A Killing Winter
A brutal freeze destroys orchards and crops, threatening the livelihoods of settlers across Okanogan County.
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.
Carl Hamilton, acting as deputy assessor, reports a gloomy outlook for the farming community north of Riverside and west of the Okanogan River due to the recent severe winter. The rancher is up against a hard game, and the new settler must have nerve and staying qualities to face another season. Hamilton states that not only were alfalfa and winter wheat killed out, but 85 percent of young fruit trees were destroyed. Even older peach trees were mostly lost. This is especially discouraging to settlers who have taken up land in recent years and were just getting a start. F.J. Cummings of the Glenwood Mercantile Company reports his own losses at approximately $5,000, including 400 young apple trees. While established men may recover, many others are without means and dependent on their land for survival.
“The rancher is surely up against a hard game, and the new settler must have nerve and staying qualities.”
While climate patterns have shifted, agricultural volatility remains a constant threat to Okanogan County's economy. The struggle of 1909 settlers to recover from a 'killing winter' mirrors the ongoing challenges farmers face today with unpredictable weather and the high cost of maintaining commercial orchards.
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