Bleyhl Community Library Collection

The Bleyhl Community Library Collection documents the founding and development of the city of Grandview, Washington. Local tradition tells us that on a bright Indian summer morning in 1905, two men on horseback, Elza Dean and F.L. Pitman, pulled their mounts to a halt halfway between then new towns of Sunnyside and Prosser. They saw Snipes Mountain rising in the foreground, and the snow-capped peaks of Mt. Adams and Mt. Rainier were outlined against the sky. “It’s a grand view!” one of the riders exclaimed. The other nodded. They unfolded a map of the Sunnyside Railway and Granger Land Company and one of the riders pointed to a spot on the north part of Section 23 while the other made an “X” with a stubby pencil and wrote “Grand View” and on April 25, 1906 the plat of the new town site was filed for record. The History of Grandview was compiled by the Grandview Pioneer Association “to preserve the early history of the Grandview District” because they realized that the early local history of any community perishes with the passing of its pioneers.

The Blanche McLane Cook Art Library is a collection of books, paintings, three-dimensional art and many more items bequeathed to the library by the late Blanche McLane Cook (1901-1991). Ms. Cook, a Grandview High School graduate, was a free-lance commercial artist and portrait painter, an art instructor at Yakima Valley College (now Yakima Valley Community College), Philadelphia School of Design and the Baldwin School. Her works have been exhibited in various galleries and museums, and public and private collections. She was a member and co-founder of the Yakima Valley Art Association and also a member of the Seattle Art Museum and of the Women Painters of Washington.

R.E. Powell Museum Collection

The museum was envisioned by its donor, Ray E. Powell (1896-1970) at the time of the opening of the Bleyhl Community Library in 1958. Construction was begun in May of 1968 and from its beginning, public-spirited citizens have helped maintain the building and its contents. The museum opened in 1969 marking the 60th anniversary of the incorporation of the City of Grandview. On display inside the museum, along with many other items of local and historical significance is a 1900 vintage Kiblinger car, one of only two known to still be in existence. Additionally, the Alex Parke Memorial Showcase houses local veterans’ relics from as early as the Civil War.

Grandview Heritage is part of Washington Rural Heritage, an online collection of items from small and rural communities in Washington State. Washington Rural Heritage includes images, documents, paintings, and more that document the history of rural communities throughout the State of Washington.

...visit the Washington Rural Heritage website for more information.

Bleyhl Community Library is a municipal public library serving the citizens of Grandview and the outlying areas of our rural community. The R. E. Powell Museum is open to the public and has seen visitors from around the world. Grandview is located in the Yakima Valley in south-central Washington State.

...visit the Bleyhl Community Library or R.E. Powell Museum website for more information.