Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1876-07-22
THE sWINAMIsH COUNTRY.

,erv recent date one OF the DeSt agTl-
cultural portions of our Territory was
comparatively unknown. TheSwinamish
embracing the large tract OF
fertile acres in the Southern part OF
Whatcom county, on an inlet known as
Swinamish Slough, has recently become
famous for the large amount of re-
or tide land, under cultivation,
at one time regarded as worthless. This
adaptation has been effected by means
of dykes, constructed of sufficient height
and thickness to withstand the highest
tides. When properly constructed they
become firmly imbedded, and require
but small expenditure to keep them in
repair. The expense of construction
for large tract is less than that OF
clearing dense wood lands, while the
soil is quite as tillable and equally as
fertile as the made land of the New
England States. The thriving town OF
La Conner is centrally located in this
district. It possesses several stores,
hotel, shops, school, and other neces-
sites of civilized life. The valley of
the Skagit river, which is included in
this region, contains likewise large
area of bottom land. It is navigable
to the jam, about twelve miles from
its mouths, for the largest light-draught
steamers, and the available lands on
either side are thickly populated by an
enterprising class Of people. Above this
point, however, the spirit of enterprise
has made but little progress, as 1t is ex-
ceedingly difficult to either carry pro-
ducts to market or obtain the supplies
SO abundant but short distance below.
The Jam operates as an efeetual bar to
progress, and thousands Of acres of
arabic land, one of the best timber
regions on the Coast, and immense de-
posts of the finest coal in the Territory
are practically valueless for the want of
the requisite means to open the gate.
The excellence Of the timber is, how.
ever, attracting the attention of expert
enced men, and it is thought the OBJ
struetion will, in the course of time,
be removed, The timber of these bot
toms is softer and frssr from knots than
that taken from the high lands. An en-
terprising firm Of camp-men is now en-
gagged in logging on the Skasit dam,
thus accomplishing a two-fold object,
removing an obstruction end converting
it to a profitable use at the same tine.
But their unaided labors are made
quate for the task. Government should
aid the work by liberal appropriation.
Fifteen or twenty thousand dollars could
not be appropriated to a better purpose
When the jam is removed, Q valley
will be thrown open to settlement about
sixty miles in length and of an average
width of from five to ten miles. The
river for this distance would be naviga.
BILE at all seasons of the year for stern
wheel steamers, The extent of the
tide fats at the mouths Of the river in
Guiding the delta formed by "the fork,
embraces district about twenty-five
miles in length and five in breadth
then the bottom land is reached which
extends to the Cascade Range Of Noun
tains. ~ .-t.i.,..
The settlement of this portion Of ou'
Territory hos for the past few months
been greatly augmented by the pub
lished result of last years farming
operations. 1t has been demonstrated
that grain crops can be produced or
these tide and bottom lands, which will
compete with those of California in botl
quality and quantity. This fact needs
but to be generally known to attract al
the population necessary to constitute {
prosperous and thriving commonwealth
We suggest that those who are il
search of good farming lands investigate
the claims of the Swinamish county be-
fore deciding upon location.