The Dalles daily chronicle. [volume] (The Dalles, Or.) 1890-1948, 1891-03-10
CHARMING DUFUR.
A Description of the Thriving Sub
nrb of The Dalles, aud Some of
its Industries.

Ii IL Nv 1O nICdAS IIO iC<io1 POI VA SAAO
CHRONICLE to help, with all its might, to
build up and advance the material in
terests of that great section of the Inland
Empire from which it more Immediate
| ly draws its sustinance and support. We
say ''great'' not so much in the sense of
geographical extent, although that is by
no means insignificant, as great in all
elements that contaibute to the material
advancement of happy and prosperous
people. Only few years since the vast
rolling prairies, bounded by the John
Day river on the east, the Columbia on
the north, the timber line of the Cascade
mountains on the west, and the present
southern boundary line of Wasco county
on the south, were one extended cattle
range, and creek bottoms alone thought
fit for agricultural purposes. Little by
little at the first bunch of grass land was
turned over by the plow, more as an
experiment than anything else, until in
short time it became evident that the
soil was rich III all the elements of plant
food, and as far as grain raising was con-
cerned, excelled in productiveness the
supposed richer lands on the river bot
toms. Today in all the northwest por-
tion of this extensive region the stock
man has given place to the husbandman,
and the landscape is everywhere dotted
with comfortable, if not
COSTLY FARM HOUSES.
The immense quantities of grain handled
yearly by local Touring mills, or shipped
for expectation to the Columbia river,
abundantly testify to the apparently in
exhaustible fertility of the soil, and fully
account for the relatively prosperous
condition of this young agricultural
community.
| In the center of what still remains of
| this territory within the confines of
Wasco county, stands the little town of
Dufur. The town site was originally
owned by Dufur Brothers, but whether
the town took it's name from the hon
ored father or his not less honored sons,
| is matter of little moment to the
CHRONICLES or its readers. The. town has
all the advantages of a splendid location.
1t is about fifteen miles south of Dalles
| City, and on the main road leading to
Tygh Valley and Warm Spring reserya-
ton. A pure mountain stream, known
as Fifteen Mile, that rises. far up among
the hill tops, flows through the town,
and supplies every household with an
abundance of pure and wholesome water.
| On the north and south the hills rise
with gentle ACTIVITY, effectually shelter
ing the little town from the tiercer blasts
of a northern winter; on the east the
valley of Fifteen Mile slopes away to-
wards the Columbia, while it stretches
on the west in landscape of matchless
beauty, till it is lost in the foothills of
the Cascades. Apparently at the head
of the valley, and rising far up among
the clouds, as solitary, white-robed
sentinel, and as if to guard the peace
and tranquility of the village, stands
Mount Hood. In such a center of
natural advantages, and in such a loca-
ton of scenic beauty, stands the town of
| Dufur. Whatever nature might have
intended, it was far from the thoughts of
the original owners to locate town
there. 1t was never doomed into exist
ence, but rather like Topsey it ''growed"
of its own accord.
ABOUT TWELVE YEARS AGO.
c. A. Williams obtained an unwilling
consent to lease about an acre of ground,
on which to locate small country store.
The business grew upon his hands. In
a year or two the people of the surround
ing neighborhood petitioned for post
office. They got it. Then they pressed
the Dufurs to lay out a small townsite.
Fifteen blocks were surveyed and staked
off and soon sold at from $75 to $1Oo, a
block. When these were all bought up
and occupied, the people wanted more.
Eight more blocks were added, and all
bought or contracted for before they
were even surveyed. Then twenty
more blocks were added and all sold,
save one, reserved for a donation to the
school district, when the people are
ready to enlarge their present school
facilities. Thus in the short space of a
few years the town has grown from a
solitary hamlet and dilapidated
school building to it's present constantly
increasing dimensions.
/ THE BUSINESS OF DUFUR.
The town has two, large general mer-
chandise stores, where the farmers can
obtain everything to be found in the
larger towns, two drug stores, one sad
dler's shop, one shoemaker's shop, two
blacksmith's shops, one carpenters shop,
two wagon repair shops, one BARRIERS s
shop, one notion store, one millinery
store, two resident physicians, two resi-