[Sumach Park] came into being by people using it and not the
other way around...it had no formal boundaries except the river and
the patrons' imagination. (from A History of the Yakima Greenway by
Frank Frederick)
In the early part of the 20th century, a large park stretched
along the banks of the Yakima River east of downtown Yakima. Named
for the sumac trees that grew along the river, Sumach (spelled with
an 'h') Park was a popular spot. "It had everything, horseshoe
pits, baseball diamonds, foot racing, swimming holes, bandstands,
grandstands and even a ferris wheel, though it was north of the
park and privately owned." (George Martin quoted in A History of
the Yakima Greenway)
Bridge in Sumach Park
In 1933, the Yakima River flooded, and Sumach Park was
devastated. In the years that followed, the river was lined with
slaughterhouses, gravel pits, and mills. Sumach Park became the
city dump, even sprouting a small peach orchard where the canneries
had dumped peach pits. The city's poor lived along the river, but
most Yakima residents avoided the area.
Bridge in Sumach Park - Lanterman Collection/Yakima Valley
Museum
The Yakima Metro District was formed in 1946-47 as an entity to
acquire, own, operate, and maintain parks, playgrounds, and other
recreational facilities. A park board was elected which functioned
as Yakima's parks department until 1969. This board was in favor of
cleaning up the Yakima River within its jurisdiction, while other
local citizens advocated a gap-to-gap approach to solving the
river's problems. However, lacking financial support, the board did
not take any action on improving the river area.
In 1957, the Washington State Department of Transportation
announced Interstate 82 would be built through the Yakima Valley.
This meant the river from Union Gap to Selah Gap would suddenly be
in public view again. Talk about annexing the river area began,
with the dream of a park and golf course. In 1959, after Sportsman
Park was built along the east bank of the river, S.I. Anthon
advocated a project called "The Beautification of the Sumac Area."
She stated, "The Sumac wilderness can be made beautiful. It's a
challenge, but Yakima has solved more difficult problems. Given
time, it will solve this one." Shortly afterward, the Metro
District purchased the land now occupied by Sherman Park and the
Yakima Area Arboretum. Discussion continued about the purchase of
270 more acres between the proposed freeway and the river.
Throughout the 1960s and '70s, the citizens of Yakima continued
to move toward the creation of a park along the river. The Chamber
of Commerce Beautification Committee proposed using state funds to
acquire the property bounded by Terrace Heights Drive, Moxee Road
(now Nob Hill Boulevard), the river, and the freeway. Local
supporters met with the State Parks Commission, and it appeared the
commissioners would endorse the concept of the Greenway. State
legislators Ed Seeberger and Jim Whiteside co-sponsored a request
in the state budget for a study of the river area, which became the
Yakima Greenway Master Plan. Unfortunately, once the Master Plan
was prepared and accepted, the state withdrew from planning,
acquisition, and operation of the Greenway project. The Yakima
County Commissioners, instead, were given responsibility for the
project.
The County did not have room in their budget for development of
the Greenway. The Yakima City Park Commission recommended a group
be formed to implement the Master Plan. The Greenway Task Force
came together in 1979. Committees were formed for planning, public
relations, funding, boundary review, and operations and
maintenance.
The Yakima Greenway Foundation was formed in 1980 as a private,
nonprofit land trust. Its mission was and is to conserve, enhance
and maintain the Yakima Greenway as a continuing living resource
for future generations. With many years of hard work by Foundation
directors, individual citizens, businesses, service clubs, and
other philanthropic organizations, the Greenway dream of the 1940s
has become a reality and continues to grow.
The Greenway now stretches from Selah Gap to Union Gap, and west
along the Naches River. Over ten miles of paved pathway connect
parks, river access landings, nature trails, fishing lakes, and
protected natural areas. State and federal grants, along with local
matching money, helped build many of the parks and pathways. The
citizens of Yakima have generously given time, money, energy, and
ideas to bring the vision of the Greenway to life.
Several lakes created by gravel mining exist within the river
corridor and are, or will be, developed for recreation or reclaimed
for natural habitat areas. The centerpiece of the Greenway, Sarg
Hubbard Park, is built on the former city dump site. The Yakima
River corridor, once the shame of Yakima, is now the pride of the
community.
Information about the history of the Greenway is from Frank
Frederick's A History of the Yakima Greenway. This narrative traces
the Greenway's evolution from Yakima's early days through 1995 and
is available for purchase in the Greenway Member and Visitor Center
at Sarg Hubbard Park.
There will be hot coffee and cocoa, muffins before and after.
there are plenty of caches in the area.
once i get a good idea of how many cachers will attend, this
will tell what area we will clean up. so grab your gloves, warm
jackets, and gpsr if you need to find the caches in the area.
UPDATE: I have place a couple new caches in the areas of the event
to be published the day of, also after the CITO I will be bbq some
burgers and dogs, bring something to share if you like.