Little Surprises

The first non-Native American pioneers in Wenatchee were gold miners and cattlemen who traded with resident Native Americans. In 1872 one of the earliest white settlers, Phillip Miller planted the first apple trees. Imagine only 108 people lived there in1891, my grandparents’ generation. The addition of a railway connecting Seattle to Wenatchee contributed to the city’s population growth, tripling it to 300 in one year. Ten years later, apple orchards spread out for miles. In 1901 the railroad provided a way for Wenatchee’s apple growers to ship their delicious fruit to a metropolis. And that’s how this small city became known as the “Apple Capital of the World.”  Several years ago, my husband, Ron, traveled to the other side of the planet. In India in a remote village street market, Ron searched for some fruit to eat. To his surprise among foreign-looking fruit, he found “Stemilt” stickers on their apples. Stemilt is an apple packing and distributing plant in Wenatchee. I had worked there myself for a few years. Would love to hear about one of your fun surprises? Below is a photo of rambutan fruit from India.