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About The west shore. (Portland, Or.) 1875-1891 | View Entire Issue (March 1, 1888)
THE WEST SHORE. 11th Year. MARCH, 188a No. a THE CITY OP TACOMA. HERE is but one Tacoma. It is the city whoso natural location, whose established commercial connections, whose varied and extensive resources, have given it such material prosperity, and assured it such a sub stantial future as to attract the attention of all who keep posted in regard to the development of the Pacific Northwest It is the city which has made greater strides in the past year than any other north of California, and west of the Rocky mountains. The ob ject of this article is to show the '53 causes which have brought the city into ex. Vijg) istence, and the reasons why its future great- 1 Tacoma does not depend upon any one resource for its future growth. Many cities in the Mississippi valley have grown into commercial importance by having centered in them an extensive trade in grain. Pennsylvania has her cities built up by the manufac ture of iron. In Colorado, cities have been the out growth of the development of her extensive mines. Iu Michigan, the lumber industry has developed great commercial centers. In California, cities of metropolitan importance have sprung up in a few years, in regions where the fruit industry is their chief resource, Tacoma is so favorably located as to enjoy all of the natural advantages which contribute to the growth and development of a large city, and in this particular she is unlike other cities, which have grown wonderfully with limited resources, as com pare I with those of Tacoma. If any one of the fol lowing named industries, to-wit: The handling of grain, the manufacture of iron, the converting of tim ber into merchantable lumber, tho raising of fruit and canning and drying tho same for market, tho devel opment of mines of precious metals, the exporting and importing of tho products of other countries, has boon sufficient to develop and sustain cities of several scores of thousands of people, what shall bo said of tho prospects foi tho future growth of that city wluwo natural location is such that sho has for her resourc es, not only all of those, mcntionod, but many moro? In order to consider tho subject fully, let us in quiro into the natural sources of wealth which aro tributary to Tacoma; first, of tho country in general, and afterwards tho particular locality in which Taco ma is situated. Tacoma is located at tho bead of iiav igation on Puget sound, in Washington Territory. Tho territory comprises sixty-niuo thousaud nine hundred and ninety-four squaro miles, of which it is estimated fifteen million acres aro tillable Tho east ern portion of tho territory is largely prairio land, adapted to tho raising of grain. Tho Cat code rango of mountains separates tho eastern xrtion of tho ter ritory from tho western, and a littlo to tho west of tho center. Tho western portion of tho territory is coy ercd with a magnificent growth of fir, iprnco and ce. dar timber, tho finest in tho world, and estimate! to have contained, originally, one hundred and sixty bil lion feet, of which only about threo billion fwt havo as yet been cut cut Tho climatic conditions of theso two diriiions of tho territory aro marked. Tho western portion has a climate which is mild and moist, owing to tho influ ence of tho Japan current, which strikes tho Pacific coast on tho western shore of the territory. Every variety of climate and soil can bo found in Washing, ton Territory. In tho southeastern portion of tho territory, grapes, peaches, and fruits which thriro in warmer countries, aro raised saccefully and in abundance In tho Yakima ami Kittitas valleys, just east of tho Cascade range, both of which aro highly productive under irrigation, immenio crops of barley,