The Great Seattle Hop Rush of 1889
As harvest season peaks in the shadow of the Great Seattle Fire, a local firm attempts to manage the precarious trade of Washington hops to the London market.
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The hop harvest in the Washington territory is underway, though the crop has fared badly in some districts. While early estimates were high, heavy rains and inconsistent management have reduced the yields in several yards. Meeker & Co. reports that while many growers are frantically trying to sell their stock, a lack of judgment has hampered their efforts. Choice hops remain in demand, yet a large portion of this year's harvest is of a second grade that will likely languish at cut rates. The firm has taken to shipping special train loads of 1,500 bales directly to London to bypass the domestic glut. They warn, 'One will be to a certain extent judged by the company he is in; so will the general character of our hops be judged by the general average.' With the harvest in full swing, Meeker & Co. continues to oversee the export, noting that inadequate railway facilities are causing significant strain during this busy season.
“One will be to a certain extent judged by the company he is in; so will the general character of our hops be judged by the general average.”
In 1889, Washington was a global powerhouse in the hop trade, a boom-and-bust industry that defined the early regional economy. Today, while Yakima remains a top hop producer, the 'hustle' has shifted from the agricultural export of raw materials to the city's complex urban real estate market, yet the anxiety over maintaining quality in a competitive global market persists.
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