Prosser, Benton County, Washington history and genealogy

Prosser, Washington-This recently established town is rapidly becoming one of the most important distributing and manufacturing points in the great Yakima valley. It is located on the main line of the Northern Pacific railroad, 31 miles west of Pasco and 50 miles east of North Yakima. The latter place has, within a few years, grown from a dozen houses to a prosperous city of 4,000 inhabitants. This growth is due solely to irrigation. The land at Prosser is identical with that at North Yakima. The country tributary to Prosser embraces hundreds of thousands of acres of land on which hops, most all the semi tropical fruits, cotton, tobacco, and cereals of all kinds can be profitably raised. the fertility of this soil is shown by the statement that five crops of alfalfa are successfully raised here annually.
     Of the numerous irrigation projects for redeeming all of the arid land east of North Yakima, several are now nearing completion. The remarkable fecundity of the soil of this valley, the crops it produces, and the means by which it is irrigated, are fully described in an articles on the Yakima valley published in this work.
     Between North Yakima and the Columbia river, a distance of 90 miles, there will, in all probability, be but one important town, and this will be Prosser. This -atter town is now the trading center of the exceptionally fertile part of the valley known as the Sunnyside country. This section is watered by the great canal of the North Pacific, Yakima & Kittitas Irrigation Company. The canal redeems 65,000 acres of land that is absolutely worthless without irrigation, and converts it into hop yards, orchards and gardens. Ten acres of this land, if carefully cultivated, will net from $1,500 and $3,000 a year.
     The agricultural resources of the country tributary to Prosser will doubtless make it a town of 4,000 or 5,000 inhabitants. It has only been within the last three years that the Yakima valley has attracted wide-spread attention. It may be said to be but yet in its infancy. It is rapidly settling up, and the acreage of cultivated land in it is more than trebling each year. In 1892 the hop crop of the country adjacent to North Yakima was 5,000 bales. The following year the same section produced 15,000 bales, and 35,000 bales is considered a conservative estimate of the crop for this year. A discerning mind will see that Prosser, with as great and equally as rich an acreage of irrigated land as that tributary to North Yakima, will become on of the prosperous agricultural towns of Washington. At this point the Yakima river dashes down a rocky incline, forming a series of beautiful cascades, known Prosser falls. The water power of these falls is estimated at 3,000 horse. This power can all be utilized for manufacturing purposes. A syndicate is now expending $150,000 in developing and utilizing this splendid water power. It now turns the wheels of a flouring mill with a capacity of 80 barrels daily. Of the 3,000 horse power here, 1,000 is controlled by Fred R. Reed. This gentleman is the manager of the syndicate owning the townsite of Prosser. He has published several pamphlets descriptive of Prosser and the Yakima valley, which he will mail to any address on application.

The Oregonian's handbook of the Pacific Northwest, c. 1894