Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1889-02-21
WILLOWS.
THE TRADE CENTER OF AN AREA
FORTY MILES SQUARE.
Geographical Location Natural Re-
sources = Transportation FaciIi-
ties Business Interests.

geographical northumberland Re-
sources = Transportation FaciIi-
ties Business Interests.
The great Sacramento valley begins at
Redding. in Shasta county, and ends at
Carquinez Straits and Susan Bay, at the
southern boundary of Solano county. Half
way between these two points, on the west
! side Of, and fifteen miles from, the Sacra-
mento river, lies the city of Willows. The
name "Willows" is from Willow creek,
which runs to the north and east of the
city. Owing to numerous springs inter
spersed here and there along its course
across the valley, surrounded by large and
luxuriant willows, it was famous land
mark and general headquarters for stock
men long before agriculture was thought
of in that portion of Colusa county. "The
Willows was well established as name
prior to the advent of the railroad; and
the town when laid out naturally adopted
the name, omitting the article The VIII
lows was first surveyed late in the fall of
1877 by the railroad company, and again,
with additions, in 1879, since which time
it has been added to on every side.
ITS GROWTH FROM THE START WAS yrG-
oRoUs AND HEALTHY,
And when the Northern Railway FOR
California and Oregon, as it is generally
called was completed to this point, a town
of some pretensions was already estab-
lished. The locations of Willows is such
as to insure city of many thousand in
haiitants.
Inland towns must depend for their
future and prosperity on the volume of
trade which they naturally command; and
this trade is circumscribed in all instances
by natural boundaries, as, for example, the
proximity of larger towns, want of suffi-
cient transportation, want of competition
in railroads or navigation, the quantity of
fertile lands, health, altitude, etc, etc.
| In each and every one of these things
Willows courts the closest investigation,
but more particularly to its being
THE NATURAL TRADE CENTER
OF tributary territory forty by forty
miles in extent. That is, the agricultural
area which il commands comprises 1000
square miles of land, being more than
five hundred square miles greater
than the State of Rhode Island.
A large portion of this territory lies along
the Sacramento river, and its produce is
transported by water. 1t is safe to say
that of the grain produced within the ter
ritory tributary to Willows, at least one
third is stored along the banks of the river
and shipped by water Yet, notwith-
standing this, it is claimed that Willows
has shipped as the output of one season
$4,000 tons of grain. This, calling ten
tons carload, would load train of ttty
cars per day for one hundred and thirty
consecutive days. Or if 800 tons were
moved daily: it would require
MORE THAN FOUR MONTHS TO MOVE THE
CROP.
This is one industry But there are
others, and they are almost as varied as
the resources of our State. Wool, wine.
live stock, fruit of all kinds, lumber, stone
marble, granite, salt, sulphur, quicksilver,
coal, copper and iron are among the in
dnstries now receiving attention. Colusa
county took first premiums at the State
Fair on peaches, and the display of fruit
throughout was especially fine 1t is only
IN the last three or four years that any at
tention has been paid to this industry.
Lying west of Willows are some
EXCEEDINGLY FERTILE VALLEYS AND
FOOTHILLS
Which equal, if they do not surpass in
productiveness and quality the famous
Pleasant and Vaca Valley countries.
The Purkitt, Garnett and Kline ranches
have more than local reputation, and
the only advantage these places have over
many others in this vicinity is that of be-
ing better known because of prior settle
ment. The West Side and Mendocino
Railroad, now built twenty miles west into
the first foothills, viii tap the most extern
sive redwood and sugar-pine country in
the world, all of which must be
distributed from Willows as center and
at which point viii surely be erected the
1
factories and planning mills-the necessary
adjuncts of lumber business This road
also passes through
ONE OF THE GREATEST WOOL PRODUCING
SECTIONS OF THE COAST,
And with its completion, which is but
matter of short time this city
will be the wool mart of the State.
OF course this means wooden mills, com
pressors, and other kindred industries.
The Chicago and Northwestern and the
Willows and Thermalito are among the
railroads whose preliminary surveys pass
through here, and although not yet under
active construction, they are assured facts
and at an early date.
In the proposed new county of Glenn, as
shown by the accompanying map, there
are already established under the
Wright" law, three irrigation districts
and two more have been surveyed and To-
Gated.
THE WATER SUPPLY Is ABUNDANT.
And all the advantages of irrigation will
accrue to Willows and vicinity, since every
foot of land, for miles around the city in
every direction, can and soon will be irri-
gated.
The mean winter temperature of Will
lows is 60o Fahr., while the summer tenn
perature is but $50. The lowest registra-
ton of the thermometer in record of fif-
teen years, occurred in January Of last
year (lS8S), and marked 1so above zero.
Orange, lemon, japanese persimmons.
black and blue eucalyptus, and other ten
der tropical trees, passed the ordeal with
out injury; and it must be borne in mind
that last winter was the coolest known in
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