The Oroville weekly gazette. [volume] (Oroville, Wash.) 1905-19??, 1916-03-03
CHANGING TIN LAND oFFGCL.

fl-A4NtINt iii .I-ANit bNFi1 l.
When the Columbia land district was
organized from teIirtor1 cut of from
the Iakima land district oacb ID
1883 tae vast TERRITORY known as the
Bay Bend and the greaI empire enc
craced III the 0kanoGau counTrE was
almost terra iucognita There were no
railroads within tha1 Vssr area larger
than some eastern states Igveu tie
short stuU known a. the n ashlngt0I
Central extending westward from
Spokane 70 C0uiee CITY had uot IS
Vet broken over Ia, eastern border Of
the newly formed district The 1i--
rric- embraced Amos virgin ground
with here and there bold spirits the
pioneer sol the wes1 located ol gov
eminent land blazing the trai as III
were for tht thousands who nava
since located and made homes within
the district Besides these isolate
farms a few hardy and vsnuresonae
praspec0ors. miners and STOCK men
were scattered througbout Okauogau
county A thaj tiut+ the greater par
O this COUNTY was sill III TIM posses
sion OF indians
Owing 70 tile difficulty OF reaching
Yakima IL those DAYS. requiring ions,
tedious and not infrequenti7 hazard
Gus trips ny wagon IL order % reaCh
tlle government land office tilt Inter
ior department decided upon making
new land district and as Wsteryille
was at that time the only settled place
anywhere near the center OF the terri
tory 70 be- SET aside for the new dis
tricI WaterYille WAS selected a. tine
location Of the new land office A thai
time WaterYille was really the Oniv
settled community large enough 10 be
designated as q town within the Col
Bnlbia iand district indeed many Of
tlie flourishinE towns nov scattered
over the district did not have the sign
OF r building
Waterville al that time was the
proper place for tie land office AMI
continued 10 be until the flood OF im-
migration swept over the country. ab-
sorbing about al OF the available and
desirable agricultural land that was
really worth filing OIL II has been felt
however. for number Of wears that
changed conditions demanded q
change IL the location Of the land Of
fiCe WaterYille wa conveniently
located Tor the settler looking fer
land. that is conveniently located as
compared 10 any other point IL the
district But that time has long passed.
The march of progress has Llade &
great transformation IL condition
Railroads have been built into and
through the district all tIe public
land within reach 81 Watervilie long
ago became private property. and
Waterville mas become the most iucon-
venient point 10 reach OF any town on
The railroad within the district a
change seems Inevitable
While there has been NJ public int
nation that the removal Of TIE land
Dff.ee WIS probable. recent develop
inIenrs would indicate that such action
has been il contemplation and q
stronger eflor' than eve before viii
b. made 70 secure change nov that
there is q prospect Of an early open
ing 10 settlement OF the south hall
of the Coivilie Indian reservation
winch includes q very large slice Of
tie district
For favorable railroad facilities NJ
better point could be selected If the
Cpenlng Of tine reservation Is 10 De
considered as al argument tor reuIovaI
and considering the iuxtaposition O.
extensive miHeral lanes. than Ornville
hut q candidate for tine iand offic. mas
entered the field thai has q prior right
e % heard, and thai II the neigAbor-
Ing town and county seal. Dkanogan
the business men OF 0rovilie 10 CROW,
III and contend Tor the honor and
either make il harder Tor neIghbOr-
nIe tuwn tina has the enterprise a.
Take the mitiatIy. 10 win the prIze. OF
&C rob that neIghDoI o III object which
Ia IS making al efiort to attain. even
We're robbe-T possible r. j. rec0guiz-
q; that OKanugan Is VERY convenleutir
located, not only IL relation L. tuo
reservation, but IL tins entire count,
anu as the Creates convenience 10 the
greatest number can be tine oniy ez-
cdse tor the removal Of thc land office
IRON it, present location theu OiIa-
nnGan has the best claim fur recug-
milton Of any town IL the district.
We so admire the enteru-isiuc Spirit
81 the people 81 Okmoga thar l. is
sincerely hoped thar II change is
hHde, and no one can question tine
deslrahility and necessity o. change
Okanogan may De selected as tie
Of the Columbia iand dis