Thousands of years ago, scientists tell us, there existed between the Rocky Mountains and the Cascade range a vast inland sea—the waters left imprisoned when the ocean had receded. After many ages these pent up waters burst the restraining barriers and forced their way to the ocean, creating the deep canyon of the Columbia, but leaving behind a broad plain, now known as the Inland Empire.
What was once a desolate waste, however, has been transformed into a "Land of Canaan." Its plateaus unite to form one of the bountiful "bread baskets of the world" while its valleys yield generously of nearly all the products of husbandry. Near its borders the mountains, with their retinue of trees, flowers and grassy meadows, reach as far as the invisible power permits and then dispatch their emissaries, the rivers, to wind through and through and distribute the welcome waters that enkindle the irrigated districts with life and activity.
Far beyond the boundaries of our own state spreads this wonderful plain, but the brief description contemplated in these few pages must be confined chiefly to Washington. The curious sight-seer or the serious homeseeker can well afford to spend many days exploring this region, marveling at both the mighty forces of creation and the embellishments of man. Under far more pleasant circumstances can it be traversed now than when the early pioneers first fought their way over the mountains. Lewis and Clarke, the Hudson's Bay Company men, and Marcus Whitman, supplemented their sturdy limbs and indomitable courage with the trusty saddle horse, the slow prairie schooner or the rude river raft. Today the palatial cars of four transcontinental lines make daily trips across the state; branch lines accommodate the territory north and south; and parts not reached by rail are served by well constructed thorofares.
Copyright by Asahel Curtis
"And the old wilderness is changed
To cultured vale and hill"
CHIEF FEATURES.
In addition to the Columbia river basin, the most important features are the Yakima and Wenatchee valleys; the Lake Chelan region; the Okanogan Highlands with the valleys of the Methow, Okanogan, San Poil, Colville and Pend Oreille; the Spokane Country; the Walla Walla valley; the Snake River; the Big Bend and Palouse wheat sections with their "coulees"; and the Blue Mountains. There are also a few low bare ridges of a semi-mountainous character which relieve the prairie effect and permit cycloramic views of the surrounding territory. Among these are the Saddle Mountains, the Simcoe Hills, and the Horse Heaven Plateau; while a number of spurs from the Cascades, including the Wenatchee Mountains, help form the fertile valleys to the west of the plain.