Principal cities and towns.

Asotin, the county seat, situated about seven miles south of Clarkston, on the Snake river, has about 1,500 people within its borders.  It [Page 48] has a flour mill, warehouses, churches, schools, public library, light and water systems, and is a prosperous, thriving town.

Clarkston, an important commercial center, is situated on the flats of the Snake river, in the northeast part of the county.  Its population somewhat exceeds that of Asotin.  It has all the business institutions of a thriving town, is the main distributing point for a large area, and is rapidly growing.

Cloverland, craigie and Anatone are thriving smaller towns.

BENTON COUNTY

Benton county is bounded north, east and south by the Columbia river and west by Yakima and Klickitat counties.  It has an area of 1,600 square miles and a population of about 9,000 people.

Topography.

The Yakima river traverses the center of the county in a very crooked course, through the valley of which the Northern Pacific railroad winds its way to the top of the Cascades.  Both north and south of the valley of the Yakima are extensive hill and plateau lands, which are being rapidly utilized for general farming.  The valley lands are arid and useless without irrigating water.

Irrigation.

Extensive irrigation projects are in successful operation and projected to bring a very large portion of the valley lands into successful use, for these lands, when irrigated, are of unsurpassed fertility.  Lands capable of irrigation have rapidly risen in value during the past few years because of the immense yields of all crops under irrigation.

Transportation.

The Northern Pacific railway through its center, the Portland & Seattle around its southern and eastern border and the North Coast coming into the Yakima valley from the northeast and the southeast, together with the shipping on the Columbia river, give abundant means of marketing its products, while several local electric roads are projected to connect its towns and help to open up the newly developed portions of the county.

Important industries.

General farming on the uplands, truck-gardening and fruit-raising on the irrigated lower lands are the chief occupations.  On account of the great fertility of the volcanic soils and the early springs, Benton county is able to supply the large towns with fruits and vegetables some two weeks earlier than most other sections, giving it quite an advantage in prices.  The county is rapidly growing in population and prosperity.

[Illustration:  Plate No. 39.—­Stacking Hay in Kittitas County.]

[Illustration:  Plate No. 40.—­New Training School, Ellensburg, Kittitas County.]