Zillah is a city in Yakima County, Washington, United States, with a population of 3,179 as of the 2020 census. Zillah was founded in 189…Zillah is a city in Yakima County, Washington, United States, with a population of 3,179 as of the 2020 census. Zillah was founded in 1891 following the completion of the Sunnyside Canal project, an irrigation scheme delivering water from the Yakima River to the arid lower Yakima Valley. Walter Granger, superintendent of the canal company, chose the town site in 1892. The town was named for Zillah Oakes, daughter of Northern Pacific Railway president Thomas Fletcher Oakes, who had financed the canal's construction. She was the youngest member of an expedition to scout possible townsites; allegedly, the town was named for Zillah after she had fallen into a stream with the party's wagon and had to be consoled by her father. Granger housed the headquarters of the Washington Irrigation Company in Zillah, giving it economical advantages for a time. He also made his residency in Zillah, becoming its mayor after retiring from the irrigation company. Zillah was officially incorporated on January 5, 1911.
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