DOUGLAS COUNTY

Douglas county occupies the big bend of the Columbia river, having

about 1,800 square miles of territory. Formerly there were 4,500

square miles. The last legislature carved the county in two, giving

Grant county the southeastern part, about 2,700 square miles of

territory, and leaving 1,800 to the northeastern part, with the old

name. The bend of the Columbia on the northeast and Grant county

on the southeast, compose its boundary. This division boundary

follows the northeastern bank of the Grand coulee, and following

its general direction meets the Columbia river where the Great

Northern railroad touches its valley, thus putting all of that

railroad in this new county, excepting only a few miles of the

railroad along the banks of the river in the southeastern corner

of Douglas county. Douglas county is essentially a high plateau,

some of it 1,500 feet above the main bank. Waterville is the county

seat, and considerable land along the valley of the Columbia is

being irrigated and proving to be of great value for fruit and

grain growing.

In the southeastern part of the county are some lands covered with

black basaltic rocks, but the great bulk of the lands are rich

in a volcanic ash soil, and produce large crops of grain without

irrigation. A wrong view of the county can easily be impressed

upon the traveler by rail; he will see so many of the basaltic

rocks from the car windows but once up out of the canyon which

the railroad follows, he will find himself in view of an expanse

of wheat fields so vast and rich as to astonish him.