The Summer Escape to Toll Gate
As Walla Walla swelters, hundreds of residents find refuge in the mountain pines, transforming the historic Toll Gate into a bustling 'city of canvas.'
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.
If any Walla Walla people are suffering from the valley's extreme heat these days, they should emigrate to the Toll Gate, where frosts are of nightly occurrence and campers are compelled to sleep under blankets and wear heavy clothing in the early morning and late evening. John Lamb, of the real estate firm of Worth and Lamb, whose family is camped at the Gate this year, arrived in the city last night with glowing tales of the cool and delightful weather. He left camp with two suits of clothes, woolen underwear, a buffalo coat and two buggy robes to keep out the coolness. The Toll Gate is the popular mountain resort this year, with fully 300 people under canvas. Tents are clustered so thick in the timber about the Gate that they give the appearance of a small-sized city. The majority of campers are prepared to remain until the first of September.
“Tents are clustered so thick in the timber about the Gate that they give the appearance of a small sized city.”
The tradition of seeking relief from the valley heat by retreating to the Blue Mountains remains a vital part of Walla Walla's cultural identity, though 'canvas cities' have largely given way to modern campsites and private cabins.
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