The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1891-02-27
PORTLAND AND THE WILLAMETTE
VALLEY.

Following is copy of letter written by
Prof. B. W. McKeen, to the Review, of
Denlson, Iowa, the professors former home:
In my last left myself in Portland where
I had few hours to look around before
leaving for Corvallis. I will in few words
try to give the reader my impression of this
we'll known and flourishing city. The
whole atmosphere of the city gives one an
idea OF sta,d and solid, but conservative and
substantial business enterprise. In other
words, the city seems never to have had a
boom such az is too often considered essen
tial to the growth and development of cities
in the far west. 1t is the evident outgrowth
of the need of just such city i'll just such
a location Located near the mouth of the
Willamette river, and consequently at the
entrance to the famous Willamette valley,
it thus becomes the natural outlet for this,
the richest, and most fertile and productive
portion of Oregon. 1t has permanent water
communication with the Pacific through the
Columbia and Willamette. And last, but
not least, is its direct communication by
rail with all eastern points. Portland will
always be one of the lie ,ding cities of the
| coast. left the city by branch OF the
| Southern Pacific railroad which runs from
! Portland to Corvallis on the west side OF the
Willamette. Going through the city l
| ascend quite grade and find myself at the
| outskirts Of the city, in a p sition to obtain
very good birds eye view of nearly all OF
Portland and East Portland.
I soon found myself in country quite
unlike most portions of the far west that
have seen so far, in that it shows evidence
! of having been longer settled for the most
! part and more thoroughly improved in re-
spect to buildings, fences, cultivation. etc.
The Willamette valley is comparatively
| level, in some places fat, and shut In or
the west by the Coast Range and on the
east by the Cascade mountains. each range
being plainly visible. The Willamette and
| it's tributaries are mostly fringed with tim
ber, but aside from this the valley is largely
clear until the foothills are reached. These
are partially covered by oaks of various
Sizes the north side of the hills having the
heaviest timber, while the south side Ii
bare except for grass. In the mountains
the timber is larger, more abundant, ant
consists largely OF pine, fir, etc AS L pas
along the valley I see on ali sides evidences
of easy going thrift. ''wel fixed" and pro
ductive farms; good farm houses and othe
buildings; extensive wheat and oat fields
pastures where numerous cattle and sheeI
are quietly grazing; many fine orchards o
apples, pears, peaches, and prunes, witt
trees well loaded; fine fields of potatoes ant
I other garden truck" fields we'll fences
, with barbed wire, post and rail. or worm
fences; in fact, there is every evidence g
} quiet prosperity In my ride of 96 mile
from Portland to Corvallis l saw NOR
wheat fields thin in all the rest of my jour
: ney, except the wheat fields of Dakota
more oat fields than in my whole journe
beside, more cattle than on the whole tri
except in Montana, aud greater reiatlv
} number of horses and sheep than elsewhere
Wood forms the only fuel, it being used en-
tirely even on locomotives. This Is ais
true in western Washington. l have no
seen a ton of coal since have been III Cor
wallis The Willamette valley is about 10
, miles III length aud from 40 20 60 miles wild
, and what can be said of one part is so near
ly true of all that no distinction need
made.
The river is navsab!e for about l2o nile
or more, from its mouth, or aboat 30 mile