Washington State produces the majority of hops grown in the United States. The crop, used in making beer, was first introduced in Western Washington by pioneer Ezra Meeker. Thurston County hop pickers pose in front of the crop in this photo from about 1889. Most hop pickers of that time were Native American and Chinese. Today, most commercial hops are produced in the Yakima area.
Rogers Studio, around 1889, Courtesy State Capital Museum collection, Washington State Historical Society, catalog C1958.2.65
Text © Deborah Ross and The Olympian 2022