prospective rather than actual, the impression deepens that the agricultural prosperity of the Northwest has only well begun and that the next fifteen or twenty years are almost sure to witness great if not revolutionary changes.
The Willamette Valley first to develop. Prior to 1880, progress had been rapid nowhere except, for a few years, in the Willamette Valley. The chief stimuli there in the decade 1850 to 1860 were the California market for farm produce, and the Donation Land Law. This law permitted settlers who were married to take up 640 acres of land, one-half of which was to belong to the husband, the other half to the wife. The law was passed by Congress in September, 1850, and it expired by limitation in 1855. Under its terms all of the most valuable farm lands in the W' illamette Valley were taken up, and since the law applied equally to Washington Territory numerous claims were filed there, too. The result is seen, partly, in the fact that Oregon ^ farm holdings increased during the decade from 1,164 to 5>8o6, or 4,642 farms, while in the next decade the increase was less than 1800 farms.^
Between 1870 and 1880 the growth is more marked. This period was influenced by the gold rush to the Inland Empire which began in the 6o's and was signalized by the opening of new farming areas in Eastern Oregon. Mention has already been made of the Grande
1 Including Washington.
2 In Oregon alone. No data for Washington Territory until 1870.
