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1901 Map of Ellensburg

Name: 1901 Topographic Map of Ellensburg
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1951
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1951

About this map

The Yakima River valley serves as the central artery for this turn-of-the-century landscape, where the Northern Pacific R. R. follows the water south through Ellensburg and Thrall. The mapping reveals a stark transition from the irrigated agricultural basin around Yakima and Selah Creek to the high, ridged terrain of Manastash Ridge and Umtanum Ridge. The transportation network of 1899 is still clearly visible, including the winding Old Durr Road cutting through the highlands.

Small agricultural outposts and early irrigation points like Cowiche, Tampico, and Nile mark the edge of the wilderness, bordering the Snoqualmie National Forest and the northern boundary of the Yakima Indian Reservation. This survey captures the region just as its famous fruit and hop industries were beginning to expand, with complex water systems like Ahtanum Creek and Wide Hollow Creek already defining the lowland settlement patterns.