Cashmere is a city in Chelan County, Washington, United States. It is portion of the Wenatchee–East Wenatchee Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 3,060 at the 2010 census. The population was 3,157 at the 2018 estimates.

The original people of the area were the Wenatchi people, who were sustained by abundant game and anadromous fish. The Wenatchee River, which runs through Cashmere, was historically house to coho, chinook, and sockeye salmon, as capably as steelhead. These wild stocks have been severely impacted by the dams upon the Columbia River, although several runs nevertheless exist. The Wenatchi people were displaced to the Colville Indian Reservation by the federal government, but still claim some fishing rights in the area.

The first European to enter the Mission Valley was Catholic missionary Father Respari, of the Oblate Fathers, in the 1850s. He lived accompanied by the Wenatchi people for twenty years teaching them his religion. He was succeeded in the 1870s by Jesuit missionary Father Urban Grassi who built the St. Francis Xavier Mission in 1873. After the missionaries’ departure, the valley was bordering settled in the 1880s by ranchers and squatters. There were tolerable settlers in the Place to necessitate the construction of a one-room schoolhouse in 1886. This sparse treaty was unconventional known as Old Mission, after the Catholic missions of past. No real town existed until George Kline opened the first accrual further down the valley in 1888 to bolster the burgeoning ranch population. A proclaim office was soon normal and Kline was appointed postmaster. The town was named “Mission” after the to the lead missionaries.

In 1892, it was revealed that the Great Northern Railroad would be building its main parentage through the valley and Mission was platted amid the right-of-way and the Wenatchee River in hopes of receiving a station stop on the other line. It did not get a station at that grow old and no boom occurred afterward the railroad came. Not until 1900 did Cashmere become a flag End and a small section house was built, manned by two employees. This small building was preserved and today exists upon the property of the Cashmere Museum and Pioneer Village.

The riches the railroads brought revived local inclusion to irrigate the arid valley. In 1892, a addition company was formed subsequent to a capital accretion of $5000. Local men took out mile contracts to incite dig the ditch. At a great personal expense to many involved, the Peshastin Ditch was completed within twelve years. Following its activation, the town as capably as every one of area, blossomed. Through the 1900s, Mission grew in earnest. The town was becoming a shipping lessening for the growing fruit and agricultural industry in the valley. Within several years, better rail passenger sustain was demanded by citizens and a new, larger depot was built in 1903 and is also still standing in its indigenous place.