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.
Thorp is an agricultural community nestled among the rolling hills of central Washington. In 1878, the railroad named the town after one of its early settlers, Mortimer Thorp. The surrounding area is known for its fertile, well-irrigated land. Irrigation efforts began as early as 1873 with the Taneum Ditch Company, followed by the construction of the West Side Canal in 1889.
A water-powered sawmill was built in 1879, and by 1907 an electric plant was installed, giving Thorp the distinction of being one of the smallest unincorporated communities in the Northwest to have electric lights. The North Star Flour Mill also began producing flour and grain products in 1883.
Over time, the community supported a wide range of businesses, including general stores, a hotel, drug store, doctor’s office, meat market, blacksmith shop, ice house, shoemaker, multiple saloons, a dance hall, confectionery, wooden box factory, theater, creamery, post office, and schools. Today, Thorp remains a quiet rural community of about 200 people. The North Star Mill now operates as the Thorp Grist Mill Museum, preserving much of its original equipment and history.
Thorpellini Tortellini Soup was the original soup that helped launch Rill Foods into the packaged soup market. We are a family-owned and operated company based in Thorp, Washington.
