TOPPENISH, WASHINGTON

'Toppenish' is a city in Yakima County, Washington, in the United States. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 8,946.

Contents

History

Geography

Demographics

References

External links

History

Renamed in 1907 to the City of Toppenish, the town of Toppenish transformed after being divided and subdivided from an 80-acre allotment of land granted to a woman of ½ Indian ancestry, Josephine Bowser Lillie “The Mother of Toppenish” by The Allotment Act of February 8, 1997. Lillie platted the north 40-acres of her land and these tracts became the first deeded land to be sold on the reservation.
Prior to the act’s implementation, all territory set aside by the Treaty of 1855 was in the name of the tribe. None of the land was individually owned. The treaty of 1855 between the United States government, representatives from thirteen other bands, tribes, and Chief Kamiakin resulted in the Yakama Nation relinquishing 16,920 square miles of their homeland. Prior to ceding their land, the area was inhabited solely by Native Americans. The only white pioneers before the coming of the railroad in 1883 were ranchers from older settlements bordering the Columbia River.
Sources cite the city’s name of Toppenish derives from an Indian word “Xuupinish” meaning sloping and spreading. While another source contends it is a derivative of the word “Thappahnish” which translates to “People of the trail that comes from the foot of the hills.”
Ensconced in the heart of the Yakima Valley in Washington State, the city lies inside the boundaries of the Yakima Nation’s Reservation. Toppenish was officially incorporated on April 29, 1907 and founded by Johnny Barnes.

Geography

Toppenish is located at (46.378880, -120.311823).
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 4.9 km² (1.9 mi²), all land.

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there were 8,946 people, 2,275 households, and 1,874 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,837.3/km² (4,762.7/mi²). There were 2,440 housing units at an average density of 501.1/km² (1,299.0/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 31.48% White, 0.56% Black or African American, 7.90% Native American, 0.37% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 55.95% from other races, and 3.72% from two or more races. 75.72% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 2,275 households out of which 52.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.1% were married couples living together, 16.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 17.6% were non-families. 14.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.88 and the average family size was 4.26.
In the city the population was spread out with 38.8% under the age of 18, 11.7% from 18 to 24, 27.5% from 25 to 44, 14.2% from 45 to 64, and 7.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 25 years. For every 100 females there were 106.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 103.5 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $26,950, and the median income for a family was $28,228. Males had a median income of $22,264 versus $19,704 for females. The per capita income for the city was $9,101. About 29.2% of families and 32.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 38.1% of those under age 18 and 14.8% of those age 65 or over.

References

Go Northwest, South Central, Washington - Toppenish, http://www.gonorthwest.com/Washington/southcentral/Toppenish/Toppenish.htm

External links

★ Toppenish Chamber of Commerce

★ Yakama Nation Legends Casino

★ City of Toppenish

★ Toppenish Mural Society

★ Toppenish Pow Wow and Rodeo

★ Fort Simcoe

★ The Northern Pacific Railway Museum

★ Toppenish Historical Society

★ Heritage University