A Railroad Yard and a Steamboat Give Ione a Future
Crews began clearing the I.W.N. right-of-way, the steamer Spokane made its first call since Jan. 4, and the local correspondent predicted Ione would become the principal town on the Pend Oreille.
Contractor Tobin's men are now at work on the 500-foot right-of-way of the I.W.N. yards at Ione.
Judging by the present outlook, Ione promises to be the principal town on the Pend Oreille river. With such unparalleled natural facilities, at the foot of navigation, in the heart of a rich timber belt, and adjacent to the Metaline mining district and valuable deposits of marble, it can hardly fail to be a flourishing town in the very near future.
The steamer Spokane arrived in Ione Sunday, the first boat since Jan. 4. The merchants have been so well prepared that lack of transportation for a short time has been of little inconvenience.
“Judging by the present outlook, Ione promises to be the principal town on the Pend Oreille river.”
Ione's 1909 bet on rail yards and riverboats is the same infrastructure wager rural towns still make: that one road, line, or terminal will decide which communities thrive. The booster language also shows how quickly a local news column could turn into a growth prospectus.
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