1U.
VOL. 1-No,
POUTLAND, OBKQON, JUNE, 1870.
fsixuu coma, xvkoti
RESOURCES OF CLACKAMAS
, COUNTY, OREGON.
Clackamas County, lying on both
sides of the Willamette River the
greater portion of it on the east side
contains one million fifty-four thousand'
acres of land, extending on the cast to
the summit of the Cascade range of
mountains, and measuring forty-two
miles from east to west and thirty-two
miles from north to south. More than
three fourths of the above is adapted
for grain, fruits and grapes. Seven
hundred thousand acres of it is unoccu
pied Government land. More than
one half of that is well adapted to settle
ment, and when once put in cultivation,
will be fully equal to many of the older
settled places of the county.' It Is sub
ject to homestead and pre-emption set
tlement, there being no lands in the
entire county
subject to pub
lic entry. The
O. & C. R. R.
Company own
about fifty-eight
thousand acres,
which they sell
in parcels to suit
at the usual easy
terms. The land
Vf this county
may be denom
inated timbered
there being but
a small portion
of what would
be called by a
western' man
prairie. Some
portions heavily
timbered, yet
large tracts
where the tim
ber is not thick
or dense. The
land may properly-
be called
hilly, some por
tions quite bro
ken. The tim
ber most com
mon is fir, of the
several varie
ties, red, white
and yellow. Along the streams, cedar,
ash and maple abound. In the moun
tains spruce, hemlock and larch are
found. As will be seen from the above
list the prevailing forest trees are resin
ous and evergreen, some of which grow
to the height of 300 or 400 feet and
from eight to twelve feet in diameter.
The streams of water in this county,
several of vhich rise to the magnitude
of rivers, are in what may be denomi
nated canyons. The country between
constituting an elevated plateau or roll
ing table-land. These streams afford
almost unlimited water power.
On almost every quarter section of
land pure living water is found. It
may be taken as approximately correct
that there are within the limits of this
county half a million acres of land sus
ceptible of cultivation ; most of the re
mainder, more than half a million of
acres, affords luxuriant and abundant
summer pasturage.
The land by thorough cultivation is
wonderfully productive, yielding from
fifteen to forty-five bushels of wheat
per acre, according to the cultivation,
and the wheat is of the very best
quality. These lands are noted for
their adaptability to the growth of full
sown or winter wheat. The yield of
oats is from twenty to eighty bushels
per acre. Rye, barley and flax grow
well though not much cultivated.
These lands arc also Well adapted to
red clover, yielding from two to four
tons per acre, and by the cultivation
of which the farmer may prevent the
exhaustion of his lands sown to grain,
keeping up a regular rotation of crops.
As to fruit, for the production of
for the plow. When the land is cleared
of the timber, and this has to be done
once for all time, the nearness of these
lands to ship navigation saves an annual
expense which must be incurred in
transportation of the products of land
more remote from the marts of trade.
Portland, the metropolis of Oregon,
which is a port of entry where steam
ships or sailing vessels arrive and de
part almost daily, and with which Ore
gon City, the county seat of this county,
is in daily communication both by rail
road and steamboat, affords facility and
cheapness of. transportation, which
amounts yearly to a considerable item
worthy of consideration in selecting a
home by the farmer. The distance
from Oregon City to Portland is four
teen miles.
Iron ore is found on both banks of
the Willamette river between Oregon
about eight tons per day, and is rim
continuously throughout the year, ex
cept when necessarily laid up for re
pairs. Limestone and coal arc also
found along the foothills of the Cascade
mountains. The limestone is of a fair
quality, but not equal to that found in
other parts of our State) while the coal
is believed to lie equal to the best, but
has not, as yet, been sufficiently tested
to warrant an opinion as to its actual
quality.
kisii , , 1 ,
Of the finest quality abound in all the
streams. While the Willamette 'and
Clackamas swarm with salmon, the
brooks and creeks arc full of the smaller
varieties, of which the most desirable as
well as most abundant, is the far-famed
speckled trout. 1
Of game, the county abound in elk,
deer, bear,
grouse, pheas
ants, pigeons
and quail. (
The school
facilities aro ex
cellent, there
being sixty
four school dis
tricts in which
schools are
taught from
three to ' nine
months In the
S . m'& f 4SS5SS'IJ' The KpiU-
BOOTH PART OP OREOON CITY, FROM THS CLIrT.-Pboto tj BuchUl Stoll.
which Oregon is so noted, the apple,
pear, and plum grow to great perfection
on these hills. Some varieties of the
cherry and the grape grow well, also
strawberry, gooseberry, raspberry, cur
rant and blackberry. The above re
marks as to the crops apply to the hill
lands, because they predominate in this
county; though there is considerable
extent of bottom lands with black allu
vial soil in the county well adapted to
the growth of such crops as arc peculiar
to such lands. There are sparse settle
ments spread over say two-thirds of the
arable lands of this county, and in every
settlement there are lands for sale at
from three to forty dollars per acre,
owing to extent of improvement, nature
of soil and location.
As the lands of this county are tim
bered, it requires labor to prepare them
City anil Portland, also in various other
parts of the country in practically un
limited quantity. The Oswego Iron
Company has a furnace eight miles
above Portland on the river bank, and
directly, and indirectly, gives employ,
mcnt to two hundred and fifty men, as
miners, coal-burners, wood-choppers,
teamsters, and operatives about the
stack. The iron is all made with char
coal and is of a quality that commands
five dollars per ton more than any other
American iron,and ranks above Scotch
Pig" in the San Francisco market.
This is the only smelting furnace on the
Pacific coast, and was begun as an ex
periment; hut it has already demon
strated the fact that this county will soon
develop an industry that will give re
munerative employment to a large pop
ulation. The product of the furnace is
Methodist
Episcopal, Fro
tcstant Metho
dists, United
Brethren, 'Old
School Baptists,
C ongrcgatlon
ulistsand Chris
tians aro all re
presented in the
various parts of
the county,' and
religious s c r
vices aro held
by the various
denominations.
The water power facilities in Clack
amas county are probably greater 'and
more varied than all the other counties
in the State combined. A number of
streams flow into the Willamette on
either hand which would furnish, it
necessity called it into existence', an
abundance of power to found the nucleus
of manufacturing towns; while at the
Willamette Falls in Oregon City there
is at least one million of unused horse
power which might be utilized; (not
over five hundred horse power now in
use) besides the above, the following
streams within the county give oppor
tunitytobe,orarcin part utilized: The
Tualatin, Clackamua, Molalla rivers,
and Clear creek, Rock creek, Butte
creek, Milk creek, Milwaukie and
Bcalc creeks, and Sucker Lake, and a
(See page j.)