The town of Cashmere, which lies at the geographical center of Washington State, was founded in 1863 by Catholic missionaries, and originally called "Mission." But there was another town with that name in Washington, so when the town was incorporated in 1904, the name was changed to Cashmere, comparing the town's natural beauty to the Vale of Kashmir in India.
By the late 1800s, settlers had established several pioneer towns with stores, saddle shops, post offices, saloons, jails, churches and missions, and a one-room schoolhouses. Irrigation from the Columbia River and its tributaries allowed the first orchards to flourish in the 1920s. Many early jobs were based on working the land: logging, mining, and farming.
But long before the white settlers arrived, Native Americans lived in this region 9,000 years ago, and left behind tools, personal items, and art forms such as petroglyphs. More recently, the native people were called the Wenatchi Indians (hence the town name Wenatchee), and they created basketry, beadwork, and jewelry.
In the 1950s, resident Willis Carey had amassed a large collection of artifacts from all these periods, and he worried what would happen to it after he died. Local businessmen got together and proposed a public museum to preserve his collection, and thus was born the Cashmere Museum. Over the years, the museum expanded, adding a significant collection from Mid-Columbian archeological sites, as well as a small village of original pioneer cabins.
The cache: This cache will take you back in time, before orchards lined the hills and Cashmere became famous for its aplets and cotlets. Container is a medium lock&lock, placed with permission. No need to go behind the fence to find it.
This cache was originally part of the 2016-18 Cascade Farmlands GeoRomp, a 12-cache series that showcased the agriculture, recreation, and scenery of north-central Washington, with pathtag prizes for finishers. Each cache had a different theme and highlighted a different community: Leavenworth, Plain, Peshastin, Cashmere, Wenatchee, East Wenatchee, Entiat, Chelan, Manson, Orondo, Waterville, and Quincy.