A Prune Colony for Mason County
Frank Williamson sells 1,200 acres on Big Skookum Bay for $20,000, promising five-acre orchard tracts on easy payments.
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Frank Williamson reports a big deal in Mason county, the result of which will be a wonderful addition to prune raising in Mason county. Mr. Williamson owned 1,200 acres of land which was called Fruit Harbor, and was located in Mason county on Big Skookum bay. This tract of land he has sold to a newly incorporated company for the sum of $20,000, which will encourage prune raising by planting two acres out of every five with young prune trees, and sell it off in five-acre tracts on the installment plan. "This," said Mr. Williamson, "will enable people to secure tracts on easy payments. The men mean business for they are all of good standing. I cannot recall the name of the corporation, but the members are Messrs. Onimette, Orchard, Daniels and Jefferies. Look out for it. It will be at Starr's."
“This will enable people to secure tracts on easy payments. The men mean business for they are all of good standing.”
The 1891 pitch—buy a five-acre orchard tract on installment and cash in on a coming industry—is a familiar rural land-promotion script. It rhymes with today's subdivision marketing and the recurring tension between agricultural promise and speculative real estate.
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