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In perhaps one of the most blatant displays of corporate political might in WA's history, the Northern Pacific Railway, in 1884-1885, forced the existing town of Yakima City to move several miles north to a site it had selected called "North Yakima." A dispute between residents and the railroad had brewed for months during mid-1884. As the railroad built a line nearing the area, the Northern Pacific expected Yakima City's landowners to be grateful for its impending presence. Its real estate agents pressured residents to cede land to the railroad, free or at very low cost, while townspeople sought to sell at high prices. Talks broke down, and the railroad, by 08/24/1884, decided to bypass Yakima City entirely. By early 1885, Yakima City citizens, seeking to retain the value of their personal real estate investments, yielded, and, in many cases, moved by horse-drawn sled or rail their houses and businesses to the Northern Pacific's new town site. The railroad erected this third depot in 1898-1899, set in the heart of the North Yakima Downtown, some thirteen years after the original argument. It didn't last long. By 1909, construction on a new fourth depot had begun, and was completed in 1910. Memories of the debate had faded by 1917, when North Yakima became known as simply "Yakima." Yakima City left the past behind earlier, becoming "Union Gap" in 1905. (See "The railroad influence,"Accessed 12-16-2013.)

The Cass Gilbert Society stated of this depot's architectural design: "The North Yakima Depot carries to an extreme the notion of using the center portion of the building as a decorative element. The tapered shingled walls of the tower derive from both the Goodrich Avenue Church (1886) and St. John the Divine Episcopal Church (1898-99), and the tower has little function except to support a clock and provide for an open deck. The half-timbered design differs from the Little Falls Depot in that it seems to be German- or central European-inspired (the English did not build wood towers). The large chimney is for a fireplace in the waiting room, a common feature in depots of the era. The chimney does not reflect the Germanic influence of the depot's otherwise unified design. The depot was enlarged within a few years of its construction and was later replaced." (See "Northern Pacific Railroad Depot - Yakima,"Accessed 12/16/2013.

The depot was enlarged shortly after its initial completion. It was replaced by 1912 by a larger facility.

Demolished; the building was razed to make room for a larger depot.

PCAD id: 18908