements like fencing and well-sinking, which they claim will mitigate the 'curse' of roving bands of wild horses. While critics argue that these large leases—some covering thirty-one sections—create monopolies that squeeze out smaller sheepmen, the company maintains that its agents are carefully vetting applications. Beyond grazing, the railroad is pushing for a shift in agricultural focus in the Yakima Valley. They are moving away from the 10-acre fruit orchard model, which they argue takes too long to become profitable, in favor of 20-acre plots that include alfalfa for dairy and beef production. Furthermore, the company is testing sugar beets in the valley, hoping to secure capital for a local factory, and is actively recruiting eastern cannery owners to process the region's perishable produce for markets in Alaska and the Orient.
“The Yakima valley has been heralded widely heretofore as a fruit district... hereafter we will encourage the purchase of 20 acres, one-half to be planted into that great forage plant, alfalfa.”
This article captures the era of corporate-led development, where the Northern Pacific Railroad acted as a de facto government in shaping land use. The tension between large-scale corporate land management and the needs of small-scale farmers remains a central theme in Yakima's agricultural economy today.
From readers
No comments yet. If you know something about this story — a correction, a family memory, a source — it belongs here.