The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-01-01
THE KITTITAs COUss
Wonderful Diversity Of Z.
Resources.
Coal, Iron and Agricultural -
Tobacco and Peanutx-x.
Peaches and Other Fr.ih
ELLEysBrRe Wash n. !.

ELLESsBuRG. Wash, Del. Il i
In the fall of 1855, the territorial "
ture in session at Olympia, carved ~
county IN twain, creating from ii. !.
ern portion new county and -
Kittitas. The county thus cresl1
tanned at that time a population q
], 200 people, and was practically ths &
ness of Washington territory. hayis,
a single mile of railroad within h X
and no immediate prospects of aay
supplies from the outside Word
freighted from The Dalles in vaeop.
there was nothing grown within q
ders that it would pay to ship. Ca5s
horses were raised in abundance N
driven to market over the mountain
some times being weeks en- route. n.
inhabitants, however, had faith in ia.
try, and they industriousIy imp,osx
farms, built good barns and res;d.
brought IN irrigation bitches and p,s
for the good times they knew would
if they only had the patience to TN
it. Upon the organization Of TIE d
Robert Canady, C. P. Cook and san
wood were appointed commission
they in turn appointed John C. G.
sheriff, W. III. Peterson auditor, I. u
treasurer, Walter A. Bull probste
John K. Wallace surveyor, Miss a.
land school superintendent, and d.
ton coroner. They continued IN III
signed offices until the general elecil
1854, when their successors ven u
and IN due time thereafter qualife1
was not until the spring of 1855 III
Cascade branch of the Northern 3
railroad reached Kittitas county, IA
only from that time that We can al
growth. With the railroad came u
chant, the doctor, the lawyer, the ~
tor, the sport, the prospector, the N
boomer, and last, but more impoztsni
all, the hundreds of Iaborers who =
their wages by hard knocks and ~
vations of every kind, but spent thai
lords to the manor born
began to "pick up." The
of Ellensburgh, which, at a.
ganization of the county conl
less than 175 people, suddenly assun
airs of a railroad town, with lis
saloons. gambling resorts, dance
and population Of 1000 or more
Strangers were attracted TO cur ~
valleys, the old freighters' trail ,
Dalles was abandoned, and Kittitas
at once took rank as very imports
of the bright group of COUNTIES
made up the territory of Washingo
continued TO gain and improye
now it ranks twelfth in the stanl
population, and even under The
abortive attempt at a census, was y
s,76l souls as It's proportion Of tht
in the state.
TOPOGRAPHY.
The topography of Kittitas coung
fers from that Of almost any Other
in the state. Lying as it does, betxs
Columbia river on the east and the z
range of mountains on the west
tains low valleys, elevated table land
row canyons down which course mo-
streams alive with trout; some
land, ut only for grazing, agrn!
lands, where the finest OF hay, g1a
fruit are grown; mountains within
bowels are found coal, iron, and r
metals in abundance; rolling prsa
waving bunch grass, upon which na
cattle, horses and sheep are grazing
mountains covered with dense 81
fir, pine and cedar timber
northern and western p0I1
the county extends to the
of the Cascades, where it meets sns
hands with its webfoot sisters
King, Snohomish and Skagit
is necessarily very rough and ozos
it is here where lies the Latent ven
viii some time make the name q
of Washington in general, ana
county in particular, famous fn'
our nation. But of this later on.
tempting TO give the readers q z
ISTELLIG ENcER an insight TO oux
and capabilities, I shall treat tne
in sections, for in no other xaY e
be done. The contrast IS sTeaz
the different localities in the con
as TO climate and productions 2
an attempt at generalization, %
gin with the
KITTTTAs VALLEY.
This beautiful little valley y
tered by the traveller from the g
emerging from the Yakima q
which the railroad winds and
twenty or more miles. suddenly
into view. il is q beautiful sem
background of snow capped. tin's<
peaks, its surface covered with ~
bic well-improved farms, watereo
ling streams downing in every
from the surrounding nouns
course marked by the willoxs ~
which skirt their banks, VITA
pact, well-built city of ELensnM5
as a queen in its midst. The "a
is about thirty miles long By 1i''.
and contains nearly 800, 900 acre
nearly all of which is arabic. .
GENTLY well watered for the e
acres now in cultiyations ana
'sbig ditch" in contemplation.
down from lakes Katchees ans
an abundance of water viii pe
TO irrigate every foot OF Lsnn
valley. The Yakima river
valley diagonally in a southeas
ton. The farms lying on the y
the river are irrigated BY -
called the Menastash, and by I've
and west side bitches, the
from the Yakima river twelve o.
Some very hne farms are upon
side containing broad acfss
lands and timothy meadows IT.
orchards are in bearing. ana
little TOO frosty to be called
try, yet good peaches are ras
localities every year. App
pears and the small fruits gros
dance and Of the best quality.
single farm in this part OF ~
longs to S. K. Geddes, and e.
acres, from which was raised -
tons of timothy hay and seyers
ts...t...f - .1o.k and s.af<