The Persimmon Pilgrimage
A local man returns from Missouri with fruit that brings homesick settlers to tears.
David Kinkade returned last Saturday from a visit to his old home in Missouri. He brought with him some mammoth ears of corn and some fruit of a variety which Pacific coasters know nothing of—the persimmon. He left samples of each at the Capital office, and the room has been literally overrun with Missourians this week. The poor fellows would look at the product of the old sod, and as the tears rolled down their cheeks they would bewail the day they were deprived of these luxuries. It was really pitiable to see them, as they seemed to feel just as badly as American citizens would under the same circumstances. Mr. Kinkade came west many years ago and has been naturalized. He entertains a strong regard for his old home, but thinks the whole state is not worth as much, as a place to live, as Kittitas valley, and says the people here do not know how fortunate they are.
“The poor fellows would look at the product of the old sod, and as the tears rolled down their cheeks they would bewail the day they were deprived of these luxuries.”
This story captures the deep, visceral nostalgia of the pioneer era, where a simple piece of fruit could trigger a profound sense of displacement. Today, the 'Kittitas Valley' remains a place where people move to find a better life, though the specific regional longing for persimmons has been replaced by the globalized availability of almost any food item.
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