Northwest Magazines

Worth A Stop - Toppenish, Washington

Getting the Big Picture in Toppenish

The road north to Toppenish from the Columbia River valley at Klickitat County zigzags up through low mountains and then passes into the heart of the 1.2 million-acre Yakama Indian Nation. This area is small change compared with the 11.5 million acres these plateau people were forced to cede back to the United States in an 1855 treaty.

The public face of the 14 Yakama bands and tribes is concentrated in a lively Cultural Center just outside of Toppenish, close by the Legends Casino that helps support it. The interior displays history and the environment from an American Indian perspective, dating back to the days when life was measured by hunting, gathering roots, fishing, and picking huckleberries.

Many aspects of the Old West are depicted on 70 murals that grace the walls and facades of buildings in Toppenish. Scenes from bygone rodeos, railroading, farming, and aviation turn a casual stroll about town into an illustrated adventure. In summer, you can climb aboard a Conestoga wagon to tour the murals with narration added.

Even in winter, exploring the murals is well worth the effort. These are not just big pictures. The paintings dramatically reanimate scenes of historical importance, honoring those who made significant contributions to the cultural diversity of this region. Each depiction has been researched for accuracy, so what you see is true to the era in which it occurred.

The mural concept began in 1989 when a group of Toppenish residents got together and formed the Toppenish Mural Society. They commissioned a dozen or so professional artists to paint the first Mural in a Day. The idea caught on, and thus was born a tradition that replays on the first Saturday of each June.

The official slogan of Toppenish is “Where The West Still Lives,” and that theme is reflected in several other attractions too. The handsomely restored 1911 Toppenish Depot houses the Yakima Valley Rail & Steam Museum, where antique oak cases display rail memorabilia.

The American Hop Museum is the only such exhibition on this continent. It is dedicated to a crop that figured heavily in Yakima Valley history and still does today. This region supplies 70 percent of hops grown on American soil and 25 percent of the world supply.

After a look around, it becomes pretty clear that just as hops preserve the flavor of beer, Toppenish preserves the flavor of Northwest history at its best.

Toppenish Chamber of Commerce (800-863-6375) or Yakama Nation Cultural Heritage Center (509-865-2800)

By Joseph Lieberman

Northwest Travel Magazine January/February 2007