Editing Basin City, Washington (section)

==History==
The town of Basin City was laid out in the 1950s on land owned by dry-land farmer Loen Bailie. The town was established to support the local agricultural community which was being opened to irrigation through the [[Columbia Basin Project]]. The new settlers to the area consisted primarily of young farmers from [[Idaho]] and southwestern [[Oregon]] and World War II veterans, who received preferential status on the purchase of federal lands that were sold as part of the project. Early crops included [[sugar beet]]s, [[alfalfa]], [[maize|corn]], [[asparagus]], [[wheat]] and [[barley]]. Later, potatoes, beans, carrots, and onions also became important, while sugar beet production stopped due to closure of a local sugar beet plant. A large number of orchards were planted, and the area is now a major supplier of the famous Washington apples. Cherries and other fruits are also produced locally.