The Campaign to Open a Mountain Wagon Road
Booster George Smith lobbies Seattle merchants to fund a vital freight route over Snoqualmie Pass.
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.
George Smith, the well-known farmer, stock raiser, store keeper and cattle drover, arrived here Tuesday evening via the Snoqualmie Pass, bringing a band of cattle. For the past month, Mr. Smith states, he has been pushing the work on the wagon road towards the summit as rapidly as possible. He found the grade much easier than he expected, and will make a far better road bed than that from Ellensburg to The Dalles. Mr. Smith declares that he will be able to haul 4,000 pounds over this route with four horses, when the proposed road is completed. He also states that on the completion of this road all the trade of the Yakima and Kittitas valleys, which now goes to The Dalles and Portland will come direct to Seattle. The company expect to push the road to the summit within the next three months where it will stop unless the people of King county come to the center and subscribe to the capital stock.
“With a good wagon road once in operation, the people need have no fears that a railroad will follow. The iron horse always comes after the ox team and the stage line.”
This reflects the early economic battle to ensure Seattle, rather than Portland, served as the primary gateway for Eastern Washington's agricultural wealth. The 'Snoqualmie Road' remains a crucial artery today, though the horse teams have been replaced by the steady flow of I-90 traffic.
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