Toppenish is the largest city on the Yakama Indian Reservation and an agricultural powerhouse in the rich Yakima Valley. It's roughly two miles from the Yakima River's south bank, nestled among orchards and farmland. The Yakama Indians and other Plateau Tribes inhabited the area for generations, and it was included in the Yakama Reservation, which was formed in 1855. In 1884, a Northern Pacific Railway depot was erected on the location, and the station was given the name Toppenish, which comes from a Yakama word that means "sloping downhill and spreading."
In 1887, five Indian households claimed allotments near the depot. When some of the main allotments were divided into lots and sold in 1905, the town began to flourish. The town was formed in 1907 when it had grown to a population of a few hundred people. Farmers and ranchers leased or bought the irrigated farmland around it, and the population grew to 1,598 by 1910. Toppenish was soon shipping hops, fruit, potatoes, and cattle out on freight cars. Hispanic farm workers assisted in the harvesting of crops and subsequently became residents.
Toppenish had become a majority Hispanic city by the 1990s. With the Yakama Nation Museum and Cultural Heritage Center and the Yakama Nation Legends Casino, the Yakama Tribe has a strong presence in and around Toppenish. Toppenish has a particularly strong historical presence. It also houses the American Hop Museum and the Northern Pacific Railway Museum, as well as 75 outdoor murals depicting scenes from the region's history as part of the Toppenish Mural Society initiative.
Listen now to learn more about this wonderful central Washington town!

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