SENATE RESOLUTION
8654



By Senator Honeyford

     WHEREAS, The City of Toppenish is located on land that originally was part of the Yakama Indian Reservation, the name Toppenish deriving from the Indian word "Xuupinish," which means sloping and spreading, and the Allotment Act of February 8, 1887, allowed this land to be owned by individual tribal members; and
     WHEREAS, Josephine Bowser Lillie, "The Mother of Toppenish," was the first to be granted a fee patent for her 80 acre allotment, removing it from government trust restrictions, the acreage eventually being divided and subdivided and sold which led to the establishment of the Town of Toppenish; and
     WHEREAS, The notice of election was published in the Toppenish Review and an election held to incorporate as a fourth class town, in which one hundred votes for incorporation were cast and no votes in opposition, with Leonard Talbot elected Mayor, Levi J. Goodrich, Treasurer, and A. J. Allphin, C. W. Grant, John R. Harvey, A. W. McDonald, and James E. Townsend, Councilmembers, and with the election being certified on April 23, 1907, and filed with the Secretary of State on April 29, 1907; and
     WHEREAS, The current elected officials for the City of Toppenish are Mayor William L. Rogers and Councilmembers Loren O. Belton, Alfredo H. Diaz, Allen G. Hubert, Clara R. Jimenez, Blaine R. Thorington, and Elaine D. Willman; and
     WHEREAS, The events planned for the Toppenish Centennial Celebration include birthday cake festivities and a centennial hoedown on April 28th, and an Old Fashioned Picnic and Hamper Auction, a time capsule viewing, pageant, and dance on April 29th;
     NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, That the Washington State Senate officially recognize and congratulate the City of Toppenish and its citizens on the 100th anniversary of the establishment of the Town of Toppenish; and
     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That a copy of this resolution be immediately transmitted by the Secretary of the Senate to William L. Rogers, Mayor of the City of Toppenish; and to Mike Lindsey, Publisher, The Review Independent (formerly The Toppenish Review).