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About Willamette farmer. (Salem, Or.) 1869-1887 | View Entire Issue (Feb. 4, 1881)
Mr & VA NCDUVER I ill 1 J 'f ciuffc V X I I CLALLkAM Vj a 111 . .. . V FOiT.TflwurruH I I I 1 r .s v ts:.i.- ) T fcwxnuwf i i IILJEFIFEBSON J W Al w - .. ... w VNW '' I ' ' ' Ti mjpadifid x Ltwly" h .' )))v' c,,o I w,nlock p ( -i JwAHKlotcouiA icanbv (itAOS-dLAKUM C0WLIU2 "M J t0 JK ALAMA 1M .-r.r. ?.. CLARKE t w J iimcttNn wn p. IL VlCABOOKiUfe ffl o 0AtTJNKA CL aXckamasi t III I MITI i ( ...i N. g ! h P VK ! w r lv- iNoircNoi;crf rrunMrai -J n . ilENTO N 11 SI Vl N N I I " MINIII'l l X if JMHCTItfcy I - I ktivmc - : 5 1 T w c fUO Ki i4cs I DCXJUCLrt SN HI U"Y MYMTLCc S 6MA R RY jacks oN ,((( n ' ,CBAM rfi- ( A JOSEPHINE ... - NVlMAMMIrS tAhMftK J'OUTLXTiD, OUllOOK PKimUAhY 4, te. MAP OF WESTERN OltEaON AND YA. , n A EXPLANATIONS. ncpront O. C 11, It. nn.l limicliet, from IVirttanJ Hnitn to Itflioliiirir. llvpiwciiU tlic N. V. It. 11., (rum Kila.iu an the ColuiuM rltcr, Nutlli loThccmaon IMMt SoitnJ, Mil tho I'lijulliip l.nuirh. ' ltcpro.cnUOroiioiil.iii Itally Co.'t Narrow Omje roa.1, ltli Lnnrhr J on botli rliUM'ot tlu WIl- UinctUi alley. . j.7,',if nff.v.'7 '.l:"" ';"',t,0,1 'f"1" ",0 ""P '" n'ror Kii(r l.rnnch to Slu rkUn, VmiiIiIII County! tto Ilia O. k tt It. II. W branch from Allutiy to U'Imiioii, In l.lnn County. ' lie io mn I rinruro. Or.ij.iii kiiiI UtwUlnf. Tjie lino from the month of OoluniliU rli or, South, Imllratn Ilia ocrnn tnm.hlp, route to Sn Pi 1 ho rcuilir l rumln.Kil that tho ColumUi rlur cututltuUa tho illtlilon llnu lilnccn Orivou kiuI ton Turltory. Thy annurcr Iim in ula annra mlitttia In upo'llnir proper mmc, ulikli e ro not amiunttUs for, anil tin nlttcJ tome prominent jIiiH that ho .u InitruclcU to name. Kroui tlie Wllltinutte Farmer of lcc 17, 1S0. TUB IMCBFHJ NOKTinVKST. DESCRIPTION Or TIIE CHEAT COLUMDIAN REGION. Particulars as to Climate. Soil, Pro. ducts. Kcsourccs, Statistics, with Facts and Incldonts Con corn'ngt Oregon and Washington. wxtTKits onxnoy ANII WARIirNtlTfiy, Wu present our rem. el tliU wnvlt with a map of W'ojtern Oregon nml WiUiIiiimtou to lllustrnte the tk'crlptiiu of tho auvcrat eoim tics which follow, Tliii in.ip Ii Itoumluil on tho l'lut by tho great Casc.-iilo r.tnjo of iiiouti. talna which ruin Xortli ami South ami divides tho country into what is known as tho Eastern ami Western regions. Wlillo thero ara n few ti.ue.i iliscovcreil throuith tho rugged Cnscado luauntains over which roads or trails h.ivo been made, tho great bulk of travel is by way of tho Columbia river, which cuts Its way tliroiijgli tho range. Western Oregon and aihington have very similar climate, humid ami not often dis turbed by uxti'cmcs of heat and cold, as tho direct liillucnces ol tho sea nlr, heated by warm ocean currents, preserves tho humidity tho year round, and regulates tho tempera turo. Wo can readily illustrato tho character f n.. t!..... ..I!. .... I... .I. ..... .... ...... I. ui wui .1 iiuer eiiiuiitu uy mo paav inu weeKa. December cams In will, what for this country was unusual cold, This cold was mora In. tense Rut of tho Mountains, and suddenly navigation closed there. Tho ico that coma down from above gorged tho Columbia below tho Willamette, and matters looked serious. This lasted a week or so and as suddenly the weather chanced to warm rains from the South. What Kastcru Orvini people call tho "Chinook wind" came tip tho river and swept oir tho frosts. Suddenly again tho rain In the lower Willamette valley changed to snow, which fell to tho denth of 8 or 10 inches, and extended Hast of tho Mountains far and near. Now tho snow is a!l cone. Warm winds and rains havo taken it all away, and the atmo. phero is so tropical that winter flannel aro uncomfortable. At tho head of tho Willam ette valley and over in Dourlas county they had neither rain or snow, wliilo snow fell here. Last night we sat and wrote all the evening without any flro, and it is very poj aflile, wliilo there may bo cold rains at times, that wo shall have no sharp frosty weather from this until Spring. It is often tho eve that our farmers timl Jannarv and February cood seasons to nut in erain. In addition to publishing a map of all Western Oregon and Washington wu have gathered from the government land ollices at Vancouver, Oregon City and lloseburt', and theotliconf the Surveyor Ceucr.il of Oregon here, statements from which we compile a lame snowing me supernclai area oi lain! in each county, tho Amount that has been sur veyed, amount not surveyed, and how much I... Ii..n .uf.l...f 'I Ii... tl..BAa !ll 1... ...... lit... wvvii u..i!.-u. licao liuiliva Mill lit aillM plimcntcd with statement of lands in each county held by grants from government, such as lands -.'ranted railroads and wagon roada, Inula awarded totheSUteand terri tory for educational and other usea, so that we can promt a lair idea of the land in each county available for further settlement. During the past week we have vinited Astoria to acquire information concerning tho counties down the Columbia rher, so as to be able to describe them with sutiif ient accuracy. While we present many statistics in tabular form, which is a sreat savinir of snaco. we also sketch each county in a manner as graphic as can be dono in a few words, to give a gen era! idea of its location and advantages, lay of country ami cnaracier oi son ami prolnct and such features of interest as will advantage the general reader and the intend. ni? iin. migrant. CUT80P COC.NTV general character of laud is hilly, and even mountainous in poitious, runt mini heavily wondnl. Young's llty extends South from the main harbor nml it West and Smith of Astoria) into thli bay put BiVeial utti'iun, Young's river, Clankaninu river, nud Lewis anil Clarke's river at tho mouth of which, on Clatsop plains, thoy Wintered in ISOI. Tlnsu streams alt head up towardsSaddle Mountain, a striking featuro of tho Columbia river laud, senpo to tho South, which is part of n range of hills that dUtdutlio Nchaleiu liver fium tlicso streams, nml Col. .lames Taylor, nuu of mo oiucsi rct-nioiiti ol lliat cnuulty, informs us that a valley of It! tn I." miles wide, by '.'0 to'.'.'i miles lung, is mndoby tlieov stfennn, with low wooded plat-aux be t wren, all of which is rich Moil and well ndnptml, heu cleared, to all varieties of ccu-nla, fmiti mid vegetables, Tho low lar.ds ate generally covered with alder nml vino maple, but nro t tho richest soil) tho uplands have oecailon.il springs, ami aro often heavily wooded with fir and snruco that will somu time command value All tliii region is unexcelled for cat tlo and dairvim; and is but aiiirmK- iieeiini,-,!. To tho South of Satbllo Mountain coined in tho LTcat Nchalcin river, wliieh heads nut very far from Its mouth, circles tor iUi) miles ami olfers a beautiful val ev on thu inahi stream and its branches that is certain one, day to become densely jiopulateil nml iiiuensely productive. Along the Columbia nlxivo As. toria we coino to John Day's river, which lias a beautiful and well settled v.dley Kick, that makes no show on thu main river) almvoaro occasional clearings until wo icaeli Kuappa, back of which is iiuito a settlement, located on tablo lauds ami fertile prairies nml along Knappa creek. Another good settlement is back of Wcstport, which i near the Ivuteru county Hue. Wliilo this coveis the Xorthcrn foco of tho county, which is only partially settled, back of it lies tho rich nud uxtcusivu Nchalcni valley and tho bench lauds adjoining it, all of which, nearly, is vacant laud. A great part of Clatsop county has never yet been surveyed, and in thu future tho greater i-ortiouof it will become, valiialilufiiriniiiL'buid. Col. Talcott, of tho Knginecr Service, U. S. A., was employed to run-a preliminary lino tn aco how a railroad could bo located, ami ho asserts that thu uplands between thu .NVlialem riverain Washington county constitute nil extensivo region of timbered uplands lying favorably and of great feitility. This region has nover been aurveyed. Col. Taylor repre sents that tho appearance of the shores of thu Columbia is no indications of thu lauds back, as all tho way, on hotli sides tho river, when back from three to livu miles the laud Incomes more level and suitablu for settlement, which la no doubt tho cam. Tho tides rise in tho ri era putting into Young's Day, nml consti tut.io lama area of tido lauds uihui tlinao streams, and givo excellent Miiga for cattlo tilths year round. These tidu l.imlioaii bu easily ilykod ami made avail iblu for prnlllablo cultivation. Of course nil ivirts of Clatson county are well watered. Around Saddle Mountain and the head of the htrcimi running North from it excellent coal has been found, and tho doposit is so ureat that the fiituro of tun counts' must nevclopu iniicli wealth from this source ASTOIIIA, Standing on a point of land that reaches out fnto tho wido stream, Astoria present-, a plctureviuo view. Hero was thu first ostah Iiihment of Oio American I'ur Company, and the relics of their buildings and works were to be seen not long since. The business houses, hotela, wharves ami -vsrehoutc aru all built out over tho water. Ah a point of supply for the mllla, fisheries, shippingaml trade ol tho lower Columbia, the town must grow stuadily and the development of the couutiy ainuud it will aid that growth. Thero is an uxtensiva region dependent on it that will gra lually till up and becomo Pinductive. but as vet tlm rush of linu(,'riitioii is for an ieu country xiiciu inn inuw eau no inn uj HOIK at Olieul Lies in the Northwest corner of tho State, Lbut when all is taid, it must bu apparent that oouiu oi toe entrance oi lite uiumma rivet. A sandy peninsula about ten miles long and one to three miles wide, ties between Young's Day and the ocean, and reaches to the South side of the river entrance. This land consists of sandy lieaches thrown un by tides through post centuries' the soil is light and excellent for pasturage and soino kinds of grain (not wheat) and vegetables. Sheen in considerable numbers, as well as cattle ami horses are kept here, and dairying forms a leading industry! there are five cheese factories on Clatsop plains. Owing to the fact that these "plains1' were acccsublo from Astoria and easily tilled, thev were oocunied bv the verv euliiMt MtUmtUTsbsswlototilaiTsUa. Apart Iras tUa snail fotVom tt tU comity, tit rich and inexhaiiitablu lands that are su near market cannot long lie overlooked. Thu States of New York, Ohio and IVnnsylvnnla had to be in great wrt redeemed from just such a wilderness, and the whole region of lliu Ixrwer Columbia oilers greater advantage to. day than the great States at the 1-a.it did, even half a century ago. All along the shores of thu lower river tho traveller is frequently in sight of fisheries and canneries, or saw-inilli. These aru thu VMihlo industries and though they are of great im portance and produce million they do not mateiially concern us, as wu aru coiisiderlii" the agricultural resources of tho count", ami the development that is Doanihle fiwri that Undpotnt. Hut the agriculture of this region auwt always And ft majtkat tot its product by
