The Sagebrush Metropolis
A state representative predicts Clarkston will soon eclipse Lewiston as the premier railroad hub of the Snake River Valley.
State Representative George W. R. Peaslee of Asotin county is convinced that Clarkston is to become the metropolis of the Snake River valley. The town lies across the river from Lewiston, and Mr. Peaslee believes it is soon to supersede the Idaho town as the railroad center for Clearwater valley operations. 'There is no question but that the O. R. N. is coming up the Snake from Riparia to Lewiston,' he said. 'Lewiston is located at a disadvantage for railroad development. The land the Northern Pacific now occupies for terminals and switch yards has been under water during floods, and moreover there is not enough available land to give the railroad the yard room that is required. Across the river at Clarkston the land lies high enough to save it from flood damage, and moreover it is perfectly level. I am convinced that the railroads in the Snake river and Clearwater countries will make Clarkston rather than Lewiston their headquarters. Two years ago Clarkston was a sage brush prairie. Today it has a population of 2500 and it is growing rapidly.'
“Two years ago Clarkston was a sage brush prairie. Today it has a population of 2500 and it is growing rapidly.”
Clarkston did indeed see significant growth, though the fierce inter-state rivalry with Lewiston over bridge access, commerce, and identity persists today. The dream of it becoming a singular rail-hub metropolis is a reminder of how quickly early 20th-century boosters expected Washington's frontier towns to transform into major cities.
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