The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1891-09-05
WOOD RIVER couNrRY-coNr1NuE1

WOOD RIVER COUNTRY-CoNT1NUE
Five miles up the river from
Bellevue another attractive little
city greets us. This is HALEY, the
county seat of Alturas county. The
population is about 1900. This is
also great trading point for the
extensive mineral, grazing and
farming belts with which it is sur
rounded. 1t has $4,000 court
house, a land Office, bank, sam
pling works, many wholesale and
retail outftting establishments, elec-
trio light plant, fine school and
church buildings, frst-class hotel
accommodations, several daily and
weekly newspapers, hot sulphur
springs, race-courses, boulevards,
fishing and hunting privileges, and,
in short, every opportunity for busi-
ness or for pleasure is here offered.
Haley can boast of many costly
residences, and her business blocks
are generally of brick, and fireproof
The city is built upon broad strip
of fertile bench land and is boun-
titully supplied with pure mountain
water. Two miles to the west are
the famous hot springs, owned by
a Chicago syndicate, where are inn
mense hotel buildings and bath
houses. Ten miles further west is
the noted gold belt country, prob
ably the most extensive gold quartz
district in Idaho. Near it and still
to the westward comes the great
Camas Prairie agricultural and
stock region, which is being rapidly
settled and cultivated.
In the vicinity of HALEY are
many different groups of both gold
and silver bearing quartz veins, and
argentiferous lead ores, situated in
the river hills and back in the noun
tains. Roads radiate in every di-
rection to mineral districts, all
tributary to this, the Wood River
metropolis. The ores sampled and
shipped from this point, and the
money and supplies disbursed, carry
the annual business transactions far
into the millions of dollars. HALEY
has a grand future, as has also the
country around it. 1t is point of
more than ordinary interest, and
the time spent in seeing and enjoy
ing it is time more than we'll spent.
A delightful ride of twelve miles
more from HALEY brings US up to
Ketchum. There is not prettier
strip of country to be found any,
where than that lying between these
two towns. Numerous fir and aspen
groves, fields, meadows and gar
dens, cosy farm-houses nesting in
the shadows of evergreen foliage,
the crystal river winding in and
out of the woods that skirt its
banks, with smooth, grass-covered
hills looming up in the background,
complete landscape well worthy
the easel of an old master.
The whistle blows once again,
and we are at Ketchum, and we are
likewise at the end of the railroad.
This is another beautifully located
Wood River town. Like its sisters,
HALEY and Bellevue, it is situated
on a wide and level bench land a
short distance back from the river
and on the east side. Ketchum is
a home-like city, with population
of about 600 inhabitants. She
was born in the year 1880, during
the exciting days of the early dis
covery of mines on the River, and at
one time had a much larger popu-
lation than at present. That year
and the following two years there
were not less than 5000 people on
Wood River, and Ketchum came in
for her full share of them.
In the way of mineral and vari-
Gus other resources, and natural
advantages, Ketchum is not behind
anv town or city in Central Idaho.
Her people are public-spirited and
thrifty, and many of them are
wealthy, and nearly all of them
have been there since the founda-
ton of the city. School and church
advantages are excellent, and soci-
etv settled and good. There are
number of wholesale and retail out
fitting establishments in different
branches of business, a good sys-
tenn of water works, a printing
Office, a bank, two frst-class ho-
tells, very extensive smelling
plant, sampling works, a freighting
and forwarding company, hot sui
phur springs with hotel and bath
houses; and, in short, there is moth
ing lacking that is necessary in the
composition of modern city in a
progressive land.
Ketchum is in the midst OF one
of the most extensive mineral helds
in the state. The ores are prlnci-
~.Or ,f that character known az