Winning the Okanogan Trade
Local boosters push for a commercial alliance with the burgeoning Okanogan country to secure Seattle's economic future.
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Abe Spring, recently returned from the Okanogan country, believes Seattle must act decisively to secure trade from the region. He argues that the land is remarkably fertile, adapted to fruit and hops, but lacked a reliable market until recently. With new steamer routes on the Columbia River connecting to the Great Northern Railway, farmers can now reach Seattle in less than two days. Spring urges local merchants to embrace 'reciprocity'—buying farmers' produce while selling them needed supplies—to prevent the trade from going elsewhere. He suggests a fruit exhibit at the exhibition building on Pioneer Place to showcase the region's bounty and build commercial ties.
“If Seattle desires the trade of that region of our state, she must strive for it and get a foothold there while the market can, as yet, be had practically for the asking.”
This reflects the classic 'Booster' era of Seattle, where city leaders viewed every regional territory as a potential commodity colony to be harnessed for Seattle’s wealth. The language of 'reciprocity' and 'natural outlets' remains common in how the city views its hinterlands today.
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