USA > Washington > Walla Walla County > An illustrated history of Walla Walla County, state of Washington > Part 21
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Below the Clancy place on Dry creek there extends a series of the finest farms of the county, among which may be named the Corn-
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HISTORY OF WALLA WALLA COUNTY.
well, the Gillian, the Aldrich, the Yeend, and the Nelson places. As stated in another chap- ter. the place of Milton Aldrich has the distinc- tion of producing the largest known crop of any place in Washington. One of the finest farms in the vicinity of Dixie is that of Hollon Parker, south of the town.
Between the line of railroad which we are following westward and the flanks of the Blue mountains, lies a magnificent body of farm- ing land, in a belt of about seven miles wide by ten long, lying along Mill creek and Rus- sell creek. This is the oldest, wealthiest and most highly cultivated of the farming lands of the county or indeed of the state. In this belt may be found the places of the following well known farmers: Messrs. Thomas, P. Lyons, Kennedy, Kigler, Gilkerson, Patterson, Fields, Harbert, Riffle. Tash, Evans, Farrel, Yenney, Barnett, Maxson, McGuire, Russell, Maier, Copeland, Shelton, Reser, Toner, Fer- guson, Delaney, and a number of others. It is safe to say that few bodies of grain land have yielded as much money to their owners as this extraordinary body of about seventy or eighty miles square.
Leaving this fair spot, in which days might be pleasantly and profitably spent, we proceed to Walla Walla city; but leaving this for the present, we retain our seats in the cars and pass on bound for the great wheat country of Eureka flat. This is a very large body of farming land coming into profitable cultiva- tion between Walla Walla and Eureka Hat. Though at first sight not so attractive in ap- pearance as the region east and south of Walla Walla, it has surpassed all expectation within the past few years by the wheat yield of its fat acres.
EUREKA JUNCTION.
We reach Eureka Junction, thirty miles from Walla Walla, and here we pause for more careful observation of this most extensive grain region of the county. Eureka flat con- sists of a body of nearly level farming land, from two to five miles in width and about twenty-five miles in length. There are 110 towns in this region, though there are a number of stations, which are the home of consider- able communities, and from which immense quantities of grain are shipped. The most im- portant stations are Eureka Junction. Clyde, and Pleasant View. Even a cursory glance at Eureka flat will show the traveller that its history has been that of a canyon filled up with soil blown or washed from the surrounding vol- canic hills. At some points soil has been found to extend unchanged to a depth of two hundred feet. It is of the most fer- tile description, but on account of the dry- ness of the climate and the frequent winds, together with the excessive dust, it bears a poor comparison as a home land to the ver- dant and well watered tract in the southern part of the county. Nevertheless the most ex- tensive wheat ranches in the state are found in Eureka flat. Here is found the ten-thousand- acre ranch of W. H. Babcock, the "wheat king" of Walla Walla county. Here also may be seen a number of other ranches whose sepa- rate areas run into the thousands of acres, among which may be mentioned. the Puffer, the Blanchard, the Struthers, the Atkins, the Upton, the Fall, the Painter, and many other ranches. Lack of water has been a serious impediment in times past in carrying on farm- ing operations in this region. Water was for-
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merly hauled in wagon tanks from the Touchet creek, an expensive and troublesome process. But latterly it has been discovered that abund- ance of water of the best quality can be found by boring to a depth of from one hundred and fifty to two hundred feet. During the past year the area of grain raising has been ex- tended from the level lands of the flat to the adjoining hills. If the present amount of moisture shall become a permanent climatic rule. thousands upon thousands of acres in the northern part of the county now used only for pasturage will become transformed into wheat fields.
A student of the farming business, or any one interested in the development of industry, would find an object lesson in the great Bab- cock ranch. From fifty to a hundred men are employed, and from one hundred to three hun- dred horses. The yield of the ranch has been as high as a hundred and fifty thousand bushels in a year. Mr. Babcock has sufficiently got the start of the world to be free from the neces- sity of selling at once upon harvesting, and it is in fact stated that he now has on hand the greater portion of two years' crops.
But we shall find it necessary, without fur- ther prolonging our stay upon Eureka flat, to turn our faces toward the Columbia river. After leaving Eureka Junction, we find that we are entering upon a heavy down grade, which rapidly takes us out of the fertile domain of the wheat belt into the barren and sandy tract bor- dering the river. Hunt's Junction is the only station. The road connects at this point with a short branch leading to Pasco, where it joins the Northern Pacific. A mile below Hunt's Junction we reach the oldest and, aside from Waiilatpu, the most historic locality in the county.
WALLULA.
This musically sounding name signifies the same, though in a different dialect, as Walla Walla : that is, "abundance of water." Wallula was founded by the Northwest Fur Company. It was one of nine forts established or acquired by the English fur companies at various points in their vast domain. An examination of a map would show that these forts were established with great regard to their stra- tegic and commercial importance. The en- tire list of forts is as follows : Vancouver, Col- ville, Okanogan, Kootenai, Walla Walla, Hall, Boise, Umpqua, and Nisqually.
Fort Walla Walla, which was the original of Wallula, was at first named Fort Nez Perce. It was established in 1818, by Peter Skeen Ogden, who was at that time a member of the Northwest Fur Company, but after the union of that company with the Hudson's Bay Com- pany he became, and for many years continued to be, the chief factor of the company in this part of their territory. From the first this location seems to have been of a warlike and violent character. The original fort was estab- lished upon the bank of the river. near the house formerly occupied by Joseph Merchant, now of Walla Walla. Some of the remains of the buildings existed to within a few years, but were subsequently swept away by the great flood of 1894. It seems never to have been of great consequence as a trading post, but was very important as a stopping place for trains, and a point of defense against the Ind an- The original fort consisted of an enclosure of pickets encompassing about an acre, with a platform inside. from which all the approaches could be commanded. At the northeast and southwest corners bastions were built. Within
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the enclosure there were four buildings, built. of logs and adobe brick, one story high. As a means of subsistence for this fort there was established about twenty miles up the Walla Walla river a dairy farm of about twenty acres. This was in the region now known. from that farm, as Hudson's Bay.
Soon after the establishment of Fort Walla Walla. Mr. Ogden and his men were attacked by the Indians of the Walla Walla tribe, driven from the fort and compelled to retreat to the island in the Columbia river nearly opposite. Here the trappers completely defeated the In- dians, and for some time there were no new attempts upon the fort. This point, however, was subsequently the scene of many thrilling Indian encounters. Among others, Archibald Mckinley had an experience which shows something of the nerve necessary for maintain- ing a post in Indian times. Mckinley hap- pened to be entirely alone at one time in the store, which was connected with the ammuni- tion room. The Indians, finding but one man, were upon the point of making a rush upon him and looting the store. Mr. Mckinley, perceiving their design, seized a lighted candle and held it directly over an open keg of pow- der, assuring the Indians that if they did not pause he would drop it in and blow both them and himself to the four winds. The Indians knew enough about powder to understand what would happen. They quailed before the de- termined eye of the fur trader and rapidly slunk from the room.
Under the joint occupation treaty of 1818 between England and the United States, many Americans as well as Englishmen had occa- sion to visit Fort Walla Walla. Among these were Captain Bonneville and Nathaniel J. Wyeth. It was in 1834 that Bonneville, after a midwinter journey of excessive hardships,
rode into Fort Walla Walla. Here he was kindly received by Mr. P. C. Pambrun, who at that time was in charge of the post. As il- lustrative of the Hudson's Bay Company's methods, it may be said that. although the agent received Bonneville with the utmost courtesy, he flatly refused to sell him provis- ions by which he might equip himself for a further journey. All the agents of the com- pany had been instructed to do nothing which would facilitate the entrance of rival traders. Later in that same year of 1834 came the ad- rance guard of American missionaries, in the persons of the Methodist missionaries, Jason Lee. Daniel Lee, Cyrus Shepherd and P. L. Edwards. In the next year a guest at Fort Walla Walla was Dr. Samuel Parker, and in 1836 there were received also at the Fort Dr. Whitman and Mr. Spalding with their wives. In general it may be said that the Americans were treated by the authorities at Fort Walla Walla with great courtesy and consideration. Yet it was contrary to the policy of the com- pany that Americans, either missionaries or traders, should make permanent establishments. lest in so doing American settlement should fol- low, and thus interfere with the business opera- tions of the company. Of the part played dur- ing the year of the Whitman massacre by Will- iam McBean, then in charge of Fort Walla W'alla, we have already spoken in the chapter on the Whitman massacre.
The treaty between England and the United States by which Oregon became the territory of the latter, was ratified June 15. 1846. The . Hudson's Bay Company, however, was allowed to retain possession of its forts until such time as they could make a proper disposition of their property and conclude their business. In con- sequence of this Fort Walla Walla remained in possession of the Hudson's Bay Company
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until some time after the Whitman massacre. It was abandoned about the year 1853.
.After the abandonment of Fort Walla Walla by the fur company it remained prac- tically a desert until the beginning of settle- ment of the country in 1860-61. It then be- gan to be known as Wallula and became the landing place of the Columbia river steamers. The Oregon Steam Navigation Company's steamboats ran regularly to Wallula in 1861, and in the spring of 1862 lines of stages began to run from that place to Walla Walla. During the same year a town site covering thirty-eight blocks was laid out by W. W. Johnson. Many believed at that time that Wallula would be a great city, but it never be- came more than a transfer point. With its burning heat and drifting sand, Wallula was not the most attractive place in the world, and at times during its early history its inhabi- tants had the reputation of being about as hard as the natural features of the locality. A de- scription by Bill Nye of his experiences in Wallula, and especially his attempt to sleep in the hotel provided for the delectation of strangers, gave Wallula a wide though perhaps not enviable notoriety throughout the United States.
In 1872 the Walla Walla & Columbia River Railroad was begun and in 1875 great quantities of freight began to pass by this road from Walla Walla to Wallula, to be shipped thence down the Columbia. The junction of the Northern Pacific and the Oregon Railway & Navigation line in 1882 was the next great event in the history of Wallula. It has, how- ever, never developed into anything more than a transfer and railway station, and has at the present time a population of probably not more than one hundred and fifty people. The chief business men are S. Ashe, A. E. Reed, and C.
F. Cummings. There are a number of most excellent, intelligent people in W'allula.
The principal event in Wallula in recent years has been the building of the cut-off line of the O. R. & N. R. R., up the Snake river to Riparia, and it is over this line that the main business of the railroad from Spokane to Port- land now passes, leaving Walla Walla out in the cold.
Although the country around Wallula has the appearance of a barren desert, it is, when irrigated, of a fertile character and susceptible of high cultivation. Perhaps the earliest and finest peaches raised in the entire state come from the ranch of Mr. Thrasher, at the mouth of the Walla Walla river. If any one desires to see what this desert can do in the way of production, let him visit the orchard of B. S. Simmons, about twenty miles above Wallula, on the south bank of the Snake river. From this place were taken grapes which won the first award at the Chicago Exposition.
We will not follow the Hunt line from Hunt's Junction westward to its terminus at Pendleton, inasmuch as the greater part of this distance is within Umatilla county, Ore- gon. We will therefore transfer ourselves at Wallula to the cars of the Oregon Railway & Navigation Company, and turn our faces again toward Walla Walla.
There is but one town to speak of between Wallula and Walla Walla, and this is
TOUCHET.
This place occupies a very fertile section of land at the junction of the Touchet and Walla Walla rivers. Its development has been en- tirely the result of the irrigation system estab- lished upon the Touchet during the past four or five years. The soil is of fine quality and
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HISTORY OF WALLA WALLA COUNTY.
needs only water to make it highly productive. Fruits and vegetables mature at least two weeks carlier than at Walla Walla and this gives the region a very important advantage. There is a population of about two hundred people, equipped with school house, church, store and shops. Among the industrious and energetic men who have made Touchet what it is may be mentioned Mr. A. Zaring, John Zaring, Wood- son Cummings, James Cummings, Will Cum- mings, and Messrs. Gardener, Burnap and Cun- ningham.
The portion of Walla Walla county from Touchet to Walla Walla and extending south- ward from the line of railroad up the Walla Walla river to the town of Milton in Oregon, is entirely different from anything we have seen in our journey through the county hitherto. A level valley of from half a mile to two miles in width, covered more or less with timber and luxuriant grass, though with occasional spots of strong alkali, and with a great abundance of running water-it is pecu- harly adapted to orchard, garden, and haying purposes.
About four miles above Touchet we pass the famous Louden dairy ranch. It is one of the finest and most extensive ranches of this kind in the state. Two miles beyond Mr. Louden's we pass Frenchtown, marked by a large Catholic church and a number of closely connected ranches. These were established by Hudson's Bay employes, who, upon breaking up of that company, took up places at various points throughout the valley. Frenchtown is noted from a historical standpoint as being the site of the great Indian battle of 1856, else- where described at length. Two miles east of Frenchtown, we pass a granite monument crowning a steep hill, and this we may recog- nize to be the Whitman monument. If we have
time to leave the railroad and climb the monu- ment hill, we shall find ourselves looking down upon a historic spot. Not only history, but present beauty surrounds us, for a fairer scene rarely meets the eye of the traveler. To the west the sinuous course of the Walla Walla is lost among the rolling uplands and the barren looking steppes of the Umatilla highlands. To the south the luxuriant valley stretches its vivid green across the golden slopes and azure heights of the Blue mountains. Toward the east the spires and roofs of Walla Walla are framed against a background of farm land. checkered with alternate gold and black, which far beyond the line of ranches may be seen, at most seasons of the year, to break against the eternal frost of the highest peaks of the Blue mountains.
li we should still further extend our side journey to the extent of taking a buggy drive from Whitman Mission up the valley of the Walla Walla, we should find ourselves pass- ing through a line of beautiful gardens and orchards, which extend almost without a break to Milton. Here reside many well krown old !- timers, among whom we might name Messrs. Willis Reser, Cuskar, Newcomb, Harrer. Beni- son, while just over the Oregon line is found the jewel of all the places. that belonging to Mr. O. R. Ballou, one of the foremost fruit men and promoters of all public enterprises to be found in this country. The country be- tween Whitman station and Walla Walla, and for a number of miles south of the road joining the two, is rapidly becoming the garden of Walla Walla. In this region, which is about six miles in width by ten in length, may be found most of the large orchards, gardens, and nurseries of the county. Here are found, in addition to the places already mentioned, the great fruit ranch of Dr. N. G. Blalock. There
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are also found here the beautiful places of Mr. Ritz and Mr. Offner. Besides these may be mentioned the smaller though not less fertile farm, belonging to Messrs. J. M. Goe. T. Ly- ons. M. McCarthy. Dunham. Villa Whitney. Campbell, and many others worthy of more particular mention did space permit. . A number of productive places around College Place should be named. About five miles west of Walla Walla the Oregon Railway & Naviga- tion Company started an experiment station. which is now the property of the United States government. Hundreds of different plants, es- pecially of the grasses, have been tested on this place, and found to be adapted to various special regions of this country.
.Again passing through Walla Walla with- out stay. we find ourselves journeying swiftly over the Dry creek plains and hills toward the northern portion of the county. The country immediately north of Walla Walla consists of a magnificent bench of the finest farming land, a considerable portion of which is owned by the Baker estate, Thomas Moore. Chris Ennis, and George Dacres.
Eight miles north of Walla Walla we reach Valley Grove on Dry creek. Up and down this valley stretches a beautiful scene of verdure. in contrast with the bare hills on either side. We say bare hills, but it must be observed that these bare hills are almost an unbroken wheat field. North and east of Valley Grove are found some of the most substantial farms in the coun- ty. The Berryman, Hadley and Thomas ranches lie to the north, the Nelson place to the south. the Drumheller, Burr. Robinson. Bowers. Loney. Paul and Paine ranches to the west. Several miles to the northeast, if we should] journey over the rolling hills, we should reach the Hungate and Rondema ranches. This re- gion, like most of the northern and western
portions of Walla Walla county, was for many years supposed not to be fit for cultivation. The developments of the past few years have been a matter of great surprise. During the harvest of 1900, the region betwixt Valley Grove and Prescott far surpassed the supposed more fer- tile foot-hill belt south and east of Walla Walla.
Eighteen miles from Walla Walla we reach the only remaining town of the county. This is
PRESCOTT.
Prescott was founded in the year 1882, at the time of the extension of the O. R. & N. Railroad from Walla Walla northward. It was founded on land owned partly by Charles Buck, and partly by Mr. Fleanor. The town site was first occupied by Rev. H. H. Spalding ii1 1859. There he lived until 1862, when he went as Indian agent to Lapwai. The most important event in the history of Prescott was the erection in the year 1883. by H. P. Isaacs, of the great North Pacific Flouring Mills, at that time the most extensive flouring mill in the state.
Prescott has become a well built and attrac- tive village of three hundred inhabitants. There are four stores in the place, of which the pro- prietors are Mr. Ibberson, Messrs. Watkins and Holmes. Mr. Johnson, and Mr. MeSherry. These stores do an amount of business entirely disproportionate to the size of the town. for the surrounding country is prosperous and fairly well settled, and its trade is very heavy.
There are two churches in Prescott. a Methodist and a Presbyterian. The schools of Prescott have deservedly been a source of pride to the people of the place. The school is under the charge of Prof. John Woods, and his assist- ants at the time of this publicaion are Mr. Rogers and Miss Malone.
Prescott contains also a hotel, livery stable
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and the various shops necessary to the ongoing of such a town. "The village blacksmith" is also notable as one of the leading politicians. This is Mr. James Haviland. Another notable character is Mr. John Geyer, elected in 1900 as a member of the Washington legislature. Still another of the most famous inhabitants of the vicinity of Prescott, as well as one of the most honored of the old-timers, is Mr. l'etty- john, who lives on a farm six miles west of the town. He is distinguished as being not only one of the genuine, whole-souled pioneers of the epoch, but as being the father of more human avoirdupois than any other man in Walla Walla county. The average weight of the male members of the Pettyjohn family is said to be about two hundred and sixty pounds. and of the female members about two hundred pounds.
.A vast and fertile wheat belt extends on all sides of Prescott. Perhaps the most fertile of all the tracts in the immediate vicinity is Whet- stone Hollow, northeast of the town.
A very extensive belt of land lying north- west of Prescott and including the somewhat broken hill country as far as Eureka flat, was largely, until within two or three years, gov- ernment land. The impression up to that time was that it was too dry for successful grain raising. The generally heavy rains of recent seasons turned the attention of settlers to the possibilities of this great region. It has now become settled, thousands of acres have been broken up, and thousands of bushels of wheat have been produced. Farther to the east, upon the road extending from Prescott to Lyons ferry on Snake river, are a number of old es- tablished places which have long been noted for their large grain production. In the center of the great area lies the Malloy ranch. Both up and down the Touchet river from Pres-
cott are many well known and progressive places. Among these may be named the fol- lowing: Those of Messrs. Brown, Hanson, llayes, Flathers, Bowe, Romines, Sharp, Bar- nett. Pettyjohn. Utter and Hart.
After this examination of Prescott and its vicinity, we will resume our places in the cars and by a journey of a few miles find ourselves at Bolles Junction. From this point a branch road of the Oregon Railway & Navigation Company extends to Waitsburg and Dayton.
Continuing on upon the main line we find ourselves ascending the Alto hill. This tract of country, although quite elevated and some- what broken. is of the most fertile soil, and produces immense quantities of grain. The grade from the summit of this hill down to Starbuck has long been a "terror" to railroad men. It averages over a hundred feet to the mile. Several serions accidents have occurred upon this portion of the road. It was largely the danger and expense of this hill which led the Oregon Railway & Navigation Company to build their line from Riparia directly down Snake river to Wallula. Having reached Star- buck, we find ourselves within the confines of Garfield county, and hence our journey through Walla Walla county is ended.
li we should examine our journey with a map, we would find that the two railroads cross each other at Walla Walla, and between them cover pretty completely the different portions of the county. We shall see evidence of the idea elsewhere expressed that Walla Walla is essentially an agricultural county. Many in- teresting features of agricultural work would appear to the traveler, should he make his jour- ney in the harvest season. AAmong other com- paratively recent harvesting machines, is the immense combined harvester and thresher. This was formerly used largely in California,
COMBINED HARVESTER.
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but the general impression was that the rolling hills of Washington would be unfavorable to its use. Recently side hill harvesters have been devised, which are apparently adaptable to al- most any region. It has been found moreover that even the common harvesters, like the Holt. can be worked advantageously on moderately rolling land. The Holt Company are now making one especially for side hill work. One of these great harvesters presents a strange ap- pearance to one unaccustomed to them, with its thirty-two horses, its driver elevated upon a
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