Grimes Golden is recorded as growing on Orcas and San Juan as early as 1891, and we have located a tree still growing in an orchards on Lopez that was planted prior to 1889, as well as seedling crosses of Grimes Golden at Westcott Bay in the San Juan Islands National Historical Park near some of the first orchard apples planted on San Juan, as well as near where prominent Orcas orchardist George Meyers had his trees in Warm Valley.
This variety is also known as Grimes, and originated in Virginia in 1790 (though there is an alternate origin story for the variety in Ohio around 1786). It is a golden yellow apple with crisp, sweet, aromatic flesh, enjoyed fresh as well as in cider and spirits. It is the parent of the better known Golden Delicious.
You can view watercolors of Grimes Golden in the USDA Pomological Watercolor Collection.