The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-01-01
WALLA WALLA COUNTRY.
A Garden Of Beauty and Great Fer
fility.
Prolific I'm Luscious Fruifs-ysst Yields
Of Grain-Tfnest Of Horses
and Cattle.
WAL. WALEA, Dec. .. 100.


The Walla WaIia country originally en-
sraced all OF Washington east Of snake
river, and that part Of Oregon tributary 70
the WaiIa WaIIa river. WaIIa Waiia
county included all the territory now COM
r,rising Columbia, Garfield and Asotin
counties, and extended from the Oregon
line 20 the Snake river and opposite Lewis
ton, Idaho. In 1850 the Walla Waila
country was opened to settlement by pres
idental proclamation, ratifying the treaty
with the Indians made by Governor stew
ems. In ISIS the county was divided, and
Columbia county took the whole eastern
part Out Of Columbia, Garfield county
was carved in 1851, and Asotin has since
been taken out Of Carneid Each Of these
subdivisions has impressed its name upon
rs particular country, and now the Waila
WaIEa country means little more than
the ''walla Waila county" OF which this
article treats.
GEOLOGICAL AID ToP0GEAPHIcAL-
At some time IN its geological history
the WaIIa Walla country was overhowed
by lava. These overdows apparently came
from both the Blue mountains and the
Cascades. The lava belt extends from
about the Cascades in Oregon, on the Co
AA1A&DaA EAsEAf W azfy1AS u oE1br as1Ss aifH
varied In thickness from 200 feet at its
greatest thickness TO only few inches at
its northern extremity. This lava, now
decomposed TO an unknown depth, makes
the exhaustless fertile soil Of thegreat
wheat lands Of Eastern Washington.
geographically the country is rolling
prairie, sloping toward the Columbia and
Snake rivers at an average of sixty feet TO
81 N~lf IL U~~I1 "a h. f<s
tude of 1000 feet above mean tide at As
toria.
EAgLY DEvELoPMEyTs.
In 1859, when the Indian country was
opened to settlement, WaIIa WalIa city
consisted of q few struggling houses of
settlers, depending for the security of their
lives and property upon the United States
military post established there In fs60
the discovery Of gold in the Orc Fino dis
frict, and later the opening Of mines In the
Elk City, Florence, Boise Basin and
Owyhee districts brought Walla Walla
into prominence as q trading place and
distributing center, and the town enjoyed
its first and only boom. In 1860 the pop
ulation Of the whole undivided county
was ,3l8. People came rapidly after this,
but were attracted by mining and specula-
settled up very slowly. The county was
considered adapted only to stock-raisIng
and, to limited extent, 10 wheat-growing
in the valleys OF the rivers aad creeks. In
1870 the population Of Walla Walla county
was 5,302, and the assessed valuation of all
property was s., Isl, 600
During all this time the country was not
self-supportiug. Flour, bacon and all
other edibIes, except beef, we're shipped ND
the Columbia 10 Wallula and hauled TO
-.pa WsIia in wagons. Freight rates
were fabnlously high.
n 1870 an inqnisitiye. experimental
farmer took up homestead on the bench
land, which was covered with so heavy a
growth of bunch grass that two tons of
wild hay were cut on it per acre, dug down
seventy-two feet for drinking water, broke
UP forty acres of sod. sowed wheat upon
il and astonished himself and the world by
gathering an average Of thirty-fye bushels
Of superior wheat from each acre sown on
breaking. His success proved that where
bunch grass grows there wheat viii grow,
that the hill lands make better
grain fields than the creek bottoms.
and the raising of wheat rapidly became
the great industry of Walla Walla valley.
How 10 get this wheat TO market was a
great problem. It was hauled TO WaIlula.
thirty miles away, by horse, mule and OF
teams, and thence taken down the Coium-
hia river in boats to The DaIles. around
which II was taken on a short railroad 20
other boats, then TO the Cascades. around
which il was taken by another short rail-
road to other boats, which carried il TO
Portland. TeamsteTs charged as high as
si3 ton 10 haul wheat 20 Wallula, from
which point the steamboat company
charged s. ton to Portland, and the
farmers made money raising wheat and
paying these enormous freight charges
Seeing the possibilities Of the grain trans
portation business OF Walla Walla valley
Or. ID. :. Baker, with few associates.
organized company and began the con-
strGction OF narrow gauge railroad from
Nailula To Nalla Nalla, using at first
wooden rails, which were soon covered
with strap iron that gave place to iron
rails. This was the hrst railroad con-
structed in the Inland Empire. Its cars
did not run into Walia Walla until the
spring of 1876
In 1850 there were exported from Walla
Nalla s., 90 tons of wheat. There wern
three little burr mills which ground wheat
supplied the local market with tour and
In iSSo, exported s., s62 tons. The pioneer
niilmeu, IL. P, Isaacs, /. T. Reese and A.
IT, Reynolds, long since replaced their
primitive mills with the finest tiour-mak
ing machinery made, and the iour indus
try has kept even pace with the enormous
growth Of the wheat crop. In 1875 the
county was divided, and Columbia took
about two-thirds of the original county.
In 1850 the population Of the reduced Walia
Nalla county was s.sl6
RELATIVE WEALTH AND IMPORTANCE.
Walls Walla is one of the smallest conn.
ties in the state. Ii ranks sixth in wealth
and sixth in population, being exceeded nv
King, Pierce, Spokane, Whitman and
Whatcom. Since 1850 il has advanced
steadily, without boom or other snas-
modio growth. 1t has 4 characteristic soil
and climate. Walla Waila CITY has a
mean temperature of IS degreeS-the high.
est average OF any city in the state. The
county is the garden spot" of the state.
The wheat lands, which so suddenly
usarped the cattle ranges, are fast giving
way 10 orchards and gardens. aud wheat
farms worth Sioo per acre are worth $500
per acre IN ten-aere tracts for orchards and
gardens. The soil is uneqnaled anywhere
for fertility, and the climate permits the
perfect growth of anything from winter
apples 70 cotton and peanuts. The surplus