Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1901-10-03

Aberdeen, the manufacturing, milling
and commercial center of Southwestern
Washington, is situated at the head of
Grays Harbor, where two large and inn
portant rivers, the Chehalis and the
Wishkah, empty into the harbor, and
only three miles distant from the mouth
of the Hoquiam river. All of these rivers
come from different directions away
back in the interior of the country,
through forests of fir, pine, spruce and
cedar, through coal and mineral regions,
and traverse valleys as rich and produce
tive as the gardens on the Nile. All are
navigable for river steamers, and regular
lines are operated on them and do a
large business in carrying to Aberdeen
the products Of the valleys, and taking
back wares and merchandise.
The harbor at Aberdeen is land-locked,
and the depth of water is sufficient to
float the largest vessels. The Chehalis
river at this point is 200 feet wide, and
maintains an average depth in front of
the city of over thirty feet. The Wish
kah river, which bisects the city, is 200
feet wide at this point, and at high tide
carries depth of about thirty feet of
water for some distance from its mouth.
The two deep water frontages afford
ample wharfage facilities for the ship
ping OF Grays Harbor, and the depth of
water is such that vessels of any tonnage
will always be able to reach the docks
here without the least difficulty.
The whole state OF Washington has 400
billion feet of timber, $50 billions of
which is in Grays Harbor basin and
nearly the whole Of it. is tributary to
Aberdeen and must come to it to be
manufactured into lumber. Aberdeen is
already the greatest numbering center in
the state. and from radius Of four miles
from its center more lumber and shingles
are made and shipped than from any
other place in the state. Aberdeen has
a population of about 5000, and is
weil-built, modern city, with electric
lights, water works Owned by the city,,
sewerage, splendid school houses, two
hospitals, churches, theater, public halls,
fire department, improved streets, etc.,
that are greatly in advance of what
much larger cities usually have.
Hoquiam, the center of which is but
four miles from the center of Aberdeen,
is on the west and has population of
about 5000. Cosmopolis, the center OF
which is mile and three-quarters from
the center of Aberdeen, has a population
of about 1900. Both Of these places are
outside the corporation of Aberdeen but
are practically part of it, and the build
ing Of city means the merging Of these
three into one. Thus within radius of
four miles there is a population of about
10000 busy people, besides about 1000
engaged in logging tributary to the city.
Being already the numbering center,
there can be no doubt that Aberdeen is
destined to become a great railroad CEN
ter. The transcontinental railroad that
we already have-the Northern Pacific
and those that will come, will naturally
encourage the lumber trade. That
means that these transcontinental rail-
roads, together with all their connecting
lines, will become active agents in build
ing up Aberdeen, as the shipment of
lumber to the eastern market pays more
revenue to the railroads than any other
commodity, and it continues during the
entire year.
The shipping of fresh fish to the east
is assuming such large proportions that
the railroads are beginning to compete
sharply with one another for the bust
ness. Six years ago a few hundred
pounds day were being shipped from
Aberdeen, but now the business has
grown to such proportions that line of
refrigerator cars has been established to
run direct from Aberdeen to Boston and
New York. This business is just now in
it's infancy, and there is no doubt that
within two or three years, twenty, and
possibly good many more, men will be
employed for every one that is now enc
gagged in it. The deep sea fishing banks
extend up and down the coast for hum
dreds of miles and are from ten to sixty
miles off shore. Aberdeen, which is
only eighteen miles from the sea, is in
position to control this vast business be-
cause Portland is ZIG miles. Seattle LOO