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About The west shore. (Portland, Or.) 1875-1891 | View Entire Issue (March 29, 1890)
WKST MIORK. INDEPENDENCE, OREGON. ON the wct tank of the Willamette river, in Polk county, about acventyfive tnilca aouth of Port land by the Smthrrn Pacific railroad, ii lituatcd the town of Independence. Ita ligation ii beau tiful. Here the river wend iU courw through one of the tntwt picturesque portion! of the valley that U-art iti name. On each ride ma be nn finely cultivated, undulating field, baring for t Lock ground rolling hilli ujmn whow ridea and lummitf, at thii mmii of the year, may be descried well fenced, preen field. The town, with ita highly cultivated and beautiful nir roundingf, haa long been the center of one of the ml p.iniurtive agricultural dhttricta in Oregon. Tlie farm era from a wide extent of country come to d) their trading. They come from the many farm lying to the north a distance of twelve mile , and to the went m far at the lat range, which ii distant about twenty miles. It ii from the forests on thii range, at the brad of the fertile I.uckiimute valley, that the taw mill here, and the mill at Falcm, look for their supply. The country extending south an far a the llcnton county line also obtains ita supplies from thl town. A large diitrirt on the cant bank of the river ii also trilutary to thia place. The productiveness of all of thia tributary country ha been thoroughly tested for a j-rUI of nearly half a century, large and unfailing croj having ben gath cred year after year. On the higheit summit of the rolling hill, without Irrigation, are harvest! annually immense crojni of wheat and other cereal, suh a .ats and Urlcy, while the bottom land are hot sur jail in their yield of corn and hoj. Cornstalks may be s-rri growing that have attained the height ( fiftnn feet It I to tlx credit of Polk County of having raied more ound of hoj U the acre, during the year l'J, than any other nunty In Oregon. The upland soil of thi portion of the valley I a b!k ham. and will average from to to three frt In de4h, while the bottom land I principally a sandy bam. Mt of the territory that I tributary to idejodeie wa acquired from the government under the ol I dia tion law. A large jrtion of thU land I tlill hell In large holding, ui h a were then granted to th early settler. Gradually thre large tract are I fog broken up and place! ujn the market, and there may U obtain! In thl ection the u"t productive kind J land at reasonable prW. Tl pl art unac j-iair t! with the wil l and Inflate.! rk that uy!ly prevail In what U known as "Uiituh-.toouAtj If tb settler U anilou to rojoy the a ril, rd a-tl-f.al an! rrligli privil'g' that he wa o,t to ny in the thWkly .t!"l .Mm of th fU. h u.ay rt tM-aml that in lh! port! n of th Wi!!m- ttte valley he will have lie opportunities; for th j-eople who have etlh! thl section of the rutihtry brought ith them their love for home, the sh.4 and the church. Independence, on ammt of the opprtunilie (r trade it ha long rnjoyrd, is on of th tnt opulent of the m all town to I f-iund In the Willamette tal ley. It claim a imputation of aUut l.'.Vti, and ff1-t liltern Uit k buiilte hUe It llflflt are pnrrmis, and carry larg il kof g! to inert the demand of the Urg numUr of ftrioer w t otu here to do their trading It ha to national lank, having a capital of (VHii)rarh. There are tortl graded rhonN, tiMn h r.!N tre the ttamr of alut t hitdrrn. Five chun he hae ln rfn te.. The Maonic order ha i M;", aUi th O-l I Prlla. A city hall ha m-rntly l-n built at ot i f I VH, alo an ocra hotiM? at a ct of almt I !,. Too hundred and wvt tit v five thouian I hihe uf tft were ihipird from her lt Kra"ii, lld hf juantity of other rrrrl, atd alut 4 M Jund of )iom. (hiring the Mine time ft!ml "i 1,1 f a 1 ,ul.r of xiUtr were rUl The coming rani, it i rijrte., i I hu of thi iot prroi thi ton ba ever llnrd The Inlejndem National Unk will rrJ im two itury, brik bull hng that will nt al. 'tt II.","" A new lnd hou I alo to It b'jilt at a proUMo ctt of I.HiH A iew aw fit Jt ( In cour of ro. trudioii that till I rapatlfl -f culling f.rt if lumUr j-r dy. A iew llo'ir mitt I contemplate! whii h wat all b e.juii'jol ith tlw approve.! tUt mm hinery, ait I will have a ripirity of f) UrfrU r day. The tie and tu lt ill " ! on tU gool lf !"tr liif to coiiM't th: town it!i M"fi;i"'ith. in whii h the tt rw.ru.! bd i I !r I, an I mUu h U dittant to an! M,e,!f tte IV lio lil r'n i.et In rj. i, 1 Mr tith th l affo ga-g ii.of h Offi-'iUn P.ailaiy ('o,hs'h fyo U iU ttf tU h4e of thl r.Ajfit v on It way ihui !' ft!o 1 1 Air! . A tile fj try U "! t I re tr., U li'olii th lr drjiU .f t rlay that afe fnl advent to th-o tan. An eWctrie ItfA atl water ,fk tn ,piy ha Un ofgihSie.I.aJ it ijtl to Uit woik , Arraf g'toent have lei mab t make ,Mii bri'k thi -n 7b te Mvlatl'ti eHhihU that trad" on lU t'ut ltrn PnUfl al t fvl I jnlfhd efertif.g laf l.arv ai! a rh. at th p!a ff th pjri t,( lttf tl!i' t th pfl urU that ar L'pjd Vm Uf by of the tiu. fv!d.a te musivi hj.jfov'Oo?, a vf wn rof otlf are in t;t,Utt.Uli"ti ch a t.kt tn'di' h I of a II.1'' U .' !!.!' I V i'y I'M. ao! aeveral ffnc fibft, tifvj, jftij, teo lit I.' Wiirte 1 1 k t"-n I f' "! f j j f fe I? I of Itl, U. hL h U MfkU tsmt,lf It I ar tU it;'