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Showing posts with the label Yakima Valley

Graves and Grapes

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By Barbara Mattoon My daughter-in-law, Michele Mattoon, and I had long planned a trip to the Yakima Valley Genealogical Society Library in Union Gap, Washington, to research the Mattoon family.  Because my son Eric is a student of wine, and particularly Washington wine, we decided to combine our genealogy research trip with wine tasting in the Yakima Valley. On Thursday, July 16, 2015, we embarked on the trip. Our first stop was  Lake Mattoon on the outskirts of Ellensburg.  Michele had planned it to be a surprise for me, but I had discovered Lake Mattoon just a few days previously while researching my father-in-law’s younger brother, Buzz Mattoon.  It is a very small lake, clearly visible from the I-90 freeway. From Lake Mattoon we traveled south – southeasterly on Hwy 82 over Manastash and Umtanum ridges to Yakima and Union Gap. After several wrong turns we arrived at the Library.  We were warmly greeted by knowledgeable volunteers and were able to gather a number of fami