The Creamery Valleys: A State Dairy Tour Finds Prosperity in Northeast Washington

I spent the last week in a tour through the Kalispell and Pend d’Oreille valleys, formed by the confluence of the two rivers, and covering a total of about four townships. This district is reached by the Great Northern Railway to Newport and thence by a steamer journey up the Pend d’Oreille River about 18 miles. It is especially adapted for dairying and stock raising and for nothing else. In the spring two-thirds of the valley is covered by the overflow from the river. The upland is covered with native redtop and the lower lands are given up to what is called “flat grass,” which is quite nutritious and produces very rich milk. There are no weeds, so that there are great possibilities for a high grade of butter and cheese.

Mr. George H. Jones, who owns the boat on the river, named Red Cloud, was one of the earliest settlers of that neighborhood; he and his companions about ten years ago cut their way for their teams through from Spokane. The valley received a great impetus after the building of the Great Northern Railway. To Mr. Jones is due the credit of opening the first creamery in the valley, which commenced operations at Usk May 15, 1895. This caused the influx of more ranchers, and the upbuilding of the dairy industry. Mr. Jones sold out the plant July 1st of last year to the ranchers of the district, who formed a co-operative company under the name of the Kalispell Creamery Company; president, W. J. Fountain; secretary and treasurer, W. J. Cusick; buttermaker, N. Christensen. They are receiving 5,000 pounds of milk per day, and expect to increase to 7,000. They ship their product to Spokane and tributary mining camps.

Keller Pease, Kalispell, own and operate a cheese factory, opened May 10, 1898. They are receiving 1,500 pounds of milk and expect to increase to 2,000. The quality of butter and cheese manufactured in the valley is of a high grade, and there is an era of prosperity pervading the whole valley. This can be considered one of the permanent dairy sections of the state.

I took a trip through the Colville valley, getting off the train at Chewelah, driving from there to Colville, a distance of 23 miles. W. B. Stewart is operating a creamery at Chewelah and feels encouraged, as he is now receiving about 1,000 pounds of milk per day.

Mrs. A. Reeves Ayres was called upon at her beautiful place, the Arden farm, about eight miles from Colville. This is one of the largest and best managed farms in this valley, and she is the only person who makes a specialty of pure bred stock. She has a fine band of registered Jerseys, at the head of which is a sire of Stoke Pogis strain. She also has one yearling pure bred bull having all the points of a first-class animal, and a 2-year-old heifer named Priscilla, pride of the herd. These two she hopes to exhibit at the State Fair this fall, and will send a case of butter from her dairy. The stables and everything pertaining to the manufacture of the butter are kept scrupulously clean; all the details are followed out in a scientific manner, as Mrs. Reeves is a great reader of dairy literature and a firm believer in the profitable results of keeping a pure bred herd.

J. F. Lavigne and C. W. Hall own and conduct the Colville Creamery. They receive about 800 pounds of milk per day, shipping largely to Northport and other towns in that vicinity. The farmers of this valley do not seem to realize the value of a successful creamery and cheese factory. The valley is well adapted for dairying and stock raising, and the farmers should give more attention to the purchase of pure bred dairy cows. If this course is followed out it will become a rich dairy valley.

At the present time I am making a tour through the Palouse and Walla Walla districts which will occupy my attention until about the middle of August. C. A. McDonald.