Place Information
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Yakima is a city in central Washington and the county seat of Yakima County, Washington, United States. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 71,845 and a metropolitan population of 229,094. According to the Washington State Office of Financial Management's April 1, 2008 estimate, the city has a population of 84,685. Yakima is situated in the Yakima Valley, which is noted for being one of the best apple-producing areas in the world, and produces approximately 75% of all hops grown in the USA. The name originates from the Yakama Nation. The Yakama Indian Reservation is located to the south and southeast of the city of Yakima. Because of the sunny climate relative to the rest of the state, a local developer erected a sign at the edge of the city that proclaims Yakima as "The Palm Springs of Washington." Although it is not an official city sign, it is widely known and recognized by visitors to the area. History
The Yakama people were the first inhabitants of the Yakima Valley. In 1805 the Lewis and Clark Expedition came to the area and discovered abundant wildlife and rich soil, prompting the settlement of homesteaders. A Catholic Mission was established in Ahtanum, southwest of present-day Yakima, in 1847. The arrival of settlers and their conflicts with the natives resulted in the Yakama Indian War of 1855. The U.S. Army established Fort Simcoe in 1856 near present-day Toppenish as a response to the uprising. The Yakamas were defeated and forced onto the Yakama Indian Reservation. Yakima County was created in 1865. When bypassed by the Northern Pacific Railroad in December 1884, over 100 buildings were moved with rollers and horse teams to the nearby site of the depot. The new city was dubbed North Yakima and was officially incorporated and named the county seat on January 27, 1886. The name was changed to Yakima in 1918. Union Gap was the new name given to the original site of Yakima. Research Tips
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