Know what this is? It’s Solanum tuberosum…… does that help?? Does this?

Washington is known for its apples but did you realize that potatoes in Washington have a much longer history. Back in 1792, Salvador Fidalgo, a Spanish marine explorer, supervised the planting of the first garden in Washington (by white folks) at Neah Bay. He used potato starts brought from San Blas, Mexico. The crop yielded enough to feed his crew.  Then in 1795, Englishmen planted potatoes near present-day Ilwaco. In 1825, Fort Astoria had a “promising crop” of potatoes. Didn’t take long for farmer-settlers to realize that Washington’s fertile soil would yield bounteous potato crops; “many a farmer reported harvesting potatoes that weighed eight to ten pounds and tasted far better than cake or ice cream.”

“Read all about” this subject in the Fall 1996 issue of Columbia,  a magazine of northwest history. I’m gleaning from an article by Jacqueline Williams.