Walla Walla’s 1884 Sales Pitch: From a Tent Store to a ‘Metropolitan’ City

[San Francisco Journal of Commerce.]

Walla Walla, the center of one of the greatest grain-growing regions on the earth, is located on Mill Creek. It is on a fine, level tract, has fine, wide streets, nicely shaded. The dwelling houses are very neat and attractive, with fine yards and gardens surrounding them, while the stores are very fine, commodious and substantial. The business men are shrewd and far-seeing, with a great deal of go and enterprise. It is the center of a rich agricultural country, with soil twenty feet deep. The past season having had only a moderate quantity of rain, there were only from forty to fifty bushels of wheat to the acre raised. With good rains, the yield is sixty to eighty bushels. The soil, from its great depth, is practically inexhaustible, and the richest in North America.

The Dayton branch of the Northern Pacific runs through the city. Its principal business is in grain and produce. Besides this, its merchants supply all the mining country, especially the famous mines of Coeur d’Alene. In the spring many thousands will be at work. Walla Walla is quite a manufacturing town. Byron Jackson, of San Francisco, has large agricultural works there. In a few years they will have as large an establishment as in San Francisco. There is a fine iron foundry, which is kept constantly employed.

Walla Walla has a history covering very nearly a quarter of a century, and for the larger portion of that time has been a business center of importance. For the past five years the increase in facilities for transportation has led to the opening up and development of the surrounding region, and the name and fame of Walla Walla have become known where larger cities are unheard of. Substantial business blocks, handsome residences, fine and wide natural streets, gas and water works, public schools not to be excelled, excellent private academies, and many fine churches, which are well attended. The city really is quite metropolitan.

The city is pleasantly situated on Mill Creek, which flows through it. This stream is a tributary of the Walla Walla River. It is surrounded on all sides by well-improved farms, and lying almost under the shadow of the Blue Mountains. Little is lacking that could be desired, and which the hand of Nature has not supplied. It now is a city of nearly 8,000 inhabitants. Its business men look to the future with bright hopes and confidence. Building is going on on all sides, and things manifest a healthy appearance. In 1857 William McWhirk brought goods to this place, and used a tent for a store, pitching it where the Glasford planing mill now stands. In 1858 Charles Bellinger put up a store, constructed from poles and mud, near the center of what now is the northwest side of Main Street, between the creek and Second Street.

The town site was surveyed by H. H. Case; the first lots taken were lot 5, block 13, by J. T. Reese, and lot 2, in the same block, by Edward Everts, both being recorded November 30, 1869, twenty-four years ago.

On December 22d, same year, records show the survey of 160 acres of land into town property. By an Act of January 11, 1862, the Territorial Legislature incorporated the city of Walla Walla. The first election under the charter occurred the first of April, at which 422 votes were cast. At that time Walla Walla City was by no means the beautiful place of residence we see to-day. Instead of the fine blocks of brick that now give such an appearance of solidity to Main Street, business was transacted in small frame structures and log houses. In place of the fine yards and ample shade trees that now ornament the city, was to be seen a dry, cheerless plain, with few trees along the streets. Such a state of barrenness can hardly be realized by one who witnesses the profusion of flowers, vines and trees that now greet the eye on every hand. During 1862 the city made giant strides, fully doubling the number of buildings and materially increasing the population.

In the same season a line of stages was established, one from Wallula and one from The Dalles, which was a very important step in the development of the city. There was also established a line of stages between Walla Walla and Lewiston. Then was opened the military road to Fort Benton, and the establishment by Congress of mail routes from this city to Elk City and Hell Gate and the Coeur d’Alene Mission.

In November of the same year the name of the post office, which was still known as Wallatpu, was changed to Walla Walla, to correspond with the name adopted for the town. In 1866 a great fire visited the city and destroyed it almost entirely. The loss was $184,600.

Flouring mills and breweries, planing mills and other manufacturing interests were added by degrees. In 1870 telegraphic communication was established with Portland via Wallula, and Mayor Stone sent the first message. The population was 1,894.

In 1876 the citizens of Walla Walla formed a society for promoting emigration. The same year the Walla Walla & Columbia River Railroad Co. completed its track, connecting Walla Walla with Wallula, and thus giving complete rail and water communication with the seaboard.

In 1876 the population was 2,600, nearly double that of 1870. Next year occurred the Nez Perce war and the general Indian scare that affected the whole of Eastern Washington. In the same year Walla Walla was incorporated as a city.

Many improvements were made during the years 1881 and 1882, including the elegant court house, costing $60,000, the handsome brick church erected by the Catholics, at an expense of $20,000, and a number of residences and stores, varying in cost from $1,000 to $12,000, and the introduction of illuminating gas.

In 1880 the population was 3,588, since which time it has increased to nearly 6,000. Amongst other industrial establishments it has two planing mills, five flooring mills, soap factory, dye works, tannery, bag factory, two lumber yards, and two brick yards. Amongst its public buildings are the churches, public school buildings, United States Land Office, post office, express office, telegraph office, stage office, gas and water works, city hall and station house, Odd Fellows’ Temple, Catholic hospital, depot and warehouse. It is a United States military post and garrison. It has two railroad offices and the Oregon Improvement Company’s office. It boasts of an open house. It has three companies, two militia companies, a free library, a club room, fourteen secret societies and lodges. No visitor can fail to be impressed with the stability. It holds every commanding position and her importance is widely felt.

Its importance may be understood from the fact that it has three daily and five weekly papers, all enterprising and well patronized.