104
THE WEST SHORE.
leM towna of Oregon, and has now a population of 1,500,
with a busmen established on a firm and permanent
bosk Exoellnnt schools and churches, an agricultural
college, two well-conducted weekly papers, flouring mill,
aaw mill and sash and door factory are foaturea of the
town. Corvallis haa within a few weeks become the point
of junction Ixitween the Oregon Pacifio Railroad, from
Vaqnina Iky, and the west aide lino of the 0. & 0. road,
of w hich it haa liecn the Urminal point for a number of
yearn. The benefit to le derived are many, and will
considerably increaae the imputation, business and value
of projierty. When, aa is confidently expected, the Ya
qnina Hay route become the outlet for a large portion of
the product of the Willamette Valley, Corvallia will
oocupy a atill more important position and enjoy a still
greater measure of protterity. Other towns in the west
ern portion of tho county are Philomath, which possesses
a college of the snino name and a flouring mill; Monroe,
containing a flouring mill, and Alsea, whore a saw mill
and flouring mill aro located.
I'OI.K COUNTY.
North of DiMitou, and extending from the Willamette
River to tlie summit of the Coast Range, lies the county
of Polk, one of the oldixtt and best agricultural counties
in the State. It haa an area of some 800 square miles,
almut equally divided between valley and lull land, with
a licit of timher-eovcrcd mountains on ita extreme western
eniL The valley xrtion is occupied by well-improved
farms, and is one of the lct devoloed portions of tho
HUte, There are especially noticeable many excellent
rwiidmioe, aoinn of them quite costly structures. Wheat
raising and general farming, combined with incidental
slock, dairy, hop and wool production, are the leading
industries. Some of the best aheep in the State are to be
found in Polk County. Nearly every farmer lias a small
orchard on his place, and the usual Oregon fruits do well
iu that auction. Improved land is for sale at from KtO to
."), and unimproved from 12.50 to tlO. The western
auction is hilly and covered with a fino growth of hard
wood and fir, the latUr being especially dense and valu
able in the mountain region. This land is especially
adnptod to paaturago for cattle and shecj). Much of it is
atill ojmui for settlement under tho Oovornment land laws,
while there ia also a considerable amount belonging to
the railroad which may l purchased at a reasonable rate.
Partially improved land can always bo bought at low
figure. Tho Luckiainuto ia a tributary of the Willam
ette and ia navigable for small steamers. Thia stream,
La Creole, Mill Creok and numerous other furnish aii
abuudauce of pure waUr and an alimwt uulimited water
juiwer, but littlo of which ia now utilised.
Tha aeat of justice ia Dalian, a town of 800 people,
aituaUl on tlie narrow gauge line. It contains a sash
ami door factory, tannery, marine ho and academy,
aud ia the busiueaa centre of a large and prosperous
farming region. Independence ia a thriving town of 700
pl and powMMiiM Mf and flouring milk It is the
shipping point fur a large agricultural section, for which
ita position on the Willamette River and the 0. & 0.
T?ni1rnAd irive it snecial advantages. Monmouth is situ-.
ated on the narrow gauge road, and contains a wagon
factory, a college and a population of 150. Airlie, a vil
lage in the southern end of the county, is the terminuB of
the narrow gauge road. Other villages on that line are
Porrydale and Ballstown. On or near tlie U. & u road
are Rickreall, Zena and McCoy's, which has saw and grist
milk Buena Vista, on the Willnmette, has a feed mill
and pottery. Polk possesses excellent shipping facilities.
The Willamette forms its entire eastern boundary, while
two lines of railroad traverse its entire length from north
to south. One of these is the west side division of the
0. 4 C, and the other a narrow gauge line of the Will
amette Valley Railroad Company. Good county roads
enable the farmers from every section to reach the rail
road stations and steamer landings.
YAMHILL COUNTY.
Yamhill County extends from the Willamette River
to the summit of the Coast Range, and is surrounded by
the counties of Washington, Clackamas, Marion, Polk
and Tillamook. It has an area of about 750 square miles,
the larger portion lying in the great Willamette Valley.
For twenty miles west from the Willamette River the
country has an almost unbroken, gently rolling surface;
thence west, north and southward, a succession of undu
lating ridges, hills and valleys, rising higher and higher
into the chain of the Coast Range, which forms an impos
ing background in the shape of a half circle northwest
and southwest The soil is a rich, dark loam, specially
adapted to the cultivation of wheat, which has always
lieen the chief crop, and until recently nearly the only
one. The great increase in the population of the North
west has enlarged the market for General farm nroducts.
and the result is that more attention is being paid to
mixed iarming, winch is recognized as being safer and
more profitable than when one kind of crop is depended
upon. Improved land is worth from $10 to 40 tier acre.
owing to location and character of improvements. In the
iooinius or the mountains there is yet some vacant lund,
but tho best opportunities in Yamhill are for those who
have the means to buy farms already improved and hav
ing a desirable location. In fertility of soil, nearness to
market, class of population, business centres, shipping
conveniences and educational facilities, Yamhill County
has no suixirior in Oroeon. The
two lines of railroad-the west side division of the O. &
u. ana the narrow gauge line of the Willamette Valley
Railroad Company. It haa also the advantage of a free
watorway down the river. Nnmnrn,, of,. :i.
abundance of pure water and power which might be
lltlllvn.1 ... .
"""',"t iu uinny ways.
The couuty seat IB IftfHVofl u!tnI.J .... II.. V I 'll
ij. .. .. ' ' n uiu xamuui
River, near the line of the O. A C. Railroad. It contains
nT n. m hM a flourin8 and the busi-
M,M n " , b V"!0" commercial section.
McMinnville Rgo situated on V.mi.m m .j
important shipping point on the O. 4 G road It con-