LETTERS OF CHARLES STEVENS
Edited by E. Ruth Rockwood
(Part III)
Milwaukie O. T. June 27th 1853
Dear Sister & Brother Levi
I have written a conciderable to you about Washington Teritory and perhaps I might say some more about it, and some of my reasons for going there. Perhaps I have hinted at them before, but no mater, I will try it again.
You have undoubtedly received the letter that I forwarded to you on my return from Shoal Water, if so, you have I think a good discription of that part of the country, yet, either Grays Harbour, Shoal-water Bay or the mouth of the Columbia River is to be the great outlet for this country to the sea. In consequence of the Teritory's being divided, Grays Harbour or Shoal Water will probably be the outlet for that territory, and the Columbia for Oregon, yet there is one thing that we think is certain to come about, and that is that there will be a railroad from the south point of Pugets Sound to run in a south west direction to the Chelalees River, or the upper point of Grays Harbour, and perhaps on to Shoal Water, it will save some over two hundred miles sailing besides a conciderable time in getting to the sound. If such a road should be built and (judgeing from the situations of the country all round, and from what I can learn from those that pretend to have wise heads,) I believe it will some time, it will run through what I believe to be, and what Lot Whitcomb says is the very best part of this western country. But perhaps I shall know more, about it soon, for If possible, I shall start next week to see it. I gave you the best information that I could get last winter, and I have not learnt anything yet to make me alter my opinion. I do not know but we shall move down to Bakers Bay, that is at the mouth of the Columbia this summer, to stay a year or two. A Mr. Brown[1]
Parts I and II of this series of letters were printed in the Oregon Historical Quarterly, June and September, 1936.
- ↑ Possibly Joel L. Brown who had a claim on the Palux River where he intended to form a town. He and his associates had cut a wagon road on the portage from Shoalwater Bay to the Columbia, His plans were hardly begun when he died; Swan, Northwest Coast, 64.
