YT SOUTH ROUTE TO SPOKANE THROUGH ELLENSBURG – 1915

For Directions, click the WA State YTA Mile Marker Numbers (below) linking you to a real-time map.
Continuing South on the Original 1915 YT from Virden:

WA-107.0 Virden (also known as Lauderdale Junction)

     NOTE: WA-107.0: Bettas Rd. is a good “authentic” drive. Although a 1916 BB suggests that WA 97 might have been used. Needs research! The 1924 Automobile Club of Washington called it Horse Canyon Rd. – with a 10% grade.
The original route apparently used Notcho Ln. between WA-114.1 and WA-115.0. It is now private.

     NOTE: WA-119.3 to WA 120.1: It is probable that the YT followed Clarke Rd. and a spur of Green Canyon loop to the east in this area but it is not now possible.

WA-121.8 Woldale School
Woldale School, 1907, at the intersection of Faust and Dry Creek Rds, (GPS: 47.02510, -120.59300) is still there complete with flagpole.
This would definitely have been seen by Yellowstone Trail travelers in 1915.

WA-125.7 Ellensburg
(pop. 6,000, alt. 1,510 ft.), is the metropolis of Kittitas valley, of which 60,000 acres are irrigated. Splendid highways lead to and from this city. One of the state normal schools is located here. BB1921-9*

     There are at least 31 historic buildings downtown that are still standing and that Yellowstone Trail travelers would probably have seen.

     The Downtown Historic District runs from Main St. east to Pine, and 3rd Ave. north to 5th.
     Seventeen buildings were built in 1889 after the big fire. We cannot feature all of them.

     Local “Walking Tours” guides by the Chamber of Commerce will lead you to them.

    Pearl Street was the route of the Yellowstone Trail 1915-1916.
     Today, fourteen historic buildings still stand, housing a variety of businesses.
     When Main St. was improved, the Association moved its signs there 1917-1925.
     Some of the eight historic buildings on Main St. sport cast iron decorations.
     In the late 1800s the fashion in architecture was to upgrade your building with cast iron faces and flourishes such as found on the iconic
     Davidson Block at Pearl St. and 4th Ave.

WA-126.4 – 1924 Automobile Club of Washington describes the Wenas Rd. (west and south from this point) as “the Old Road to Yakima” and the Canyon Rd. to the south as “the New Road to Yakima.”
     Wenas Rd. was the YT until about 1924, then Canyon Rd. was completed and became the YT. The Wenas Rd. is a more “authentic” driving experience, but the Canyon Rd. is a very scenic route. It also has the old tunnels from the original 1924 alignmen.

WA-145.0 Wenas

     Notice that the YT WA State Mile Marker Map shows two green driving lines. This rare instance indicates that either the Wenas or the Yakima Canyon road, both Yellowstone Trail routes at different years, would be driveable today.

     The Wenas Rd. was the original Yellowstone Trail southern route from Ellensburg to Yakima which the Trail followed 1915-1924.
     Out of Ellensburg, the road goes east through a forest of pine trees and crosses lush creeks and ridges.
     A view of Wenas Lake is possible.
     The summit of the Wenas is 3,128 feet, about 100 feet higher than Snoqualmie Pass, then the road dips down to farm country.
     Today, the summit of the Wenas is known as Ellensburg Pass.
     NOTE: If you follow this route, be prepared for rural conditions seasonally.

      Recently, mammoth bones were discovered on the Wenas. They are now looking for human bones.

     On Sept. 22, 1924, the state engineers completed “the new Yakima Canyon Road that will shorten the distance between Ellensburg and Yakima by approximately 13 miles and will follow practically the water grade” but will also require two tunnels. The road today is very wiggly because it hugs the Yakima River as it wanders through the Yakima Canyon. The two tunnels have long since fallen into disuse. This Canyon route has a landscape of soaring basalt canyon walls at the southern end.

     NOTE: WA-165.6: “The Old Yakima Road” (Wenas Rd.) meets “the New Yakima Road”, (Canyon Rd. – 821/823).

     The abandoned Twin Tunnels are about five miles north of this point on 823/821. There is a real possibility that coming from the north, the Canyon Rd. route, rather than turning west onto 823, roughly followed 821 into Yakima. Some of the route would then be under I-82. There is a local research opportunity here!

WA-167.1 Selah
The name, Selah, means “calm and peaceful” in the Yakima nation language. From fishing to sheep to pressing apple juice and packing fruit, this town has survived. It affords a great view of Mt. Rainier.

     NOTE: The YT from the north (now along Wenas Ave. and WA 823) apparently turned west at Naches Ave. for one block and then south on 1st St. for two blocks meeting modern WA 823 again to continue south.
    Going south on Wenas Ave. (WA 823) at the intersection with I-82 (Exit 30) stay in the left lane, keeping you on WA 823.
     Avoid I-82 and continue on 1st through Yakima. 
     Going north simply follow WA 823.

Just north of Yakima, the Wenas Rd. intersects Dusty Puddle Rd. Hmm.

WA-171.2 Yakima
Yakima’s population is 25,000, has an altitude of 1,057 ft., and, is the chief city and trade center of the famous Yakima valley. From an area under cultivation of little less than 300,000 acres, the agricultural and horticultural products last year were $35,000,000. The city has wide, well-shaded streets connecting with hard surfaced roads. It is on the Yellowstone trail and Evergreen highway. The Yakima valley is irrigated practically its entire length. BB1921-9*

As the center of the Yakima Valley apple region, the city gives much publicity to the local apple. Hotels make lobby displays of the fruit, and guests are urged to send boxes of apples to friends. Apple juice cocktails are featured on dinner menus. WA-WPA*

     Historic Front St. District hosts a collection of nine buildings constructed between 1889 and 1914.

Yakima (continued)
    At 32 N Front St. is a 1912 Northern Pacific Depot. There is also the old Opera House in the District; defunct as an opera house, it now houses gift shops. Wineries, restaurants and a coffeehouse now enliven the District – much better than dereliction.
     2105 Tieton Dr. Yakima Valley Museum. A modern, large building houses on two floors the history of the Yakima Valley. It provides new takes on old items. Also, native son Supreme Court Justice William O. Douglas is described as “controversial.” Old and musty it certainly is not. Of course, the orchard industry gets space.
     306 W Pine St. Yakima Electric Railway Museum is listed on the National Register of Historic Places because it is the last authentic, all-original, turn-of-the-century interurban electric railroad in the United States. The Yakima Trolley is the remnant of a once-expansive interurban railway. Presently, approximately five miles of track remain of the original 44, connecting the cities of Yakima and Selah. Electric trains have operated every year since 1907.
     19 S 3rd St. Capitol Theatre. In 1920 the new theatre featured Vaudeville acts. The City of Yakima purchased the theatre in 1975, but a fire burned most of it. By 1978 donated funds restored the building to its original glory. Today the Capitol hosts an average of 175 events annually as a performing arts facility, including the Yakima Symphony Orchestra, Broadway musicals and a Town Hall series. You might meet “Sparky,” the resident ghost.
     2008 S 16th Ave. at the airport. McAllister Museum of Aviation. This site is included because it was a school for pilots in the Yellowstone Trail days beginning in 1926, although it was just a pasture then. A woman pilot demonstrated flight there in 1913. Stroll about among the old planes.
     308 E Yakima Ave. The Grand Hotel Apartments. Before it was The Grand it was the Commercial Hotel which had advertised widely by 1915. Well preserved today, it may have been a stop for Yellowstone Trail travelers 100 years ago.

WA-174.7 Union Gap

     4508 Main St. (Yellowstone Trail). Central Washington Agriculture Museum. This is not just a building but is also18 acres of outdoor space to wander among 140 tractors dating from the early 1900s and other old farm pieces. There is also a working windmill, a blacksmith shop and two log cabins. Its goal is to show visitors “what it used to take to feed America.” Go on a nice day. You might see a bit of Mount Adams and the tip of Mount Rainier.

WA-182.9 Donald

     WAYSIDE – At WA-191, turn south on WA 22 for 3 1/2 miles to Toppenish.

Things To Do In Toppenish:

         100 Spiel-yay Loop & Buster Rd. Yakima Nation Museum and Cultural Center. The unique building is shaped like a giant Native American winter lodge teepee. It towers and is visible from a long distance. The professionally done displays are very absorbing and sobering. They tell the visitors how they understand their history with focus on their culture and traditions.
          22 S B St. Great American Hop Museum (as in the ingredient in beer). This is a small museum but very interesting. It’s all about hops, the history of the industry, and hop memorabilia. It even includes a short informative movie. Did you know that 75% of the hops used in making beer in the U.S. come from this area? We didn’t. We also didn’t know that this was the only hop museum in the U.S.
          City of Murals. There are around 76 murals painted on businesses’ walls so far. Plaques tell what the murals represent, all within a time frame of 1850 to 1950. All mural ideas are vetted by a committee for accuracy. Known artists are invited to guarantee quality. They are a combination of cultural expression and history of the area. Be careful! Flat painted surfaces have three-dimensional detail so don’t try walking into them. You can stroll the town or take a horse-drawn carriage ride to see them.
          10 Asotin Ave. Yakima Valley Rail & Steam Northern Pacific Railway Museum. This unique museum in a restored 1911 depot has a restored telegraph office and numerous displays about Pacific Northwest railroads and the Yakima Valley. Outside the depot are many pieces of Northern Pacific railroad rolling stock from cabooses to boxcars and a 1902 steam locomotive undergoing restoration.
          1 S Elm. Toppenish Museum. Gold panning, wild horses and early day ranch life top the list of exhibits here.
          211 S Toppenish Ave. Liberty Theatre. Built in 1915 as the Lois Theatre, it became the Liberty in 1927. Yellowstone Trail travelers would have seen Vaudeville, Chatauqua, and early “talkies” (movies). Note the nice paintings on the exterior. The horses were running freely then. From 1927 to 1984 movies were shown there. At this writing it was undergoing renovation.

WA-191.6 Zillah
Check for Yellowstone Trail signs throughout the valley: Zillah has four.
     1st Ave. GPS: 46.40467, -120.26955. Home of the Teapot Dome Filling Station, named after the historic oil-for-bribes scandal that brought down President Harding in the 1920s. In 1922 the filling station rested on the Yellowstone Trail (Yakima Valley Highway) at the edge of town, was moved once, then rescued from a near death experience and moved into Zillah to its present, pleasant site in 2012 and used as a travel information station. Learn all about it there.
     204 Cheyne Rd. There is a Christian Worship Center here. They have a large, humorous sign. It reads “Church of GodZillah.”

     NOTE: WA-191.6: The YT probably followed Railroad St. in the south part of Zillah rather than 1st all the way (with two more RR crossings!). Follow Yakima Valley Highway out of town to get through the area of Exit 54 of I-82.

WA-198.1 Granger
Granger benefited from the Sunnyside Canal which diverted water from the Yakima River for irrigation to this arid land, turning it into lush agricultural and dairy land.

Granger picked the dinosaur as its “mascot” since mastodon tusks and teeth were found nearby in 1958. There are about 30 of the various fiberglass and cement critters here.

This has nothing to do with the history of the Yellowstone Trail except it explains the appearance of the many signs of creatures along the highway as you entered the town along the Trail.

Also note the six Yellowstone Trail signs in the community
celebrating the short distance the Trail occupied
in the town due to I-82 cutting it off.
The small community had a great unveiling of the signs in 2015.

WA-208.1 Sunnyside

     704 S 4th St. Sunnyside Historical Museum. The museum houses a permanent display of Native American artifacts and pioneer life, including an early cattleman’s cabin.
     At the junction of Scoon Rd. and North Ave. is small, curved Rohman Dr. All are on the Yellowstone Trail and are marked with Trail signs.

     In 1892 Walter Granger dug 25 miles of the Sunnyside Canal that brought water to the north slope and immigrant farmers to the valley and the towns of Sunnyside and Zillah sprang up.

     WAYSIDE – 426 6th St., Sunnyside, is a large mural that memorializes the Yellowstone Trail. 
After months of effort, a mural depicting the historic Yellowstone Trail has seen its completion. The mural was completed onsite during a celebration on Saturday, August 10. This mural was hand-painted in 2024 and appeared on Page 14 of the latest Arrow publication.

WA-218.2 Grandview
     Named for its views of Mts. Rainier and Adams,
especially from the Grandview Pavement Road.

     NOTE: WA-218.2: In Grandview,
the route of the YT is somewhat ambiguous, and the exact way the
YT crossed the railroad tracks (Division/4th/Birch) is open to question.

     Of most interest to us is the Grandview Pavement Rd./Yellowstone Trail on the west side of town between Mabton-Sunnyside Rd. and Apple Way. This three mile stretch was, until 1997, the original pavement of the Yellowstone Trail with the 1921 stamp of the contractor. The road was narrow and bumpy, but it was on the National Register of Historic Places, the Washington Historical Register, the Washington Trust for Historic Preservation and beloved by the 49 families who lived on it and fought for years to retain the original.

     The road passes very near the home of famed photographer Asahel Curtis, whose home is also a declared National Historic Site. In spite of all of its history and adjudged historic value by many groups, the road was not only not repaved, it was obliterated.

     One of the original 1921 contractor’s stamps is at the Ray E. Powell Museum in Grandview. An “interpretive center” consisting of two wooden signs was placed along the Grandview Pavement Road. At this writing, a group is improving the marker site.

     Pleasant Rd. and Old Prosser Rd. (Old Inland Empire Rd.). Cornell Farmstead round barn, 1916. Watch for signs of hops and apricots growing.

WA-227.4 Prosser
7th St. in Prosser City Park. Benton County Historical Museum. See an old general store, 1867 piano, homesteader’s shack, pictures of wild horses roaming in the pioneer era and other bits of history of the area.

     NOTE: WA-227.4: 1916 BB* lists the non-Prosser route as an alternative to going through town.  In a 1912 Washington State Map (right), this northern route was listed as a wagon road (Team Only), meaning non-auto. White arrows on map indicate Prosser north route.

WA-244 Benton City
Benton City became a green spot in this arid area with the arrival of irrigation in the middle of the 20th century.

This, too, is definitely a part of the wine industry that includes other cities in the Yakima Valley, also the Tri-Cities of Pasco, Kennewick and Richland.

     NOTE: WA-244.0: There are indications (like the 1924 Automobile Club of Washington strip map #19) that the route through Benton City was more zig-zag. This needs local research.

WA-245.3 Kiona
Kiona was an early Northern Pacific Railway maintenance station which allowed farmers to ship their many dry farming products.
In 1917 the Yellowstone Trail was routed through Kiona. Benton City grew up across the Yakima River and Kiona remains unincorporated.

     NOTE: WA-252.3 (With the new YT park at WA-253.0): A bridge in West Richland crosses the Yakima River at WA-253.8.
HistoryLink.org Essay 10441 says a bridge was built because school kids need to cross the river. “The bridge, built north of present-day Van Giesen Street, was christened and was used by the YT.” 

      So the YT probably followed Fallon Dr. from the west, and crossed the river. On the east side, Google Earth shows probable remains of a road south of the loop now made by WA-224. That is just east of the modern bridge.

WA-253.8 West Richland
Austin Rd. & Bombing Range Rd. Yellowstone Trail Park. You’d never know that this lovely community park is really a storm-drainage facility with five underground drainage tanks. It is now a community garden with donated, raised planters available for rent. Who knew that the Trail would one day see a useful, new life as host to colorful flowers and veggies.

WA-257.4 Richland
     1943 Columbia Park Trail Hanford Reach Interpretive Center tells a wide ranging story of the Hanford nuclear center and the historical and cultural essence of the region.

     It explores the atomic era and the effort behind the massive secret weapons project.

     The Manhattan Project (1942-1947), Gallery 2, shows the timeline of the atomic bomb’s development here and the $40 billion environmental cleanup. The museum also features rotating displays of the Grand Coulee River and dam, irrigation projects, and the great Missoula Floods that shaped eastern Washington.

     Gold Coast Historic District. Roughly bounded by Willis St., Davison Ave., Hunt Ave., and George Washington Way, this was the area in which scientists lived in government housing while they worked on the Manhattan Project Hanford unit nuclear site.

     NOTE: The route through Richland is not well established and needs work; probably the route followed Barth Ave. in the south part of town.
From Richland and into Kennewick the route of the YT is obscured by the construction of modern highways, especially the 240 freeway.
     While the Columba Park Trail along the Columbia River is a reasonable candidate for the original YT and seems consistent with several maps and BB* listings,…
     Why is there a West Yellowstone Ave. just north of the railroad tracks a few blocks south of Columbia Park Trail? (Needs local research!)

WA-266.6 Kennewick
Kennewick’s population is about 2,700, and it’s altitude above sea level is 365 ft., is the largest town in Benton county, is situated on the Columbia river, and a camp site for tourists is maintained on the banks of this river within the city limits.
In the valleys around Kennewick were the winter camps of the Yakima, Snake and Walla Walla Indians. BB1921-9
     Columbia Park Trail/Columbia Drive (Yellowstone Trail) is a lovely drive along the Columbia River.
The Historic Downtown area is between Kennewick Ave. and Canal Dr. and between Washington and Fruitland Sts. Historic buildings have been renovated and restored.
    The 1978 Ed Hendler Bridge, a beautiful cable bridge across the Columbia River between Kennewick and Pasco, now stands very near the site of the 1922 Yellowstone Trail bridge, or “Green Bridge” as it was affectionately called. It was finally taken down in 1990, much to the despair of the many who had waged a ferocious battle to preserve it for a walking bridge. The bridge you are on, the cable bridge, is lovely, but memories of the Yellowstone Trail Green Bridge near this very spot live on. There is a small display area near the Kennewick approach to the bridge which features an interpretive sign about the old Green Bridge.

WA-269.5 Pasco

     NOTE: Before the bridge over the Snake at Burbank was built in 1919 to replace the ferry, the YT apparently followed Ainsworth St. through Pasco.

     The Historic Downtown District follows Lewis St. and Clark St. between Fourth and Tenth Aves. Pasco was long a transportation hub for railroads, river steamers and auto roads.
     Sacajawea State Park & Interpretive Center, 2503 Sacajawea Park Rd., is just a little south of the US 12 bridge across the Snake River.
The Yellowstone Trail was routed across the bridge’s predecessor.
Sacajawea Park was not there in Trail days, but you should see it at the confluence of the Snake and Columbia Rivers and refresh your knowledge of Lewis and Clark who camped there.

     Franklin County Historical Society and Museum,
305 N 4th Ave., tells the story of transportation and
agriculture locally and the loss of the famous
“Green Bridge” in the 1970s.

WA-275.0 Burbank
The route of the Yellowstone Trail through Burbank is obscured by the changes made with the building of the 1919 Snake River bridge and the later flooding of the Columbia River because of the building of dams. The route between Burback and Wallula is substantially lost due to that flooding. The replacement route is assumed to be similar to today’s US 12 alignment.

WA-286.5 Wallula
The first railroad to connect Walla Walla with the Columbia River at Wallula was begun in 1871 and it remained a “railroad town” until mid-20th century. The McNarey Dam and resulting Lake Wallula on the Columbia River drowned the town which packed up and moved two miles to higher ground as the dam was completed in 1954.
A later (1931) abandoned partial bridge can be seen, and driven to, about 350 feet east of the present US 12 bridge crossing the Walla Walla River just south of Wallula.

     NOTE: A later (1931) abandoned partial bridge can be seen, and driven to, about 350 feet east of the present US 12 bridge crossing the Walla Walla River just south of Wallula.

WA-300.7 Touchet
     The land between Pasco and WallaWalla is so much different from western, forested, mountainous Washington. Here we see dry sagebrush, treeless tracts reminiscent of the Palouse area further east. Vineyards and crops do well only because of heavy irrigation. Now one sees huge windmills powering the area, which looks like a 21st century forest.

     NOTE: In Touchet [TouChee] apparently the YT crossed the tracks twice, at least in 1918, but many maps seem contradictory and inadequate here. Dams on the Snake River built in 1960s flooded old YT.

WA-305.0 Lowden

WA-308.6 Frenchtown Historic Site and Monument 8364 Old US 12.
     If you want to learn more about Washington early history, keep your eyes open on Old Hwy 12 (Yellowstone Trail) for a series of markers documenting events. The monument is at St. Rose Cemetery and signs tell the story of the Battle of Frenchtown, 1855.
See History Bit “Frenchtown”.

     L’Ecole Winery – former Monument site (photo above) – Dave Habura

     Teepee at Frenchtown Monument site (photo above) – Dave Habura

WA-310.7 Whitman Mission National Historic Site and Interpretive Center
328 Whitman Mission Rd. Turn south on Swegel Rd.

Site of Dr. Marcus Whitman’s 1836 Methodist Mission and 1847 massacre, with his wife and others, by Cayuse Indians.

The massacre was a poignant example of a clash of cultures and mistrust after 11 years of uneasy coexistence.

Traces of the Oregon Trail, which Whitman helped to establish, appear on the property.

The massacre shocked Congress into making Oregon a U.S. territory, an unintended consequence of the tragedy.

A monument marks the massacre site.

WA-311.5 The Oregon Trail and the Whitman Mission off Old US 12 at Sweagle Rd. to Whitman Mission Rd.
     The Oregon Trail is a famous 2,170 mile path that emigrant settlers took to the Great West from Independence, Missouri, to Oregon City, Oregon. What may be less well known is that the Oregon Trail also had a spider web of alternative routes. As the trail developed, it became marked by numerous cutoffs and shortcuts.

     The basic route follows river valleys as grass and water were absolutely necessary. Later, several feeder trails led across Kansas. Many settlers branched off or stopped short of the Oregon goal with their Prairie Schooners and settled at convenient or promising locations along the trail.

     One of these alternate routes led through Dr. Marcus Whitman’s Methodist mission at Waiilatpu two miles east of Frenchtown amid the Cayuse. From Frenchtownwa.org we learn that “emigrants starting in the spring from Independence were able to reach the Whitmans’ mission by fall. After acquiring provisions at the mission, they followed the Walla Walla River to its mouth, then down the south bank of the Columbia River to the Willamette Valley. Many more emigrants followed in succeeding years through the Frenchtown Historic Site in the traditional homeland of the Cayuse Nation.”

     The mission was an important stop for settlers, drawing large numbers of them. The Cayuse were suspicious of whites and especially so of their ever-increasing numbers. Dr. Whitman had tried to lessen that suspicion by learning their language, by teaching them to farm and by aiding them during a measles epidemic, fatal to half the local tribe. Sadly, the Whitmans and others were massacred in 1847.
The alternate Oregon Trail runs parallel with and right next to Whitman Mission Rd. as you approach the visitors center. Other remnants of the trail are visible on the property. •

South of WA-315.8 – 755 NE Myra Rd. is Fort Walla Walla, now a fine museum.
It is a terminus of the Mullan Military Road, an important factor in Yellowstone Trail history.
See Trail Tale: Mullan Road.

Mullan Road Memorial Monuments near Spokane Valley

WA-317.5 Walla Walla
Walla Walla’s population is about 15,000, is the county seat of Walla Walla county, and, is surrounded by one of the richest agricultural and horticultural sections of the northwest.
The old military post, Fort Walla Walla is located here.

     Six miles west of town, erected on a spot where Marcus Whitman and his associates were massacred by the Indians in 1847, stands the Whitman Monument. Wildwood park, a camp ground, is located in the heart of the residence district. It offers accommodations for about 100 machines and is equipped with all amenities. BB1921-9*

     Walla Walla served as the regional economic center for several decades. Today it sports more than 60 wineries, has restored the charming historic buildings on Main St., sports greenery everywhere and hosts a very sophisticated and alive place. Walla Walla also has 24 historic houses of late 1800s and early 1900s.

________________________

     NOTE: Entering Walla Walla from the west, the IEH, and thus the YT, followed Wallula Ave. and Rose St. The date of Old US 12 in this area is unknown to the writer but probably after 1925 so the YT never followed it.

     NOTE: WA-317.5: East from Walla Walla, the YT appears to have followed Issacs Ave., to modern US 12 after about 1922. 

                  Before that it used the Wellington/Rainier route extended through the area of the modern airport to WA-322.7 at US 12.
                       IMPORTANT: Rainier dead-ends at the airport, and you will need to turn around to exit.

     Walla Walla Banks at 2nd and Main are listed in 1918 BB*.

     NOTE: WA-335.5: About here the old alignment (1919 USGS) can be seen just west of the modern highway on aerial views.

________________________

WA-338.2 Waitsburg
(pop. 1,400, alt. 1,268 ft.), is one of the oldest towns in the state of Washington, being founded in 1862. Eighteen miles southeast is the site of old Fort Walla Walla, which was manned by regular troops in the early days and was a source of refuge from the Indians for the pioneers. BB1921-9*

     Territorial Charter required an annual Fall Festival to relive historic demonstrations of churning butter, making candles, sewing sacks for wheat. The area is characterized by loess covering lava, low rolling hills and wheat fields.

     132-134 Main St. (Yellowstone Trail). J. W. Morgan Bldg. and Waitsburg Hardware and Mercantile seem to be all of a piece, pressed together. However, only the Morgan building is dated – 1892. The adjacent hardware store is going strong. The historic J. W. Morgan building is a primary structure in the Historic District. The trim is cast iron and pressed metal. Yellowstone Trail writer David Habura says that that cast iron store front trim by Mesker Brothers was popular in the late 1800s and early 1900s. There are four such decorated store fronts in Waitsburg.
     330 Main St. Bruce Memorial Museum. Built in1883 in the Victorian style, the home was saved in 1971 and completely restored and furnished by the Waitsburg Historical Society.
     208 Main St. Plaza Theatre. Although it has been closed for several years, one can drive by this historic 1928 movie theater in the Historic District and appreciate its Moorish style, a two-story structure with gray and red brick trim. By 1928 “talkies” were the thing, but there still was the big Wurlitzer organ there.

WA-348.0 Dayton
     Main street in Dayton runs along the line of the old Indian trails leading from the Mexican border to British Columbia. In1806 Lewis and Clark on their return trip passed thru what is now the town of Dayton followed by Capt. Bonneville in 1834, and in 1836 the missionaries, Dr.Whitman and Mr. and Mrs. Spaulding. BB1921-9*

     There are many excellent fishing streams and camping sites in this vicinity. The town maintains a tourist park, in which is built a large concrete swimming tank. The widely advertised “Skookum” brand of apples are raised here in abundance. BB1921-9*

     The Palouse is a huge area of fertile countryside and ancient silt dunes, one result of the massive, ancient Missoula Floods.
It is mainly wheat-growing today.

    Downtown Dayton’s Historic District is roughly along Main St. (Yellowstone Trail) from Front to Third St. In all, there are 117 Dayton buildings on the National Register of Historic Places. Self-guided tour brochures are available at the Depot and the Dayton Chamber of Commerce.

     341 E Main St. The Columbia County Courthouse (1887) is the oldest working courthouse in the state. It is a unique building with a large, ornate cupola.
     426 E Main St. Palus Artifact Museum. The Palus Artifact Museum offers a collection of locally found artifacts from the Palouse tribe which tells their story. There is also a beautiful collection of native plants.
     222 E Commercial. Dayton Historic Depot. Built in1882 and used until 1971, it is the oldest Union Pacific Railroad station in Washington. Now an education and interpretation center and museum of local history, it is on the National Register of Historic Places.
    235 E Main St. Weinhard Hotel. Jacob Weinhard arrived in Dayton in 1880 and began building his local empire of brewery, malt house, beer garden and his Weinhard Hotel building to house the Weinhard Lodge Hall & Saloon. Then, in 1904 came his opera house/movie theater and his large Victorian home. ~ When the Weinhard Hotel was re-created in 1994, the elements of the lodge hall were used throughout, such as wainscoting, doors, moldings and hardware, thus retaining the architectural heritage of the building. Their website says that “Each guest has the comforts of the twenty-first century while at the same time experiencing the flavors of the past.”
     344 E Main St. The Liberty Theater. The Dreamland Theater first opened in 1910 and changed its name to the Liberty in 1917. Fire burned the building in 1919, but the theater reopened in 1921. Later, the Liberty brought “talkies” to Dayton where films were shown until the 1970s. For almost 30 years the building was unused, then in 2001 it was renovated and reopened to show first run movies, and host live performances and community events.
     410 N 1st St. Boldman House Museum. The house was built in 1883, enlarged in 1891 and again c.1909. It was continuously lived in by its various owners, the last family for 87 years. In 1999 Miss Gladys Boldman’s will directed the Dayton Historical Society to restore her family home to its original (1912) condition, and that it become a community resource and educational “showplace”. The website says that, “Because everything in the house belonged to this one family of savers, these artifacts give us a unique and detailed history of a family and how they lived and interacted with the community and changing times.”

     NOTE: WA-338.2: Just east of Waitsburg WA-339.7 to 340.5, roughly, the original YT (Sunset Highway) alignment was apparently converted to an irrigation ditch. Throughout this area, for which good USGS maps exist, it is apparent that over the years the original alignment was straightened and the curves smoothed, leaving little evidence of the past.

     WAYSIDE – 2.5 miles northeast of Dayton on Patit Rd. is a most amazing display. There you will find 80 life-sized steel silhouette sculptures depicting a typical Lewis & Clark encampment. The citizens of Dayton created this tableau as part of the Lewis and Clark Bicentennial. In May of 1806 Lewis and Clark passed through what became Dayton. The layout is a re-creation of the camp based partially upon Lewis and Clark journals.

     WAYSIDE – Pomeroy has a valid claim to have been on the Yellowstone Trail; the 1917 Yellowstone Trail Association Folder clearly so states. Yet the “official” words, in 1915, from Parmley put the Yellowstone Trail on the IEH which “officially” went through Central Ferry. However, in practice that road through Central Ferry was not usable till later and both practice and Yellowstone Trail Association maps had it using the Penawawa Ferry or the Almota Ferry. A modern denizen of Pomeroy believes the Yellowstone Trail followed the Lower Deadman Rd. to Penawawa Ferry. See the Introduction to this Washington Chapter for more information.

Pomeroy Continued…
     So, explore downtown Pomeroy’s Historic District which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Look up and notice the plethora of antique neon signs sprinkled about on buildings, the collection of Dave Webb. The Sacramento (CA) Union-Bulletin reports:
     Webb, one of the world’s greatest collectors of chemically-induced commercial lighting, is adding the Fun Center sign to his Pomeroy City Walk in Pomeroy, Washington, a grand concourse of neon signs from around the globe. Webb’s goal is simple, to hang a restored neon sign on every building in town that wants one.
     See Webb’s incredible sign museum (if he is home when you visit). Try the Garfield County Museum to find Dave.
     708 Columbia St. Garfield County Museum. It was a long time acomin’ from the first idea of 1901 to the 1972 building completion. Historic county and local items are displayed. Ask to see their glass collection.
     67 7th St. Seeley Theatre. As is true with many restoration and rejuvenation projects of century-old buildings, finding funds is difficult. That seems to be so with this theatre. However, they are soldiering on, at this writing showing popular films on weekends. The website called her “a lady of distinction.” If you pass through on a weekend, stop and see what’s showing.

•      To add to the confusion, the Almota Ferry route is shown in 1919 BB* Western, including Mayview, as the route of the YT.
       Other indications suggest the Penawawa ferry route and the Almota ferry route were equally useful during the years 1915 through 1918. 
•      The Dusty/Central Ferry/Dodge route was designated to be the IHE from 1915, but was not as drivable as either the Penawawa ferry or the Almota ferry routes until probably 1918.
•      1918 BB* Vol 9: Via Rosalia, Colfax, Penawawa Ferry and Dayton.
  Gravel highway to Colfax; dirt and gravel to Snake River;
  poor road to Dayton;
  balance of the way gravel. The Central Ferry route [through Dusty] will ultimately become the improved highway, but until completion of same the Penawawa Ferry offers a better way, being about five miles shorter and with equal road conditions. This is a section of the YT which leads through the immense wheat belt of eastern Washington. This section of the Palouse Highway offers a good option between Spokane and Rosalia.

WA-362.8 Delany
East of Delany, the YT was just north of an abandoned railroad just north of modern US 12.
Just south of Delany, an abandoned bridge over Tucannon River can be seen to the east. A new existing one was built in 1967.

     WAYSIDE – Palouse Falls is an incredible sight worth the short side-trip. See picture below (right).

    Water emerges from the channeled scablands (see map below) left by the Missoula Floods at the end of the Ice Age and cascades 198 feet onto a solid basaltic rock canyon.

23 miles from Delany (WA-362.8) follow WA 261 west and north for less than 21 miles to the entrance to Palouse Falls State Park and about two miles into the park.

The scablands themselves were created by an unimaginable force. As Cassandra Tate describes the events in Ice Age Floods in Washington (HistoryLink.org, Essay 8449), “The sound of the great Ice Age Floods would have been terrifying: some 530 cubic miles of water bursting through a wall of ice more than 2,000 feet high; roaring over Eastern Washington with speeds of up to 80 miles an hour; drilling deep crevices into ancient basalt; stripping away topsoil in some areas, piling it up in others; flinging boulders around like ping pong balls. The flood waters pounded down the Columbia Gorge and into the Pacific with enough force to dig channels into the ocean floor.” Gives one a whole new perspective of these windy, almost-lonely scablands.

WA-371.4 Dodge
     The modern road is considerably “smoothed” compared to the YT between WA-372-374. At WA-373.1, the original loop south of the modern highway can be seen from several perspectives.

•      There existed a road along the Snake River on the south side which carried the traffic from south of Central Ferry to the Penawawa Ferry landing across from Penawawa. It is now under water.
•      1916 BB* v5, Western Edition, has a highway avoiding Penawawa and going to Central Ferry via Dusty. This is the route not listed by the YTA as the YT until 1917.
• Between about WA-377 and the Snake River, (WA-381.2) there are many changes in the alignment of the road in order to smooth curves and to accommodate the higher water level of the now dammed river. Aerial views of the area clearly show some of the old alignments.

WA-381.2 Central Ferry

  The SNAKE RIVER BRIDGE, a steel span, straddles the river, which is very wide at this point.
  For many years prior to the completion of the bridge, a ferry operated by Robert L. Young, connected Whitman and Garfield Counties. WPA-WA*

    There was a bridge built here in 1924 to replace the ferry. Present bridge (longer because of dams) was built in 1969.

WA-398.2 Dusty
This very small hamlet is located on the Palouse Scenic Byway. Although the Palouse Scenic Byway runs circuitously from near Lewiston in the south to Rockford near Spokane Valley in the north, it also comprises an east-west and parallel leg which includes the Yellowstone Trail towns of Colfax, Steptoe, and Rosalia. “This is a geologically rich area which includes touches of history, tales that have withstood time, and the absolute beauty and bounty of the Palouse” says their website. Undulating hills and sculptured landscapes are scenes for 208 miles of this meandering Byway.

WA-416.5 Colfax
(pop. 3,000, alt. 1,974 ft.), county seat of Whitman county, is a thriving little city situated in one of the richest wheat districts of the U. S. Near Colfax is the historical Steptoe Butte named for Col. Steptoe, who battled with the Indians about 1855. While the battle was not fought just at this point, this treeless butte was named in memory of the hero. It can be seen by the auto tourist for many miles. BB1921-9*

(1,966 alt., 2,853 pop.), seat of Whitman County, spreads along both sides of the Palouse River. Hemming in the town are rounded hills, now largely given over to wheat growing. Main Street, nearly a mile in length, parallels the river, which occasionally goes on a rampage, and floods the lower levels of the town. WPA-WA*

You are in the heart of Palouse country here. The steep, fertile, rolling hills define the unique region known as the Palouse. Steady winds blew sand here eons ago, and still do, leaving the mounds of earth you see around you. The agencies for land formation were wind and waves of the Missoula Floods. Colfax is a nice looking town, hilly, with a “concrete river” for flood control.

Perkins Ave. north end of town. Perkins House, a restored 1884 Victorian house, is named for the town’s founder, James Perkins. His log cabin is on the grounds along with the comical “codger pole” dedicated to old football players in a contested game, but you have to look hard – so much greenery around. It is on the National Register of Historic Places. Other historic buildings line Main St.

WA-427.1 Steptoe

     Steptoe Butte is named to honor Colonel Edward Steptoe who led the U.S. Army in the last U.S. Army/Indian conflict in eastern Washington.
     The Butte served as Steptoes’ reconnaissance point.
     Steptoe Butte once held a hotel and an observation point built by James S. “Cashup” Davis. The Cashup Hotel closed after Davis’ death in 1896 and burned down in 1911. That history and the fantastic views of the Palouse warrant a visit but the greatest reason for a visit is to allow your imagination to visualize the impressive geology of eastern Washington from the top of a geological wonder.
     Steptoe Butte is the very top of an ancient mountain composed of billion year old rock which formed part of the western coast of the continent with the view to the west consisting of ocean. Land to the west rose, mountains and valleys were formed and, in time, about 15 million years ago, basaltic lava filled the area covering the huge area of eastern Washington with an uneven layer of basalt, in some areas thousands of feet deep.

     Predecessors of the Columbia River carved channels through the area.
     The Missoula Floods raced to Oregon creating the Channeled Scablands of Washington, creating the sights, for instance, near Coulee City (WA-N227.2) and Dry Falls State Park. The glaciers that were instrumental in creating the Missoula Floods also ground down unimaginable amounts of rock to form the dust that then blew out of the Columbia Basin and settled as a thick blanket of silt over the Palouse. That vast loess deposit created the rich farmland of the Palouse, seen today as smooth, round, wheat covered hills.

     So the view from 1,100 foot tall Steptoe Butte is of the Palouse, the loess hills, which cover the basaltic rock which in turn covers the ancient mountainous hills and valleys of the land that emerged from the sea. The Butte stood there through the eons, a pink quartzite “island” in a sea of loess-covered Columbia River basalt. Its geology is even more intriguing than Cashup’s remote hotel.
WA-431.2 Cashup

WA-431.2 Cashup
Named after James “Cashup” Davis. He paid only with cash. He built an observatory at Steptoe Butte.

WA-435.8 Thornton

WA-443.6 Milwaukee Road Bridge
The YT followed a Trolley line through the whole area. From the 1916 BB* v5.

WA-444.7 Rosalia
Here you can see great Palouse wheat fields of eastern Washington. Miles of rolling hills with scattered barns. Between Colfax and Rosalia you can easily spot the old road and follow it, if you like, through Thornton and other small settlements.
     “Rosalia is a good Yellowstone Trail stop. It is a nice old town with vintage buildings and visible reminders of old Trail days. Trail travelers of 100 years ago would feel comfortable here,” says Washington native and history buff, Dave Habura.
     Just at the south edge of town on the Yellowstone Trail you will see a large Milwaukee Road Railroad overpass, begun in 1913. Painted on the inside of the west arch at a low level is a black arrow on yellow background. That remnant of the Yellowstone Trail, although maintained, may have faded so you will have to get out of your car and look sharp to see it.
    534 Whitman Ave (Yellowstone Trail). Restored 1923 vintage Texaco Visitor’s Center. You’ll get no gas there, but you will hear lots of history of the area and about this gas station from the friendly volunteer. They even have a 24-hour public rest room. And how’s this for a time warp: outside of the 1923 gas station is an electric car “refueling pump,” a battery charger with four charging stations! Rosalia is certainly looking toward the next 100 years!
     Main St. The Model Garage was advertised in the 1919 Automobile Blue Book. Today it is hard to determine what it is used for. It seems maintained. Readers, any thoughts?

     110 W 5th St. Battle Days Museum is housed in the city hall and
features Rosalia and eastern Washington history.

WAYSIDE: South edge of Rosalia. The Steptoe Battlefield site is a four acre day-use park.
A Memorial marks the 1858 site of the last Native American victory over Col. Steptoe.
Being outnumbered (158 soldiers vs 600-1200 from four tribes), the only thing
the soldiers could do was to slip away to win two battles elsewhere later on.

NOTE: Between Colfax and Rosalia, there is an old road and an old road grader.

WA-451.7 Plaza
Plaza’s population is about 250 at an altitude of 2,353 ft. and boasts a score of frame buildings, straggles along the highway and a railroad track. Dominating the village are several wheat warehouses and a large grain elevator. WPA-WA

WA-453.7 Powers Rd
The original route of the Mullan Military Road crossed the Yellowstone Trail here.

WA-459.9 Spangle
(2,432 alt., 203 pop.), A village of weather stained houses clustered about a few brick buildings, is one of the oldest settlements in the Inland Empire. The first house built in the vicinity was erected in 1862 and for years served as a stopping place on the Mullan Road. WPA-WA

WA-468.5 Mullan Military Road Monument, at intersection of Excelsior Rd.

     NOTE: Mullan Military Road Monuments near Spokane Valley.

WA-476.6 and WA-N326.2
North YT Route and South YT Route Join Together at Spokane.
NOTE: Construction of I-90 removed this part of the Yellowstone Trail.
          Location provided is on Sunset Boulevard (old Sunset Highway / YT).
North YT Route is 150.6 miles shorter than the South YT Route.

Click Here to continue on to Spokane -OR- Scroll Down for North YT Route