The Kennewick courier. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1905-1914, 1906-02-23
The Future Great Shipping Center=-:
$50 Miles from the Sea

A century ago, when the Lewis
and Clark expedition started out
oo their remarkable journey,
oluuging into the desert wilds. to
a;ecover the Father of Waters on
the Pacific coast, their aim and OBJ
;.ct was. first, to reach the point
,rhere the waters divided and
aowed toward the Pacific ocean and
their goal in particular was the
Columbia river. Almost one year
vas spent in their toilsome journey
,'.;before they had penetrated far
: Enough toward the setting sun to
reach this magnificent stream. At
the confluence Of the Snake and
Columbia they camped, meeting
conservatives Of the various Ind
ian tribes. cand the confluence of
the snake and Columbia was thus
rendered historic upou the first
sight Of civilized man, and future
| history will record that other great
achievements on this historic spot
will be enacted by the future gen.
erations.
The reason that, during the pres
ent century, the spot marking the
confluence Of these two magnificent
streams, the greatest on the Amer
ican continent west of the Rockies
and on the Pacific slope, has re-
maiued almost unaltered by human
hand, has been on account of a few
rapids in the Columbia river in a
measure obstructing navigation to
this point; while the most potent
cause Of al, was that the confluence
Of these two streams lies in semi
arid belt and consequently was not
/for settlement and upbnilding.
as compared with the we'll watered
Mississippi valley.
Over twenty years ago, under
the far-sighted management of the
Northern Pacific Railway, it was
forseen that this spot would soon
bud into prominence, and they laid
the foundation that marked the be-
ginning of the building up of one
OF the greatest cities on the Pacific
slope. The railroad was built
across the Snake river and thence
on to Portland, and later another
line vas constructed from Pasco
across the Columbia river to Seattle
and Tacoma and thence on to Port
These promoters foresaw that along
tue banks of the Columbia, near its
]uncture with the Snake, in time
would rise magnificent CONNER
elal metropolis. The Northern
y faclhc, to further lay the founda-
on In this stupendous enterprise,
tnree years ago constructed the
Aennewick canal, reclaiming from
the desert about -, 900 acres ofthe
most valuable lands on the Ameri-
can continent. On the south bank
" the Columbia, near the Snake
i've the town of Kennewick imme-
0'a'ely sprang into existence.
In our article of last issue we de-
'cflOed the transportation facilities
" THIS point, and the prospects of
immediate .a.' water transportation and
suo''lonal railway facilities. Other
irrigation enterprises are being pro.
Sected and built in The voL;,o,
~, ana the Columbia valley above
sn0 = below Kennewick, and in a
:" s years these two valleys will be
ssnSely populated, giving abundan,
~. support to the building of large
surrounding Kennewick and Pas
-, " ;. on both sides of the river for q
.su'os OF about 100 miles, we find
power of wonderful maeni.
,aue which will in short time be
-" -nessed to furnish power to lif,
a'e' ifom these streams to be an
p''eo tor irrigation and domesti,
fa'poses e. and for generating powe
- hsht and manufacturing an,
@uSportation purposes, With,
- same radius are coal fields G
!: -sense proportions, magnihceu
.'uoer belts and agricultural land.
es'S'oe the arid belt, where crop
ol all kinds ara -a;ded in ahnne