In Cowlitz County
Substantial Advancement in All Lines in 1899
Lumbering Gives Work to Many
Capitalists Have Confidence in the mineral Deposits - More Money Needed to Work Them.

The Morning Oregonian
January 1, 1900
By W. H. Imus

The past 12 months have witnessed substantial improvements in all lines of industry in Cowlitz county. There has been a fair increase in population. The "newcomers" are principally from the states of Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan. They generally seek small improved farms or timber land. They are people of means, and have left their Eastern homes in search of a milder climate. The large section of virgin forest on the upper Kalama river, one township of which is estimated to contain 100,000,000 feet of good, merchantable saw timber, has attracted the plain "squatter," the Eastern mill man and the holder of government scrip to such an extent that several townships have been taken during the past 10 months.

Lumbering, including logging, continues to be the chief industry of the people of Cowlitz county. The Ostrander Logging Railway Company, located at Ostrander, is one of the largest and most successful concerns in the state, operating several miles of rail road and having a capacity of 200,000 feet per day in the vicinity of Stella there are seven logging camps, with a capacity of 17,000,000 feet a year. 

The output of these camps is transported to the Columbia river over Brock's railroad, which has been extended several miles during the past year. At Oak Point there are two big logging concerns. Welsh Bros, operate five miles of cable road, have a capacity of 100,000 feet a day, and employ from 40 to 80 men. The average wages paid Is $2.50 per day. Benson & Co. of Oak Point, have 10 miles of steel railroad, use six railroad engines and 10 steam donkey engines. Their dally capacity is 200,000 feet. They employ from 100 to 200 men at an average of $2.50 a day.

There are many saw mills in this county, the larger ones being Fiddler's mill, at Catlln and Hogue & Young's mill, at Oak Point. The manufacture of red cedar shingles has become an important factor in the material prosperity of the north half of the county. Several mills are located at Kelso and Castle Rock. The cutting of shingle bolts on the Coweeman and Toutle rivers affords employment at good wages for a small army of ranchers who live on those streams, and thus find employment near home.

Another Industry that has grown to important proportions is the cordwood business. A large part of the wood consumed by the Columbia river steamboats is supplied by dealers at Martin's Bluff, Hoffman's, Kalama, Stella and Oak Point. Wood is also shipped from some of these points on barges to Portland. At Oak Point, Hogue & Young have seven miles of flume, employ 50 to 75 men, and carry a stock of 11,000 cords of seasoned wood. 

Cowlitz ranks high as an agricultural county. Considerable grain is grown in the Lewis and Cowlitz river valleys. There has been a large increase in the total acreage of cultivated lands the past year, and many small orchards planted and enlarged. The farmers of this county were never on a more substantial basis than at the present time. Dairying is now receiving the attention that its importance deserves. New methods and new appliances are now being used. Separators are now common throughout the county. At Woodland a cheese factory is running successfully, handling the milk from about 400 cows and distributing among the contributors of milk about $1,500 to $2000 a month.

The fishing industry has long been a source of considerable wealth, to Cowlitz county. About 200 of our citizens are engaged in gill net, seine and trap fishing. Doty & Co., of Kalama, are engaged extensively in shipping fresh fish to local dealers throughout the United States. Wallace Bros., of Kalama, fish packers, ship to European markets as well as to points within this country. Then there is the Kalama river salmon hatchery, which was doubled in capacity the past summer by the construction of an eyeing station with a capacity of 5,000,000 eggs. 

These two institutions employ during the hatching season about 20 men. This season's hatch was only about 6,000,000, owing to the scarcity of eggs. Ten million could have been handled. The mineral wealth of this county is more or less a matter of conjecture at the present time, although some mines have been developed enough to inspire mining men with sufficient confidence to cause them to invest money in them. 

The Monument, on the Kalama river, has been tunneled 480 feet, and the outlook is very satisfactory. The Adios, in the same locality, was recently purchased by mining men from Tacoma, and a force of men are now employed sinking a shaft in it. All that seems to be needed is capital for development. Cowlitz county is in good condition, warrants are at par, the debt is comparatively light, and taxes are moderate. Our schools are equal to the best. To the home seeker and to the investor Cowlitz county offers a promising field.