Since the beginning, we've named our soups after real places throughout Washington and the surrounding Northwest. From small towns and mountain peaks to rivers, canyons, and historic landmarks, each name was chosen because it means something to us and the region we call home. Each soup has a story, and so does the place that gave it its name.
In 1868, William Wilson established the first claim and built a log cabin where Ellensburg now stands. In 1870, A.J. Splawn and Ben Burch moved a 14x18 hewn log structure to the area and opened a store known as “Robbers Roost,” which relied on trading furs and horses with Native peoples in exchange for supplies.
John A. Shoudy arrived in the Kittitas Valley in 1871 as part of a family effort to develop an improved road connection between Seattle and Yakima County. He purchased the store and 160 acres of land, and in 1873 established the first postal service in the area. In April 1875, he and his wife Ellen officially platted the town, naming it Ellensburg in her honor.
Between 1878 and 1883, the town experienced rapid growth. The arrival of the Northern Pacific Railroad on March 31, 1886 brought a major boom, and in 1889 the first telephone line connected downtown businesses. That same year, a major fire began in J.S. Anthony’s grocery store and spread across ten city blocks. In response, landowners coordinated a new downtown design, and within ten days, construction began on 43 fire-resistant brick buildings.
Today, Ellensburg sits in the heart of Washington at the junction of I-82 and I-90. It is home to Central Washington University and offers a wide variety of outdoor recreation. The city is located just nine miles from the home of Rill Specialty Foods.
