The Fight to Keep the Cavalry at Fort Walla Walla
Local farmers and merchants brace for economic disaster as officials weigh the abandonment of the town's military post.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
In a vague way, the average citizen understands that the total abandonment of Fort Walla Walla as recommended by General Funston would mean an annual loss to this city and the Walla Walla valley of many thousands of dollars. The loss to farmers alone this year would have meant a trifle over $40,000 for hay and grain furnished to the mounts of the ninth cavalry. The total deliveries of hay, grain and feedstuffs to the fort for this year will approximate 4,500,000 pounds or in other words, an aggregate value of $40,000. This amount of money, with the exception of a few thousand dollars, has gone entirely to Walla Walla farmers and dealers. The total amount of timothy hay contracted for is 2,000,000 pounds, 1,500,000 pounds of oats, 350,000 pounds of bran and 520,000 pounds of straw. 'It goes without saying that the abandonment of Fort Walla Walla would mean a great loss to Walla Walla county farmers,' a prominent dealer said. 'Walla Walla should make every effort to retain the post not only for what prominence it gives the city by being here but for the enormous amount of money that is distributed throughout this section for its maintenance.'
“Walla Walla should make every effort to retain the post not only for what prominence it gives the city by being here but for the enormous amount of money that is distributed throughout this section.”
Communities have long relied on federal military installations as economic engines, creating a permanent tension between national defense policy and local fiscal health. Today, these debates continue as regions navigate the economic fallout of base closures and military realignment.
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