Wapato is a town in Yakima County, Washington, United States. The population was 4,607 at the 2020 census. It has a Hispanic majority. …Wapato is a town in Yakima County, Washington, United States. The population was 4,607 at the 2020 census. It has a Hispanic majority. The town was founded in 1885 by Indian Postmaster Alexander McCredy as a railroad stop on the Northern Pacific Railroad as Simcoe, Washington. The Dawes Severalty Act of 1887 allowed the government to subdivide the Yakama Indian Reservation tribal communal landholdings into allotments for Native American heads of families and individuals. The selling of these allotments drew settlers into the area. With the construction of the Irwin Canal in 1896, agriculture became the big business in town. In the early 1900s, McCredy and George Rankin established the Wapato Development Company and laid out the town site. They established the town's first bank and began selling lots. In response to persistent confusion with nearby Fort Simcoe, the town changed its name to Wapato in 1903. The 1906 Jones Act further encouraged Anglos to purchase land from the Yakamas. Wapato was officially incorporated on September 16, 1908, with a population of around 300 people.
Save
Share
More