In 1929, a the stock market crashed leaving “over 9,000 American banks either went bankrupt of closed their doors to avoid bankruptcy between 1930 and 1933. Depositors lost over $2.5 billion in deposits.59 This left 25% of Americans without a job, and unemployment never went below 15 percent until World War II. Of those who [...]

The ever so going town of Yelm as of today seems to be an expanding bedroom community. Very little people know of the Yelm that once was the “Berry Capital of Washington.” Yelm has seen its varieties of agricultural products, worker, and hard times but those times have come and gone. The jump start to Yelm [...]

The remoteness of a town like Yelm caused a need for the women to socialize with each other. The harsh lifestyle that they had to endure was too much without some kind of diversion from their work. Clubs provided the women in Yelm with a channel through which they could accomplish both these things. Women [...]

LIMA BEANS ARE HARVESTED
The Nisqually Valley News
September 19th, 1940
This week saw the first of Yelm’s new crop, lima beans, harvested and threshed. The beans are turning out fairly good for a first year crop. The yields have been from 500 pounds to a ton to the acre. The culture and fertilization of the beans is [...]

WORKS PROGRESS ADMINISTRATION
200 Alaska Building
Seattle, Washington
­ ­The University of Washington has joined with the U. S. Army Engineers
Office, the Works Progress Administration and local county commissioners in
combating flood conditions throughout the state.
­
The Hydraulics Laboratory of the University will undertake a series of
studies made possible by a W.P.A. allotment of $8,784 to determine the influence of [...]

In 1929, a the stock market crashed leaving “over 9,000 American banks either went bankrupt of closed their doors to avoid bankruptcy between 1930 and 1933. Depositors lost over $2.5 billion in deposits.” This left 25% of Americans without a job, and unemployment never went below 15 percent until World War II. Of those who [...]

The sudden depression that followed the “Roaring Twenties” sent the United States spiraling in to a state of complete uncertainty. Instead of the average citizen having more time and money than they knew how to spend, they now had almost no money and spent their time looking for whatever available jobs they could find. Because [...]

In the 1930s, the range of crime and pranks committed by Yelm citizens was much more limited than it is now. The only crime reported by Yelm Citizens interviewed by the Yelm History Project was speeding and a few robberies, but nothing as serious as it is now. The extent of the pranks was also [...]

(Rainier and later Yelm, WA)
In 1917 Martin J. Gruber (1877-1956) and Benjamin J. Docherty (1885-1942) built a lumber mill just south of the present (1999) town of Rainier WA.
Gruber, born in Oshkosh, WI had come west with his family in 1890. His father had built a store in Winlock WA and after some college, Gruber [...]

*Estimated

Year
Area in Berries Acres
Production in Pounds
Price per Lb. Cents
Returns

1927
280
300,000
8.5
$25,500

1928
339
500,000
7
$35,000

1929
458
800,000
8
$64,000

1930
650
700,000
8.5 (5)
$59,500
($35,000)

1931
870
1,000,000*
7* (3)
$70,000*
($30,000)