The Wenatchee daily world. [volume] (Wenatchee, Wash.) 1905-1971, 1910-05-31

held last Friday at the home of Mrs.
G. w. Meyer, Mrs. 2. A. Lanham read
very interesting paper on 1.-THE
History Of Chelan County and Her
Resources" This paper will be read
at meeting OF the State Federation
OF Women's Clubs, the meeting to be
held some time this summer and the
paper will also be preserved by the
State Historical Society as data on
the early history OF Chelan county.
The following is the paper in
brief:
In the central part of the state Of
Washington, bordering on the Co
lumbia river and extending to the
summit of the Cascade mountains.
is located the famous county of Che
Ian. It is bounded on the north by
Skagit and Okanogan counties and
on the south by Kittitas county. The
greater portion of it is very noun
famous. There are many delightful
little valleys along the streams. All
the streams are fed by melting SHOWS
from the distant mountains. The en-
chanting song Of the rush and roar
of the waters is ever heard in the
land OF the numerous streams the
Wenatchee river is the largest and
has it's source in the Cascade noun
tains. Its largest tributaries are
Mason, Chewawa and Icicle.
Chelan County Scenery.
There are two large lakes in the
county which possess great natural
beauty-lakes Wenatchee and Che
Ian.
Lake Wenatchee is at the head of
the Wenatchee river and is surround
ed by pine-clad mountains. 1t is
about six miles in length and from
one to two miles in width.
Lake Chelan Is in the northern
part of the county and is over fifty
I HllCo III lCuSths IL OAIClioO Idl ah
to the heart Of the Cascades and is
a wonderful sheet of water. A trip
on the bosom Of this lake is one
never to be forgotten. After leav-
ing Lakeside, as the little steamer
proceeds on her way, the panorama
of rugged mountains, precipitous
cliffs and limpid streamlets ever
seems to grow on grander vaster
scale till at last the lake disappears
as if completely swallowed up by the
awful mountain giants which seem
to go on forever lifting their heads
higher and higher till lost to view
in the far-off heavens.
People come from all parts of the
United States to enjoy the pleasures
of the lake and the surrounding
mountains. Persons who have visit
ed what is called the Horseshoe
Basin" say that it is one of the most
ms gnificent sights in the world; and
those who have spent the night there
to see the sun arise among the peaks
say that language utterly fails to
describe the scene.
Climatic Conditions of County.
The climatic conditions of Chelan
county vary greatly. 1t might be
said to possess the climate of two
zones. The low valleys are equal
in temperature and are capable of
producing all kinds of fruits, grains
and vegetables, while on nearing the
Cascades the snow remains on the
mountains nearly all the year and
the climate becomes almost frigid.
The soil is of volcanic ash and
chemists find that it contains all the
necessary elements in abundance for
the production of crops, except nj
trogen which is soon exhausted after
cropping for few years.
Chelan History
To give the early history of Che
Ian county it is necessary to go back
Ito the time while it yet formed a
part of Kittitas and Okanogan coun-
ties
1t is named for the beautiful lake
on it's northern border. The word
"Chelan" is doubtless a contraction
of Chelanic, the name of a tribe of
Indians.
Many years ago this country was
frequented by fur traders, trappers
and prospectors, the Columbia river
being a highway for travellers who
wished to push on into the wilder
ness of the far north. In Washing
ton Irving's book, Astoria, we
read of expeditions passing up the
Columbia into the "Okinagan" coun-
try as early as 1912. This region
| has perhaps been known to white
men as long as any portion Of the
state.
Cinnamon mined the sands along
the banks of the Columbia at a very
early date.
Earliest Settlement at Cashmere
The oldest settled portion of Che
| Ian county is Mission Valley, now
called Cashmere. In 1868 Father
| Respari, a Catholic missionary, Wis
tied the Indians of the locality in an