Prosser, Washington

Prosser, Washington

Infobox Settlement
official_name = Prosser, Washington
settlement_type = City
nickname =
motto =




imagesize = 250px
image_caption = Benton County court house in Prosser.


image_



image_




mapsize = 250px
map_caption = Location of Prosser, Washington


mapsize1 =
map_caption1 =

subdivision_type = Country
subdivision_name = United States
subdivision_type1 = State
subdivision_name1 = Washington
subdivision_type2 = County
subdivision_name2 = Benton

government_footnotes =
government_type =
leader_title =
leader_name =
leader_title1 =
leader_name1 =
established_title =
established_date =

unit_pref = Imperial
area_footnotes =
area_magnitude =
area_total_km2 = 11.5
area_land_km2 = 11.1
area_water_km2 = 0.3
area_total_sq_mi = 4.4
area_land_sq_mi = 4.3
area_water_sq_mi = 0.1

population_as_of = 2000
population_footnotes =
population_total = 4838
population_density_km2 = 434.4
population_density_sq_mi = 1125.1

timezone = Pacific (PST)
utc_offset = -8
timezone_DST = PDT
utc_offset_DST = -7
elevation_footnotes =
elevation_m = 203
elevation_ft = 666
latd = 46 |latm = 12 |lats = 25 |latNS = N
longd = 119 |longm = 45 |longs = 56 |longEW = W

postal_code_type = ZIP code
postal_code = 99350
area_code = 509
blank_name = FIPS code
blank_info = 53-56450GR|2
blank1_name = GNIS feature ID
blank1_info = 1512582GR|3
website =
footnotes =

Prosser is a city in and the county seat of Benton County, Washington, United States,GR|6 along the Yakima River with only one zip code 99350. The population was 4,838 at the 2000 census.

History

Prosser was long home to Native Americans who lived and fished along the river. They called the area "Tap tut", meaning rapids.

Colenal William Ferrand Prosser first surveyed the area in 1879, then claimed homestead in 1882. The Northern Pacific Railroad laid tracks through the area two years later. A town plat was filed by Colenal Prosser in 1885, and in 1886 he was elected Yakima County Auditor. He moved to North Yakima to attend to these duties, and never returned to the town that he founded.

Lewis Hinzerling built a flour mill at Prosser falls in 1887, encouraging further settlement of the area. The first irrigation canal was completed in 1893 by the Prosser Falls Land and Irrigation Company. Prosser was officially incorporated in 1899 with a population of 229 people.

In 1905, Benton County was carved out of the eastern portions of Yakima and Klickitat Counties. The new town of Prosser was chosen as county seat. In 1907 a power plant was added and began delivering electricity to the town. The following year, a new high school was built, followed a year later by a telephone exchange. In 1910 the city received a grant from the Andrew Carnegie for a public library.

Throughout the 1910s and 1920s various companies drilled in this area for oil and natural gas. There were no large findings and the Great Depression put an end to exploration.

On November 5, 1912, Benton County voters held a referendum to move the county seat from Prosser to either Kennewick or Benton City. Intense rivalry and war of words between Benton City, Kennewick, and Prosser preceeded the vote. Despite getting a majority of the vote, Kennewick did not receive 60 percent of the vote as required by law. To date, Prosser retains the county seat.

In 1919, Washington State College (later WSU) established the Irrigation Experiment Station at Prosser. The program's mandate is to study the problems faced by farmers, orchardists, and ranchers in the dry central part of the state. The station originally employed scientists from the college in Pullman, who partnered with scientists from the Washington State Department of Agriculture (WSDA) and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). The station is still currently in use, and offers a number of agricultural education programs.

Prosser at one point boasted three newspapers, which were consolidated in the 1920s into the Prosser Record-Bulletin, and a permanent court house was built in 1926. The Benton County Historical Museum was dedicated in 1968.

In more recent years, Prosser's prime location on a major river (the Yakima) and easy highway access has encouraged a growing wine business and associated tourist industry.

Annual events

* Prosser Community Awards Banquet In January weWho|date=June 2008 honor our hard working citizens and volunteers.
* [http://prosserchamber.org/index.php/component/option,com_events/Itemid,113/agid,9/day,16/month,02/task,view_detail/year,2008/ Red Wine & Chocolate]
* Sweet Retreat 2nd Saturday in March the Columbia Valley Winery Association hosts the pairing of sweet wine with food.
* Spring Barrel Tasting In April various wineries offer tasting.
* Wine Country Spring Fair In May on Mother's Day weekend arts and crafts in the parkWhat|date=June 2008.
* Farmers Market Usually starts in May sometime and runs every weekend through harvest.
* The Dash Race for the Kids Early June after school lets out we have a bicycle competition a 62 mile "Metric Century" and youth fun run. Wine tasting after for the adults.
* Kestrel Festival Sponsored by Kestrel Wines. This takes place in June each year.
* Old Fashioned 4th of July 4th of July Weekend, includes a kiddie parade, car show, fireworks, bingo, stage shows, and food vendors in the park.
* Art Walk and Wine Gala Wine tasting event in the middle of July.
* Prosser's Wine and Food Fair" One of the top events of the year on the 2nd Saturday of August. Thirty-some Washington Wineries and food from 20 vendors come together to offer sampling and tasting. Located at Art Fiker Stadium. "'
* A Night Out Beginning of September. Fundraising benefit of food and fun for the Prosser Memorial Foundation.
* Prosser State's Day Celebration Another on of the top events of the year. On Labor Day. There is a carnival in the city park, and a parade in the morning. Miss Prosser is crowned.
* [http://www.prosserballoonrally.org The Great Prosser Balloon Rally] The last of the top events. On September 25, 26, & 27th 2009 Hot air balloons are scheduled to launch just after dawn from the Prosser airport. Balloons glow from within at Art Fiker Stadium during The Great Prosser Balloon Rally [http://www.prosserballoonrally.org/7.html Night Glow] show.
* Annual Harvest Festival Same weekend as the Balloon Rally. Arts and crafts downtown with fun and food.
* Annual Caren Mercer-Andreason Street Painting Festival Same weekend as the Prosser Balloon Rally and Harvest Festival. Watch local and regional artists create works of art on the pavement in downtown Prosser.
* Thanksgiving in Wine Country Sunday after Thanksgiving. Sample all the newly released wines.
* Family Christmas Festival Early December Santa comes to townFact|date=June 2008. The annual lighting of the Christmas tree takes place with carolers and holiday music.

Geography

Prosser is located in the Eastern end of the Yakima Valley at coor dms|46|12|25|N|119|45|56|W|city (46.206921, -119.765612).GR|1 It is 665 ft above sea level. One river, the Yakima River, runs through it.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 4.4 square miles (11.5 km²), of which, 4.3 square miles (11.1 km²) of it is land and 0.1 square miles (0.3 km²) of it (2.93%) is water.

Climate

Temperature

Snowfall

Demographics

As of the censusGR|2 of 2000, there were 4,838 people 1,697 households, and 1,240 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,125.1 people per square mile (434.4/km²). There were 1,800 housing units at an average density of 418.6/sq mi (161.6/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 79.89% White, 0.54% African American, 0.91% Native American, 0.76% Asian, 0.29% Pacific Islander, 15.11% from other races, and 2.50% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 29.37% of the population. Ancestries: German (17.3%), English (10.8%), Irish (9.3%), United States (6.8%), Norwegian (4.3%), French (4.2%), 12.5% Foreign born (99.1% Mexican).

There were 1,697 households out of which 41.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.2% were married couples living together, 12.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.9% were non-families. 24.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.83 and the average family size was 3.38.

In the city the population was spread out with 32.5% under the age of 18, 9.6% from 18 to 24, 26.0% from 25 to 44, 19.5% from 45 to 64, and 12.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females there were 91.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.8 males.

The median age is 32 years old. The median house value was $98,500 (2000). The median income for a household in the city was $39,185, and the median income for a family was $45,162. Males had a median income of $36,750 versus $26,146 for females. The per capita income for the city was $16,302. About 11.5% of families and 13.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 21.1% of those under age 18 and 2.6% of those age 65 or over.

For population 15 years and over in Prosser city

* Never married: 18.1%
* Now married: 64.1%
* Separated: 1.9%
* Widowed: 7.5%
* Divorced: 10.9%

For population 20 years and over in Prosser:

* High school or higher: 68.0%
* Bachelor's degree or higher: 16.2%
* Graduate or professional degree: 6.0%
* Unemployed: 6.6%
* Mean travel time to work: 18.9 minutes

Economy

The economy of Prosser is based on agriculture. In addition to fruit orchards and fruit packing plants, Prosser is an importantFact|date=June 2008 center of wine making in the Yakima Valley American Viticultural Area.

chools

*Prosser High School Grades 9-12, 843 StudentsFact|date=June 2008
*Prosser Falls Education Center Grades 9-12, 69 StudentsFact|date=June 2008
*Housel Middle School Grades 6-8, 676 StudentsFact|date=June 2008
*Prosser Hights Elementary Grades 3-5, 676 StudentsFact|date=June 2008
*Keene-Riverview Elementary Grades K-2, 480 studentsFact|date=June 2008
*Whitstran Elementary Grades K-5, 285 StudentsFact|date=June 2008

Wine

Heart and Home of Washington's Wine CountryOne of Prosser's true claims to fame is the fact that it has been called the birthplace of Washington's modern wine industry. This is thanks to the efforts of Walter Clore who was named the father of Washington's wine industry. Prosser now has nearly 40 wineries in an area about ten by ten miles, so it really can be said to be the heart of the [http://prosserchamber.org/index.php/Prosser-Area-Wineries/ Washington wine country.]

Crime

Crime statistics provided are from 2001, 2002, and 2003. There were 0 murders, 1 rape and only 2 robberies in this time frame. An average of 3 assaults , 31 burglaries, 151 larceny counts, and 9 auto thefts per year. City-data.com crime index average for 3 years is 203.66 per 100,000. The US average is 329.7. Lower is better.Fact|date=June 2008

Major highways and closest cities

*Interstate 82
*U.S. Route 12
*State Route 221
*State Route 22
*Grandview, Washington 8 miles
*Mabton, Washington 12 miles
*Sunnyside, Washington 15 miles
*Benton City, Washington 17 miles

Citizens of note

*Kelly Blair-LaBounty--U.S. athlete (400 meter dash), 2000 Sydney Olympics
*Colonel William Farrand Prosser--city founder, U.S. Army Colonel in the Civil War
*Harold McCluskey -- "The Atomic Man"
*Walter Clore -- Father of Washington wine

See also

* List of Harvest Festivals

External links

* [http://prosserchamber.org/home/index.php Prosser Chamber Of Commerce]
* [http://www.prosserballoonrally.org/ The Great Prosser Balloon Rally]
* [http://www.prossermustangs.com/ Prosser High School Mustangs Football]
* [http://www.prossermemorial.com/ Prosser Memorial Hospital]
* [http://www.recordbulletin.com/ Prosser Record-Bulletin]
* [http://prosserfarmersmarket.com/ Prosser Farmers' Market]


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