Splawn family

Andrew Jackson (A.J. or Jack) Splawn was a cowboy, ranch owner, and politician in the early years of settlement in Yakima, WA. Born in 1845 in Helm County, Missouri, Splawn spent much of his childhood in Linn County, Oregon, before following his older brother Charles to eastern Washington. At sixteen years of age, he hired out as cowboy for MA.J.or John Thorp and soon participated in his first cattle drive to Fort Kamloops, British Columbia. He subsequently took part in a variety of cattle drives to British Columbia, Idaho, Montana, and eastern Oregon. During this time, he encountered bandits and hostile Indians, as well as other perils. In 1870 he established Robber’s Roost, a trading post unique to central Washington. Indeed, given the importance of the trading post, Robber’s Roost served as the name for the present town of Ellensburg until 1875, when John Shoudy named the site for his wife, Ellen. In the 1880s, Splawn purchased Springdale Ranch in Cowiche Valley and imported the first Hereford cattle to the Northwest. Later he exported his prize-winning Herefords to Alaska, Hawaii, and China. Splawn promoted the first packing house in the Pacific Northwest and served as outside partner of Frye and Co. of Seattle.

In 1903, A.J. Splawn stepped away from ranching to take part in politics. He served as Washington state senator from 1903-1905, Democratic candidate for governor in 1905, and mayor of North Yakima in 1911. As mayor, he was called on to rid Yakima of prostitution and the Chinese opium trade.

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