The Battle for Walla Walla’s Business
A local representative lobbies Seattle’s Chamber of Commerce to shift regional trade away from Portland’s long-standing monopoly.
The story, cleaned up
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S. B. Calderhead, of Walla Walla, appeared before the Seattle Chamber of Commerce yesterday to urge members to back an excursion to Walla Walla. He argued that the trip would help foster ties between Puget Sound jobbers and Eastern Washington merchants, a market currently dominated by Portland. Calderhead noted that Portland houses maintain resident representatives in Walla Walla who tightly control the supply chain, often telegraphing orders to ensure goods arrive before the end-of-the-week rush. He challenged Seattle business leaders, claiming that while they fight for Alaska trade, they are ignoring a fully developed region right in their own state. He stated, 'Something like 60 percent of the grain raised in the Walla Walla country is marketed on the Sound, and you are merely acting as bankers for the Portland wholesale houses. You pay for this grain and the farmers in turn pay the money over to Portland.' The Chamber of Commerce endorsed the excursion, which is set for October 21st.
“Something like 60 percent of the grain raised in the Walla Walla country is marketed on the Sound, and you are merely acting as bankers for the Portland wholesale houses.”
This 1903 struggle for economic influence highlights the perennial tension in Inland Northwest trade, where regional centers compete to be the primary gateway for local agricultural producers. Today, the debate over regional supply chain control has evolved into issues of logistics and e-commerce, but the question of who profits from regional growth remains central to Walla Walla's economic planning.
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