The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1889-01-04
WASHINGTON.
The Reclaimed Tide Flats Of
skagit County.
NORTH y.kIma's Views aD Admia-
sfsn-How ChehsIis May OBJ
tain q Creamery.


u
as the gwirOnish fats. together with
the Beaver marsh on the east AID the
skaeit delta Oh the southeast. fbi'
remarkable BODY o. land which fof
uukuSNn centuries has beea fertiiizesi
By sea and river and By the rams
growth and decsy q salt and fresh
water grasses and rushes. has proved
a mine Of agricultural wealth 70 tsoss
enterpfising and persistent toiisrs whS
have reclaimed IL foons the ocean tides
and river foods, and Il vii continue
10 sustain and enrich uncozated future
generations.
The part 81 this ailGvi4l land known
as the sEin0rnish fats il that portion
living along sEinomish slough, which
separates IL from Fida!go Island ez-
tending from Padiila bay on The north
10 saraioza Passage on the south,
and back A. Ear a. the salt water has
prevented the growth d timber
which covers the greater part Of tns
Skagit river valley. II is about !,
miles long by three miles wide. and
eontains about 1000 acres Of a. Fich
and productive land as can be found
anywhere. From point on Pleasant
ridge. three miles back of La Conner,
a grand view can be had of nearly all
the swlnousish fats and the Beaver
marsh country, gbich forms such q
vision Of agricultural psodactiyeness
and prosperity a. is seldom found
whether seen IN the springtime, when
hundreds OF strong, weli-fed teams
are preparing the fertile soil for the
seed or in summer, wnen sea OF
beautiful dark green stretches as Tar
"a the eve can reach. interpreted
with a hundred thrifty homes, with
neat farmh0uSes and great, rOomy
barns and granaries, or in autumn,
when the whole landscape Is yellow
with golden grain, thickly dotted with
shocks showing the bountiful yield, in
the midst of which, stationed al regu-
lar intervals. are q dozen large steam
threshers-hungry, Unsuitable mon
sters. devouring the fat sheaye$
clearing the fields, and leaving great
stacks Of straw and almost as large
piles OF grain-iilled sacks.
A glance at a map Of Washington
Territory will show that the Islands OF
Fidalgo and WILDLY stand as a natu-
raj barrier or breakga;er, separating
the inner bay OF Padiila and Saratoga
Passage from the Straits Of Juan dc
Fuca and Puget Sound proper. Dur-
ing untold ages the waters OF ckagli
river have been wearing away the
mountains and depositlng gravel sand
and clay In these bays, until all that
level section Of skagit county from
the islands TO the foothills has been
filed in and built up out Of the sea.
This watef-fofmed land j. about -
miles square. and besides the swino-
mish fats. includes the ekagit valley,
Skagit delsa, Beaver marsh, Olympia
marsh and the Samish valley and Is
iuterseeted with numerous ridges oil
upland like Pleasant ridge, Bay View
ridge. and such rocky hills as the one
upon which LaConuer is built These
elevated places were once Islands in the
great sait water bay which has been
filled mp by the sediment oil the Skagli
and samish rivers.
At whatever season 81 the year the
view is taken. il cannot fail 10 impress
the duilest mind with o sense u the
wonderful beauty and produciiyeness
OF the Swinomish hats and Beaver
marsh. for even Ia winter the mead
ows, pastuyes and dOOryards are green
with growing grass Nor is Il bleak
and freeless scene as j. the case on
some Of the western prairies, Tor here
the landscape Is ornamented with
beautiful groves Of cedar and fr and
orchards Of fruit trees. and surround
ell by the great evergreen forests OF
fir. cedar and spruce, while the gliston-
ing waters Of the bays and of The
slOughs that stretch their Curyinl
courses through the farms like silver
ribbons, bear upon their bosom Tho
white sails OF pleasure boats, or per
haps sioope, schoonefs or steamer.
laden Nitk the substantial products oI
the far soil Roadways are also TEEN
ing with traffic and pleasure. fleet
horses speed along. bearing people il
saddles, buggies and carriages. whil'
strong teams arc more slowly hauling
loads Of grain, hay, lumber and othei
products or supplies.
But 20 the person who saw thes'
fats before they were improved h}
man will come the greatest emotion
of wonder and admiration Less thar
- years ago. instead OF smiling field
of comfort and plenty as now, a IA
different view was presented from thi
same point Then il was a. desolate
forbidding, unpromising locking
wilderness as could well be found II
summer the Skaeit river oyerflowe,
its banks and inundated the who'll
valley. making Il u fresh water lake
and in winter the high tides eacl
month covered il with salt water from
bay 10 hay. and the sea claimed IL a
it, own Clouds Of blooithirsiy uos
quitocs held sway IN summer. and 70
the winter the Indians found here
favorite hunting ground for duck
and geese congrcgated by the million
Then the only way 20 traverse IL tex
cept al the peril ot ones life. on &C
count az the danger Of being lost II
the tale. falling into siouehs, or stick
ing In the mud was by boat or canoe
Nothing but the supposed fertility o
the soil would ever have induced III
brayest hearted OF men 10 attempt 1,
make 4 home In such 4 swamp. When
there are So many difficulties viii
which 20 contend and 80 many thing
L. he done hefure u would Re = suitabl
place for home IL required couy
age n even predict that these land
would ever be transformed into de>iy
able homes But there were men VII
had unhaunded faith thai this woul
one day be the garden spot OF IN
territory. and he who sees the Hats e
day must admit hat they we're right
what was then government land geu
orally considered not worth fling or
is nov valued at 500 per acre Thi
has not been brought shout withou
an immense amount OF labor Bot
fresh and .Alt water had 30 be dyke
off. maay large dams bailt ross IN
slough. the numerous small slough
tllel and graded bitches dug 10
drainage ami ciSterns made Road
and bridges must he built before On
settler could get Ca or from the.
lands " III horse, ard wagons
As time wore on aud the country IL
came more settled AMI cultivated. Ia
mosquitoes almost disappeared, road
became move solid. mortgages wFT
lifted hsfteg houses were built, an
to-day. instead 81 A forhtddirg marsh
We 81, a solid land " thrift and plenty
IL To; lhe Farlcu spot. it = az icas
the granary oi Furp, Sound Nc8i
all the tite 'aUd, have nov beef
dyke3 and thc whole tract is almost
solid body Vl cultivated land devote
g. oats and h2y A small portion d
those tracts known a. the Bcave
marsh and the >karit delta (which
though distinct i-em she Swinoms.1
aats. are Important portions 81 tn