The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1880-11-26
THE CROOKED RIVER VALLEY.
Letter Descriptive Of that Country
Written by an Old Settler.
PRINEvILLE, Wasco Co.,
Nov. 8. 1880,


Nov. 8, 1880.
Mr.. G. II. STEWART:
Dear Sir: I received your letter Of
the Oath ult, and will now answer
the questions to the best of my abili-
ty. In the first place commencing at
the foot of the Cascade Mountains
and running in an easterlY direction,
passing Cache Greek, Squaw Creek,to
the Great Deschu,e River (the length
OF which Is two hundred miles, and
the average width 200 fcet) there is
not much farming land, hut it is
highly adapted to stock raising, as
all the country is covered with the
finest of bunch grass. Anywhere
vou wish to stop on the river yoo
have a good stock lanch, for the
country for hundred miles both
north, south and east is covered with
the finest sort of grass and under
browse for cattle and horses. Also
the numerous clusters of jumpers
afford shelter that is actually better
than a barn, for it never gets muddy
under foot. I have been here eleven
years, and | think the average depth
of snow is Q inches. Sometimes for
two months in winter there is no
snow at all, but other times the snow
falls about inches deep, and then
comes the "chinook" or warm south
west coast wind, which takes it all
off except on the north side OF the
hills. In the winter the stock goes
back on to what We call desert land,
where the grass is reserved in sum-
mer for them in winter, not by being
fenced, but for the. reason sIhat in
summer there is no water, but in
winter it is plenty, and for this reason
there will be plenty of grass on these
places for fifty years or longer. Stock
raisers have but very little use for
other than the natural feed that Is
tree tor every man.
Wheat never has been worth less
than dollar bushel, and sometimes
twice that amount. There are mum
erous little valleys in every direction
that are very fertile for all the small
grains and grasses. All the hardy
vegetables do we'll here, and in many
places all kinds are raised. From
the Deschuses River you pass over
IL miles of country that is literally
covered with grass, juniper timber
and plenty of browse for stock in
winter. Then yon are at the lower
end OF Crooked River valley, which
is about Is miles long and extends
almost due east and west. This is a
beautiful valley with little or no tim
Der in it, with the exception of viii
lows along the river. The average
width of this river is 100 feet. It
/ gets very low in summer and autumn,
but high IN the spring, but not high
! enough to interfere with bridges.
Now comes the stock country on the
south of this river, and along it's en-
tire length is one line Of hills and
/ plateaus tbickly covered with bunch
grass of the best quality. Every few
miles comes in creek from the high
! lands back on either side. On these
streams from head to mouth, with
few exceptions, are good farming
lands. At this time there are hun
dreds Of thousands of acres of good
land lying idle, waiting for the indus
trious farmer to fence and plow and
raise grain on But what is the use?
There is no market for grain except
in limited quantities, as we have no
facilities for shipping to the outside
world. The consequence is that if a
man doesn't have money enough to
90 into the stock business he won't
come here at all. Peace was made
with the Indians here only two years
ago, and families have been afraid to
settle, but they are now caming in to
considerable extent. The one great
trouble here is to get our supplies.
When man with large family has
to go 160 and sometimes 200 miles
TO mill and do his trading, what is the
use of settling in such country. II
we had railroad somewhere on the
coast west of here, and running east
so as to connect with some of the
through lines il would open up thous-
ands of good farms and homes.
As soon as it is settled fact that
the Oregon Pacific will be built, just
whisper the tidings that there is such
a country as this, and only lying
across the mountains from the Will
Iamette Valley, and there will be
such stream of emigration across
the Cascades as was never before
seen. The famous Palouse country
IN ,,o,,,. 10 baord nf a.o;p nnr