Gilbert Orchards: History

History

It takes a whole lot of family (and friends) with a lasting commitment to the community to keep a business like Gilbert Orchards going for more than 100 years. Gilbert Orchard's roots in the Yakima Valley can be traced to the latter part of the 19th century when H.M. Gilbert and Marion Richey Gilbert made their way west from Geneseo, Illinois to take up a new life in the Yakima Valley. H.M. (Horace Mark), a corn and hog farmer, had visited the area while scouting for the Northern Pacific Railroad... and liked the potential that he saw in the fertile soils of the Yakima Valley.

HM Gilbert

Marion Richey Gilbert earned a well-deserved reputation for being up for new adventures and she participated in plenty of them. Together, they and their children created a new home, farming all sorts of crops and contributing to the well-being of the Yakima community.

In the early days the largest Richey & Gilbert plantings were row crops in the Lower Yakima Valley. There was a bank and hardware store in Toppenish. H.M. took care of business in Toppenish during the week while Marion and children ran the 'home place'. Eventually fruit trees became the most promising enterprise and were planted in west Yakima. Sons Curtiss and Elon worked together for a number of years in the Richey& Gilbert

Elon and Curtiss Gilbert

company and eventually Curtiss led Gilbert Orchards Incorporated until his early death in 1947. Many family members from Illinois and New York helped the business survive during the Depression. In 1948 Elon and Joan Gilbert saw to it that some of the land was donated to honor Marion Gilbert as a park and the Summitview apple warehouse was transformed into the Warehouse Theater and what is now the Allied Arts Center. Orchards which had been planted in 1910 became Westpark Shopping Center and H.M. Gilbert school. Curtiss and Anne (Seeley) Gilbert's five children ..Marion, Cragg, Carol Anne, Mark and Bruce each had their parts in carrying on the business with

Cragg D. Gilbert

Cragg D. taking the leadership role upon his completion of WWII service and college. Cragg D. and Virginia raised four children, all of whom are still involved in the business as partners with Curtiss as general manager and Cragg M. as orchard manager.

The Future

Gilbert Orchards has been able to thrive over the years through the hard work and dedication of it's outstanding employees who share the family's commitment to a bright future for the Yakima Valley. We continue planting new varieties of apples such as Honeycrisp, Jonagold and Gala, and new crops such as cherries and wine grapes as we seek to remain competitive in a global economy.

We are energized by the dedication and hard work of those who have gone before us, as we carry on the tradition of bringing the most delicious and healthful fruit of the Yakima Valley to our neighbors here and around the world.