The Athena press. [volume] (Athena, Umatilla County, Or.) 18??-1942, 1895-03-08
FROM wALLowA COUNTY.
An Interesting Letter From the Land
of Sheep, Cattle and Hogs.

ARCADIA, Ore. March, 4th- TO
the Editor. Thinking it might
interest some of your readers, who
have Eever been in Wallowa coun-
ty, to read a short description of
the country, | thought [ would
write a few lines. t
Wallowa county is in somewhat
of a diamond shape with an extreme
width Of about sixty-five miles and
an estimated extreme length of sew
enty miles. Its boundaries embrace
nearly every variety Of country,
lovely valleys, lofty mountains,
rolling hills, treeless areas, exten.
sive forests, and the consequent
varieties of climate, from the deep
valley Of the Imnaha, which has
been termed as the "Itily of Wall
owa," to the bleak and lofty tops
of mountains whose peaks are COW
cred with perpetual snow.
The traveller leaving Grande
Ronde valley, takes a northerly di-
rection and passing through the
beautiful Indian valley and "Crick-
ct Flat" country, distance of
about fifty miles, finds himself on
the bluffs overlooking the Wallowa
river at point where it is swollen
by the Minum.
After descending the hill, known
as the Wallowa hill, which is two
miles in length, the traveller crosses
the Wallowa bridge and takes
course nearly due east. For about
nine miles winds here and there
with the river in what is known as
the Wallowa canyon. The canyon
is very narrow with almost perpen-
dicular walls that sometimes rise to
the height Of 1900 feet. But the
canyon suddenly terminates and
the lower Wallowa valley appears;
certainly beautiful sight to one
who has tired Of the picturesque
scenery Of the canyon. From the
head of the canyon to Joseph, a
distance Of about forty miles, the
road passes through the lower, mid
die and upper valleys. The peo-
pie of these valleys are engaged in
farming and stock raising, they al
so raise some fruit but the princi-
pal fruit valley is the Imnaha.
The Wallowa, or Silver lake, is
situated about one mile
south of Joseph and is about four
miles long and one mile wide. Sur
rounding the lake are high noun
tains and above are lofty peaks,
standing silent sentinels to the
beautiful scene below.
The valley is bounded on the
south and southwest by lofty
range Of mountains, but on the
north and northeast lie rolling hills
that reach to Washington and Ida
no. This vast territory is unsur-
passed as a stock range. Large
herds of cattle, horses and sheep
roam over it. Horses remaining
on the range the year around,
while cattle and sheep are on the
range from April to November. In
November the stockmen have
general roundup and drive their
cattle down ON the Imnaha and
Snake river winter ranges. A few
cowboys" 60 along to look after
the cattle during the winter, taking
with them their pack-horses pack
ed with coffee, flour, bacon and
beans, and some take little ooh
be joyful There they remain.
during the winter, then they drivg
them back on the summer range.
The settlement in the stock part of
the country is scattering and would
probably remind an old timer of
early days, with the exceptions
that there are no Indians only in
the summer time, then the country
is generally visited by alarge num-
ber of indians, who come to par
take of the excellent fishing and
hunting. BERTHA WILLABY.