Yelm's
History
The shimmering,
fertile prairie stretched and rolled as far as the eye could see.
In the shadow of Mt. Rainier, the pristine Nisqually River carved
its path through the endless prairie long before the feet of countless
travelers etched their own silent mark.
According
to Nisqually legend, the area was first known as Shelm, the name
given to the shimmering heat waves which dance and play above
the prairie when the summer sun shines hot. A great prairie creates
a great haze. This was emphasized by the Nisqually by drawing
out the syllable to say "S-S-S-SHELM". The impatient
Euro-American settlers eventually shortened this to Yelm.
The Yelm prairie
was the crossroads of Native American trails leading north from
the Cowlitz River and the Bald Hills trail leading to Naches Pass
over the Cascades. These trails were utilized by the Nisqually
Indians, then fur traders, the British operators of the Hudson
Bay Company, American settlers and eventually the Northern Pacific
Railroad.
A business
and residential district quickly grew along the intersection of
the railroad and the old east/west Bald Hills Trail.
1883
In 1883 James Longmire discovered "his" springs near
Mt. Rainier, built the first wagon road to the future park and
established a guiding station. Yelm came into being as the gateway
to Mt. Rainier. The Yelm business district became the commercial
center for the prairie with a thriving economy based on dairy
farms, grain, cattle, saw mills and shingle mills. As Washington
approached statehood, Yelm was still evolving as a town.
1912
By 1912, when the Northern Pacific Railroads elevated Yelm to
official status, the town had assumed the form still visible today.
1916
The first quarter century also saw the creation of one of Western
Washington's few irrigation districts. The Yelm Irrigation Company
was formed, and by June, 1916, the project was complete. The Yelm
ditch, as it was popularly called, was viewed as a way to increase
productivity and to encourage more families to settle in the area.
Farm prices were good and demand for produce was high. The irrigation
system allowed farmers to grow red and black raspberries and Bluelake
beans in commercial quantities. By 1930 the economics of farming
and the problems of maintenance were taking its toll, and in the
late 1940's, the Yelm Irrigation Company ceased operations
1924
Three major fires in 1908, 1913, and 1924 propelled the Yelm Women's
Civic Club to start a movement to incorporate, allowing the construction
of a water system to fight fires. On December 8,1924 Yelm was
incorporated. One of the first orders of business was to establish
a fire department. Many buildings seen today along Yelm's main
street were built following the 1924 fire.
1996
Yelm has given way to modern commerce. Its Native American
trails have evolved into highways. Yet the shimmering, fertile
prairie still stretches and rolls. In the shadow of Mt. Rainier,
the pristine Nisqually River still travels on its path through
the endless prairie. And on a summer day you can still see the
great haze rise above Yelm Prairie and hear the ancient Nisqually
whisper "s-s-s-shelm...."
