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.