1916, MARCH 17: COLVILLE RESERVATION TO BE OPENED SOON. Unrivaled fruit, grain and mining “possibilities”—no better watered section in the world
From the Leavenworth (WA) Echo:
The announced determination of Washington’s representatives in congress, printed in the daily press this week, to make a determined effort to have the Colville Indian reservation open to settlement at an early date, possesses unusual interest for the thousands of people who have had an eye on this last large body of valuable land to be opened to settlement. It will be recalled how some years ago a populous state was created over night when the Indian territory was thrown open to settlement. A rush something akin to that will occur when the Colville reservation is opened. The following description of the Colville reservation by the editor of the San Poil Eagle who lives there and knows the country, will help give the reader an idea of the country if he harbors a desire to go there:
“For the benefit of those living far away from this reservation, and to save the time of answering so many individual letters, we beg to say the Colville Reservation from east to west is 65 miles and from north to south is 45 miles and it contains about 1,300,00 acres. A considerable portion of it is quite mountainous. It contains very fertile valleys and bench lands. Its valleys are well watered with pure, clear mountain streams and it is blessed with thousands of pure springs. Within the townsite of Keller there are no less than seven everflowing springs. Like other mountain countries in this latitude, in the northwest, it enjoys a mild climate; the summer days are not excessively warm and the nights are always cool. A more healthful climate cannot be found in any other part of the world.”
“Probably no inland section of any country in America of corresponding size can boast of so great a navigable water frontage as this reservation. Nature in all her glory never entwined the arms of her water courses more beautifully around so great a section of God’s domain than she did around the Colville Reservation. On all its southern and eastern borders it is washed by the Columbia, one of the largest and greatest navigable rivers on earth. The reservation frontage on the Columbia river is more than 150 miles in length. On the west side comes down the Okanogan river from Osoyoos lake in British Columbia and adds another fifty miles of navigable river frontage to the reservation.”
“Then comes the charm of all—the glory of the Nimrods and the Mecca of outing parties—the beautiful San Poil river which crosses the entire reservation from north to south. It is not only well supplied with game fish, but it is one of the great spawning streams of the Pacific coast salmon which swim by the thousands 629 miles up the Columbia to propagate their kind within its crystal waters. Besides the San Poil, there is the charming Nespelem river and about fifty other small streams all flowing either into the Columbia or Okanogan rivers. In addition to its streams and springs, the reservation has many beautiful lakes of pure, clear water and some so highly medicated as to insure the new settlers with natural health resorts unsurpassed anywhere on the American continent.”
“A considerable portion of the mountain sections of this reservation has been set aside by the government as mineral lands and subject to entry only under the mineral laws.”
“To the prospective settler who expects to cultivate the soil or engage in fruit growing or gardening or the raising of stock or poultry, this mineral land with its bonanza ore bodies already opened, should add greatly to his encouragement. It is a recognized fact that mining always supplies a ready market for all kinds of farm, stock, dairy and poultry products. That millions will be spent developing the mineral resources of this reservation is fully conceded. Most of the great mining camps of the west are so far remote from soil products that nearly all the food supplies have to be shipped in to the mining centers.”
“But on this reservation a large contribution to mining markets may be made from adjacent farms, gardens, orchards and stock ranges. Among all experienced homeseekers desiring lands with mineral resources of the reservation will certainly afford a great inducement.”
“There are other natural mineral products which should lend encouragement to the homestead settlement of this reservation. Here fine brick and other clay products may be made; her are great lie and cement stone and here is one of the greatest and best granite deposits in America.”
“Even if much of the soil is quite abrupt and undulating, those disadvantages are more than counterbalanced by other compensating benefits. Hundreds of other encouraging opportunities could be truthfully offered the prospective settlers, but our advice is to come see it for yourselves.”
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