mssc19

MsSC 19

NORTHERN PACIFIC RAILROAD COMPANY, NORTH YAKIMA, WASHINGTON TERRITORY RELOCATION, .5 l.f.

Abstract: In 1884, the Northern Pacific Railroad Company moved its station and most of the town from Yakima City to North Yakima, a company-controlled townsite four miles to the north.

History: As the Northern Pacific Railroad Company built its Cascade Division from Pasco through the Yakima Valley to Ellensburg in 1884, it encountered difficulty in locating railroad facilities at Yakima City (now Union Gap). The reasons given by the company for its decision to abandon Yakima City as a station were its inability to negotiate favorable terms with land owners and the lack of available property for the establishment of adequate railroad support facilities. The actual cause was the railroad’s lack of ownership of property at Yakima City. It had extensive holdings of grant lands in the vicinity of North Yakima, giving them control of the townsite.

The railroad offered to underwrite all expenses of moving any business from Yakima City to North Yakima and also proving lots in the new town to those businesses. During 1885, there was an exodus from Yakima City as buildings were moved the four miles to North Yakima. Yakima City languished without even a depot until a lawsuit awarded them a depot a few years later. North Yakima prospered and became the county seat, changing its name to Yakima in 1917.

Scope and content: The collection consists of incoming and outgoing railroad company correspondence concerning engineering, planning, and executing the move from Yakima City to North Yakima. There is a letterpress book of outgoing correspondence and a letterpress book of vouchers, mainly concerning payment of expenses for relocating the town.

Folders 9-16 are photocopies of the original Northern Pacific Railroad “President’s files;” mainly internal company correspondence held at the Minnesota Historical Society in St. Paul, MN. Permission to quote or reproduce must be obtained in writing from MHS.

Inclusive dates: 1883-1887

Restrictions: None on WSHS materials. Due to fragility, some copying restrictions apply

Volume: .5 l.f.

Accession number: S1992-67.7

Box 1

Folder Contents

1 Western Land Agent. Correspondence, September-November 1883. 2 letters

2 Western Land Agent. Correspondence, January-September 1884. General Land Agent, Charles Lamborn to Western Land Agent, Paul Schulze. 6 letters

3 Western Land Agent. Correspondence, October 1884. Lamborn to Schulze, Navarre to Schulze. 4 letters

4 Western Land Agent. Correspondence, November 1884. Lamborn to Schulze. 4 letters

5 Western Land Agent. Correspondence, January-June 1885. McNaught to Schulze, Schulze to Wilson, Schictel to Schulze, Owens (townsite engineer) to Schulze. 16 letters

6 Western Land Agent. Correspondence, August 1887. Schulze to Inverarity (warranty deed, letter fragment). 2 items

7 Western Land Agent. Letterpress book, 2 March 1885-28 September 1886. 227 leaves. PHOTOCOPYING OF THIS VOLUME IS PROHIBITED

8 Western Land Agent. Pend d’Oreille Division vouchers, January 1885-September 1886. 491 leaves. PHOTOCOPYING OF THIS VOLUME IS PROHIBITED

The following folders are photocopies of Minnesota Historical Society materials. See Scope and Contents note.

9 President’s file, 1883. 1 item

10 President’s file, 1884. 9 items

11 President’s file, January 1885. 2 items

12 President’s file, February 1885. 2 items

13 President’s file, March 1885. 14 items

14 President’s file, April 1885. 24 items

15 President’s file, May 1885. 12 items

16 President’s file, June 1885. 1 item