Fruit Row in Yakima a Special Place in Local History
It’s called Fruit Row and it’s located along North First Avenue and for many years it was the central location to begin the shipment of valley fruits and vegetables shipped around the world.
The city wants to turn the area into a National Historic District
Now the city wants to turn it into a National Historic District. Fruit Row saw big benefits from rail when Northern Pacific Railway rolled into the valley. It was a game changer for growers who had to invent new ways to pack the commodities so they could be shipped to other states and countries.
The city has received an $8,000 grant to submit an application
Today valley produce is shipped in a variety of ways by both trucks and rail and from many different places other than Fruit Row. City officials say it’s now time to preserve the area for history. The city is now beginning the project with help from the Washington State Department of Archaeology and Historic Preservation. The state has awarded the city of Yakima an $8,000 grant to help with the creation and submission of an application to Nominate the "Fruit Row" area within the City of Yakima as a National Historic District. The Planning Division intends to use this grant funding to hire a professional consultant to do the work to name "Fruit Row" as a National Historic District.
Many growers in the valley are very familiar with Fruit Row some even remember growing up and visiting the area during harvest time. It could take up to two years to complete the process and have the area named a National Historic District.