UNION
COUNTY
I F II I I f II
IS SITUATED IN THE NORTHEASTERN PORTION OF THE STATE
TV i
COMPRISES ABOUT NINETY TOWNSHIPS OR ABOUT 2,000,000 ACRES OF LAND.
The valleys are of an average elevation of alout 12,000 feet a!ove sen level, the highest mountain
peaks lieing a"lout 0,000 feet and continually covered Mithrfinow, "which furnishes a water supply for
numerous streams the year round.
THE CLIMATE
.1 - I . . . i i lii f . . 1 .i 1 . ' m..i l !..f..il a l i f ii i - '.. 1 ..
in tiry mm uranium, mere ueing " tuiiu:ieni raiiu.ui ui prencrve uiu muisuiru oi me hoii ami uuiluic
crops. .Snow seldom, falls to the depth of 0115 foot in the valleys, and never remains longer than from
two to threo weeks at a time. ' .
The mean temperature for the winter months is ahout 120 decrees ahove freezing point, and for
tho summer months ahout 70 aliove zero, the heat of t)ie day being oflaut by cool nights that ensure
refreshing and invigor&ting.sleop and rest for the fatigued
The winter season usua ly logins about the first of December and lasts till the middle of Fnliruary
or first of March, when the husbandman is given an opportunity to prepare for his springs seeding.
From March 1st to July 1st, tho monotony of warm and dry weatnoris brokon by frequent showers
of rain furnishing sufleient moisture to the ground and tempering the atmosphere so as to assure the
farmer an abundant yield.
During the months of July, August nnd September, which are the harvesting months in this
county, tho weather is usualy dry and adapted to the successful gathering of crops. Generally
enough rain falls in tht autumn months to moisten the ground sufficiently to permit tho farmer to
prepare the same for his fall grain.
There is no country in the United States more blessed by a healthful climate than Union County,
as the vigor and enterprise of is citizens will prove.
Tho various contagions provah'nt in many localities aro almost wholly unknown here, and are
usually very mild in their attack when thoy do appear. There has only been one case of Smalltox in
Union County since its settlement, and chills ami fever aro totally unknown. We have no tornadoes
or hurricanes to lay waste tho country, destroy property and il'ie lives of people, nor blizzards to
freeze tho life out of humanity, Nor do we have the fogy and dump atmosphere which is found West
of the Cascade Mountains.
SOIL AND PRODUCTIONS.
There is 1,-H)7,000 Acres of Surveyed Land in the County ; the rest is unsurveyed, the unstir
veyed jwrtion being valuablo for Timber, Pasture and abounding in Mineral Deposits. The valleys
of the County aro Grande Hondo, Indian, North Powder, Rig Creek, Kiu$le, I'ino and Starkoy. The
soil in these valleys is well adapted to the raising of Wheat, Oats, Barley, Rye, Timothy, Clover and
Alfalfa, Vegetables and Fruits, such as Apples, I'lums, I'cars, Peaches, Cherries, strawberries, and
in fact all of tho smaller varieties grow to perloction.
Tho yield of Wheat is from 12.5 to 50 bushols to the aero, Barley from 40 to 70, Oats alotit the same
as Barley, with exceptions in somo localities, when as high as 100 bubhols of oats has been raised to
the aero. Tho Mountains are covored with a Fino Growth of Timber, consisting of I'ino, Tamrack,
Spruce, etc. Tho most valuablo is tho Tine, which is used in tho lumbering industry, also some of
the larger species of Tamrac, but this class of timber is used chiefly to furnish wood ties, etc., which
is amply sufficient to supply tho surrounding country for ages.
TI10 mineral rosourcos of the County aro only partial v developed, but sullicient prospecting and
mining has been dono to prove that great ledges ot ore interline the mountain sides, which, when
sufficient capital is employed in their development, will bo a great factor in the general summary of
t''o wealth of the County. A more detailed account of the Mines and Mineral Resources of the
County will be found further on.
STOCK JfcAlJSIINCji.
Tin asMesMiiioiit roll of tho county lor tho year 1888, shows that there were head of horses,
28, Henri of Ottlo. r5.fi5 Head of Sheep, and 5,571) Head of Swine, showing of Itself that the County
In a great. S'ocls Raising Region. TIiouhbihIh of head of slock are yearly shipped, bringing to the owner
thoeof a neat profit on their Investment.
In fact, tho stock busiiieHH lias been nnri still Ih tho most paying of any In the country and It
bids fair to continue to bo such for many year to como The bunch gnss growing upon the hills and
mountains Is very nutritions, stock falter ing in a very triiort time, ready for market, lnntlly stock h 's
to li fed liar for from one to two months during to winter, but In tnanv places homes will winter upon
the hunch grass and do well. fho climate lx such that ato k rained is of a hardy and healthful charac
ter, ilvlnir lo work horses a stronu constitution and powerful inut-clo
Th mill; cow horo attains perfection. Sheep are vorv healthy and produce heavy llceces. The
dairying business In the lalt few years has developed into a li'ge and p-outablo 0110, tho country being
snuclallv aantod 1 1 the business by roanon of the milk producing qualities of the khishcs and the ex
cellent Hinge, the largo quantity of hay and gain raised per acre. lh,o healthfulnesa of animals, the
t let.
largo water supply and the ntilek market of Hut tor and Choline. Tho .Tersfy, llolstlne and Durham are
rapidly taking the place ot I lie common breed of cat'lo, and dairymen are giving considerable attention
to I ho rcedl g of tliolr cows.
It Is al l more profit can b' realised pir year from a milk cow In this country than any other in the
United Stale, one instance tielng given of a single cow for 0110 year, yielding a ntt prolit to tho owner
of 9175 bcsl ius tho calf
Twom ameries aio In operation at the Cove, In this county, whi h make 112110;) pounds of cheese,
worth 1 1 cents per pound, and 75, tx 0 iounds butter, worth 2 cents per p und.
This year a croaiucrv is in operation at I.a (ir nrio, with what success remains to bo seon, although
o rioubi'can lie entertained but that it will prove t ho a prolltahlo concern.
ITS MINING RESOURCES.
Tho Mining District" of Un'on County aro Curnucopla, Sparta and Sanger. Cornucopia District Is
In tho K Sinn portion of the County, and embrace a section about ten miles Miiare, within which there
aro about tKKJ qurtz locations. The formation In graniioanri slate; the ledges running in a Sootheartorly
ami Northwesterly direction. Tho llrst locations wero made hern in 1881. Tho quartz contains Gold and
Sliver, tho gold predominating. Some of tho lode aro froa milling, but thoy generally contain biso
motal hh In consequence wl'l have to bo treated In reduction rks. Assays have been made of ore from
tho different grouns, showing an average yield of from 25 to fcl 0 per ton. When tho proper meth ris
are employed to work these ledge to tho best advantage, Cornucopia will bj considered tho New
'Kldorado of tho West."
Tho Or gon uold Mining ( ompany, or I.ouuvlllo, Ivy , Is the only company represented in tho dia
l's leuges, which woio ooiauird at irom shi.maj 10 VUU.UX) each.
Tho HCd.laeKit, helonging n tins company, is a won netine ledge, averaging about four feet In
thickness and when struck on tho lowest tunnel, wait found to ho a mass of too golden metal. This
company has a 40-Stamp Mill running night and day upon tho ore taken from this lodge. Seven thou
sand live hundred pounds of sulphurets wero secured tho llrst month of thin spring's operatious, besides
Immense quantitioi of free gold caught upon tho auia'gam pans.
This company's expousoH In buildings, machinery, roads, development, etc., bn amounted to over
Eliot) 0 0. Thoy have tho Whitman, which has a shaft sunk over 1,500 feot and sIiowh better as tho work
progresses; tho Alta No. 2, which is developed sufficiently to Indicato a well dellned lodge of high grade
ore. Tho present superintendent. Professor Smith, is highly pleased with tho prospect for his company
and predicts a second Leadvlllo of Cornucopia. Many other ledges of tho camp with 100 feel or more
of development work aro showing up well, among which aro tho Simmons gr up, comprising the Key
stone, Checkma'e, Umpire and Buckeye, ad situated on the Simmons Mountain and Miiri to lie the l est
group of mines In the camp, I mo the Blue Bell, Little Casino and Monte Chri to, situated on the tame
mountain and extensions of tho Slininons ledges, showing same grade and character of ore. Tho W ay
Up northeast of Cornucopia, shows somo of tho richest oro of any in camp and is no doubt an extension
of the Blue Bell and Simmons group. Tho Union, Companion. Iist Chan e, Robert Kmmct, Forest
Queen, Red Boy, May Flower, Cox anil Allen, Red Cross, Steen groupe, Stella, Tiger Boy. Climax
and Queen of tho West aro all sufficiently developed to show them to bo good ledges and contain paying
oro In gnat quantities. Tho Cornucopia or I'ino Creek district i a rich ono with an unlimited amount
of ore and only lacks capital to prove its wonderful richness. It Is destined to be one of tho richest
camps in existence,
Tho Sanger mines aro operated by a San Francisco Company, which liegan Us operations two vears
ago, buying tho lodges for 817,0 0 and now cleaning up on an avcrauo of $70,000 per month. These
minim aro on the road between Union and Cornucopia, idiom H ' miles east of Union, having a tri-weokly
mall from Union on to Cornucopia, thus lielng placed In direct communication with Union, their trad
ing point.
The Sparta mines aro a'siut. eight miles southeast of Sanger and have, been worked for the past
twenty years, still Yielding Urge returns. Tho Sparta mines aro mostly placer, but quite a number of
lodges havo lately boon found which, as fr as developed, indicate good pa) lug ore. A mill is being
built here and good returns are expected from Its work.
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Now to return to the Agricultural Interests of the County, the Largest, most Fertile and attractive
Valley pf Union County, Is the Famous Giande Itoude. whose I eauty is ecomb g known far and wide,
surrounded fiy fofty mruutains upon which seems to rest the blue vult. abpve. Wherever tho eye
gazes it cannot help being enchanted I y our beautiful scenery. This valley embraces HWI.OtO acres of
as tine Agricultural 'Iiuid as can b found on the Pacific Const.
The Grande RonrieRlver enters its boundary on tho West nnd flows Evterly through the cenjer
of the va ley and thence Northerly and out at i a Northern limits; 30x25 miles is its length and breriih
and with Catherine Creek, the latgest tributary of the Grande Rnnde entering the valle at the South,
Mill Creek entering at the Kat a d Willow Creek entering at the North, with numerous other small
tributaries, make the Grande Ronde Val ey one of the best watered valleys in Ortgon, all of the above
named rtreams Hffb-dig abundance of atT the eaoii round.
The soil of this vallev is principally a blark. rich lo-m with clay subsoil, there being a' out three
Townships of land having a sandy soil. knw n as the Sand Ridge, all of which produces excellent grain.
The yield of Wheat, Oats, Barley Rve, Timolhv, Alfalfa and Cloer Is larg, the cereals yielding
from 25 to 1 0 burhel per acre of Wheat "4(! to 10O for Oats and Barley, and Haj from 2 to 8 tons per acre;
frequently three crops of Alfalfa being cut in one season.
PRODUCTIONS AND EXPORTS.
Th produ Ing an-1 export of grain and hay from this valley Is large and.growing in quantity each
year. Besides the production of gialn and hay for export, a immense quantity ot fruits, including Ap
ples, Plums, Pruneu, I'ears and smailo fruits, alo garden vegetables are raUed in great quantities and
marketed in the neighboring sections. Butter and Chre-e is also one of our stuple products. Ptock
raising is engaeed in largely and profitably; as line stock may lie seen upon the fsnns of Grande Ronce
Valley as anywhere. stocKtnen and farmers always securing the bst bied animals for breeding pur
poses. Taxes are no higher on fine than poor stock. The lands of this vallcv have all been taken, but
choice places can t o Inught at from 815 to $30 per acre, wheh Is compos I iely cheap. Mai y large
bodies of land owned by single Individuals and of the best quality ca be had at very reasonable rates;
which could be divided into several trood farms.
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TIMBER.
The hills and mountain are covered with timber of the best quality for lum' ering purposes and
easily reached, But little of the timber land has been entered or taken up
RAILROAD FACILITIES.
The O. R. & N. R. It. entering the valley at the southern portion and following the foothills on the
Southwest, passes out .of the yaley on the West, traversing the Southwestern boundary of the valley
for a distance of 14 mih s.
The Hunt Railroad system will be extended during the next year from Wal'a Walla, W T., through
the Blue Mounlans to Summerville. in tho northern portion of the valley and will 1 lien iraverie the en
tire length of the valley through its center to Union. Upon the building of this road the valley will
havo the best railroad facilities.
Puget Sound, W. T., is the terminal point pf this line, putting rortand, Or. and the rities of the
So- nd 111 competition f r the trade of the Valhy, the importance of which is evii enced by lie building
ot thiy second line of road. .Jn concluding this description of Grande Ronde V Hey, it c-m le -aid with
out fear of contradiction, Ihat no better oppoMun tv is c tiered anywi ere in the Northwest for the home
seeker er capitalists tliau in Grande Ronde Valley and Us vicinity. The resourcesof ihe valley and its
tributary sections will sustain manufacturing Indust ics of nearly every kind of which we now have
but very few. It will sustain ten times the pupulaiiou it now has in the Nrmi g and dairying 1 usiness.
offering iu this line advantages not to be found but in very few places. The raising of l borough bred
stock is a protltable business and there is hardlv an individual here solely iu thatbu-iness at. present.
To visit Grande Rondo Valley nri see it and to investigate its advantages, is to locate here. In no
I stance have people, who have visited this valley givui it other than the bestof reputation in regard to
climate, soil and everything that goes to constitute a g3od country.
The Grande Ronde Valley has several considerable towns and village: Union in the southern end
of the valley, I.a Grande at tuebase of the mountains on the northwest Sumniei ville in the northern
end of the valley. Cove about midway on the east side, and Elgin in the extreme northern part of the
valley.
UNION,
The County i&at of Union County, U itltimted in the southern portion of the Fertile Grande Kendo Valley, and has
the best Natural Ixiontlou for a City of auy town in, Eastern Oregon. Situated, just at the base of rolling hills ou both
sides of Catherine Creek, a beautiful, sparkling stream, whose waters are pure as.nature ever distilled and held
suspended In her mountain reservoirs, furnishing immense waterpowcr just waiting to be utilized by the hand of
man for all LI ml 9 of manufacturing Industries. In fact the water power is amply sullicient to make Union the Jxnvell
of Oregon If the attention of her enterprising citizens were turned in that direction, which will be the case when new
blood and Eastern capitalists come iu. This is oue of the best places in Oregon for the erection of mauiifacturles.
A woolen mill Is greatly needed now, "aud stxne energetic capitalist who Is engaged Ih such business would find
hero the chosen spot for sueh.au enterprise, right In the heart of a great wool-growing section of the country. No
high freights to pay, water-power In abundance, and lu fact everything that such a business would consume is pro
dneed here iu the valley.
The present population of Union Is about 1,'JOO, but when the O. & V, T. railroad reaches here she will double her
populatlpn Inside of six mouths. Kager eyes are watching to Nke advantage of the present low prices in property and
procure for themselves a home where they may live iu peace aud plenty. Water works can be put iu at very little ex
penso by running apart of Catherine creek into a largo reservoir on the hill back of town. This will give all tho fall
wo waut from ISO feet up; no expense of keeping a steam pump and the necessary repairs. This mountain stream
can be made-to'ruu directly into the reservoir and all the waste can be utilized iu furnishing power for machinery.
When once waterworks aro completed there will be uo need for wells, springs, etc., for no purer drinking water can be
found.
Our school facilities are unsurpassed. Wo have in our public school, a High School Grade. Tho school is supplied
with every possible convenience. Everything is furnished by our liberal handed citizens, who believe in giving their
children a Urst-class education and that they can be educated lu uo better way than by having a No. 1 Hchool at home.
The school at present Is divided Into four compartments, all thoroughly graded. Students on completing the pre
scribed course of study receive a certificate to that eftect. An addition to the pieseut school building is Iu contempla
tion, also several hundred dollars worth of apartments is soon to be added.
Morally aud socially, Union Is unexcelled aud her hospitality Is widely known throughout the surrounding coun
try. We have four churches, all In a flourishing condition. There are six secret societies, doing much good to hu
manity. We have a number of stores of dlllcreut kinds, all doing a protltable business, as they supply a great agricul
tural district and the numerous mining camps Iu the near vicinity. We aro also supplied with several saloons, bar
bershops, blacksmithshops, etc., one principal hotel aud several restaurants, so that the most fastidious tastes of the
eplcurlau can be fully satisfied. Wo are also supplied with two first-class livery and feed stables so that strangers
coming to this town will have uo trouble lu procuring a tirst-clais team aud taking a drive out into tho exhlllerating
atmosphere and feasting his eyes upon the grandeur of our mountain scenery, aud bieathlug iu the life-giviag exygen
that cau be found nowhere so pure as iu Union Comity. Totlui Hasten v who is not used to mountain scenery, when
first beholdlngour beautiful' loisttiou, his first and involuntary exclamation Is, "Paradise Found at Last."
Our county Court House is well finished in every particular, having a largo and commodious hall, amply sufficient
to accommodate auy and all audiences. It also has lu connection a jail built by the 1'auley llros., with sll their latest
Improveed cells, thus nuking things secure againstthe escape of any prisoners that may be confined thurein. Our
Opera House Is one of the largest tjils side of Portland, with handsomely decorated curtains aud finished in superb
style. One large aud commodious FJouring Mill, full roller process, with all modern improvements, Is situated adjoin
ing the town. Also several saw mills iu the near vicinity. Tho lumbering interest is bound to become qulto a fea
ture iu our industries.
Taken all l.t all. Union Is one of the U'st towns in Eastern Oregon. Heretofore she has been kept back on account
ot poor rallroal facilities,-but wheh the Hunt System of Katlroad Is completed Into I'nlnu, its latent resources will bo
developed and it will lake Its place among tho thriving cities of our land. We have ono of the loveliest towns In
Oregon, and a great deal of wealth is here already. All that Is now needed Is for people to come and take advantage
of the great Inducements soou to be thrown at the feet of every energetic man possessing cither brains or muscle.
The pleasure-seeker or'tho Invalid cau find no better place to while away the summer mouths. Only three miles
away can bo found Hut .Springs aud Lakes reveling lu medical virtues aud curative powers the famous "Kansas Hot
Springs," Kheuinatism and such complaints disappearing as if by the hand of some magician. Lovers ot the piscatorial
art will flud U10 heauaiful sparkling waters of Catherine creek alive with the gamy mouutalu aud brook trout In the
edge of the mountains larger game may bo found, while out iu the valley along the Graude ltotnle river are geese
swan and ducks in abundance. In the tho grain field prairie chickens aro quite plentiful. Taking all these natural
advantages for pleasure und business, we think people looking for a homo cau nnd uo place supplying all their wants
better than tho beautiful city of Union.
bltico the much talked of limit lUllroad Is au assured fact, property Is beginning to advance In prices, though at
the present time city lots and blocks may bo had at very reasonable rates.
THE UNION REAL ESTATE ASSOCIATION
Now has in its possession tracts of land suitable for small farms, or they could be laid off into blocks. This asso
ciation has started in on a firm basis, having within its power the means of handling property to a better advantage
than any firm in Union County. They already have numerous tracts adjoining the city; farms, Ice, etc., to
be sold on very reasonable terms or for cash.
Parties desiring information of Union County can do no better than interview or address the managers of this
association,
WILSON & HACKETT,
Who will cheerfully furnish thorn with all the information dealrod.
U1VIOIV, OREGON,