1899 Map of Ellensburg

About this map

The Northern Pacific RR follows the winding course of the Yakima River through the heart of the Kittitas Valley at the turn of the century. This survey documents the early urban footprints of Ellensburg and Yakima before the massive expansion of twentieth-century irrigation. The landscape is defined by a series of prominent east-west ridges, including Manastash Ridge and Umtanum Ridge, which separate the river valleys. To the west, the Snoqualmie National Forest covers the high country, where settlements like Nile sit at the confluence of the Naches River and Rattlesnake Creek. The map shows a transition from the structured street grids of the valley floor to the winding paths of the Durr Road, capturing the region's early transportation network between the Yakima Indian Reservation and the burgeoning northern railroad towns.