Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1899-08-04
BUILDING OF NEW TOWNS
Railroad Construction Up the Clear
water has Started the Boom
In BODYBUILDING.

ne question do W "H"s
will be the metropolis Of the Clear
water is being earnestly discussed
by those anxious to "get in on the
ground floor" so as to profit by its
future growth. At the present
time, along the route of the Clear
water line of the Northern Pacific.
there are four towns laid out and
each one is vieing with the other
three in the race for commercial
supremacy. Now the race seems
| to lie, first, with Agatha, or Lee
more. as the Northern Pacific has
named the station, which is the
first town going up the Clearwater,
and already has a saw mill, two
warehouses, one general merchan-
disc store and a general implement
house, and is hustling to control
the trade of the Cottonwood coun-
try which heretofore went to
Spalding.
Next comes the Big Canyon town,
Peck, which was named after
George Peck, of Wisconsin, at the
request of w. J. Kendrick, general
manager of the Northern Pacific
This place has generally been con
sidered the strategic townsite loca'
ton Of the upper Clearwater coun
try, because Of the belief that thu
Northern Pacific would build on tt
the prairie through this canyor
and make Peck a good business
point with railroad and boat ser
vice. But the building Of the linz
on the opposite side of the rive
!. has somewhat detracted from it
prospects, yet the promoters ar
buoyant over the ultimate building
of the o. r. & N. through tn
canyon.
. At this time Peck has ferry
, boat and is on the main trav'.lc'
) road to the reservation, which
, route is over the Kendrick-Cama
prairie road. Besides it has n gen
eral merchandise store, two say
mills, blacksmith shop, and goo
prospects for a grist mill this faI
. and warehouse. 1t is the key I
the prairie country, and on thi
ground shows it's intention OF stay
ing in the race to win.
Above Peck several miles. o
the opposite side of the river an
\ on the line of the Northern Pacifi
r track, where the famous Orc Fin
a creek, that furnished the water
wash the placer diggings of Pierre
/ since the Cos, empties into tn
!. Clearwater, is the town OF Or
l Elmo. This town sees her futur
v in the development Of the Pierre
City mines, the settlement {
@ the Weippe country, the growth
v the cattle industry and the tillin
: of the rich farm lands surroundin
\ her. Orc Elmo has a site pickle
out for the Northern Pacific shop
and roundhouse, has a ferryboa
one merchandise store, one dru
store, and is the only one of til
: towns that can boast of having
!, doctor. None of them have
preacher or lawyer yet.
Still farther up the river come
J the last of the quartet Of townsitt
! now fighting for recognition and a
: opportunity to show it's resource
u The town of Stuart sees it's futul
Q greatness in the undeveloped terri
tory around it, together with til
u growth of it's cattle industry, farm
i ing and timber. Stuart is the OLE
: est of the four towns and had
n newspaper, the Alta Idaho Are;
;. when it started At this time Or
6 Elmo and Stuart are in possession
y newspapers and are chroniclir
. events of importance.
: Many are holding back to see O
: what town the Northern Pacif
d will bestow it's favors, knowing Il
n influence of a railroad in buildiu
up a town. All four towns ha,
postoffices and have been put upc
the latest maps. None of the
have or dare to have saloon f,
20 yeart. This gives the bord'
3 towns a slight advantage,