Resources.

The great resource of Lincoln county is its wheat fields, which in 1907 produced to exceed 8,000,000 bushels.  Other cereals and hay are important crops.  Along its northern part, particularly on the bottom lands of the rivers, much fruit is grown, including peaches and all the small fruits.  Diversified farming is growing in favor among the farmers.  Compared with other counties of the state, Lincoln county ranks as follows in the number of its stock:  Horses, second place; hogs, second place; cattle, sixth place.  The county also stands fourth in the number of its school houses and spends annually $100,000 for school support.

In wealth per capita, Lincoln county leads the state, showing for assessment purposes an average holding of real estate of $1,163 and $226 in personalty.

Transportation.

The county is traversed from west to east its entire length by the Great Northern and the central Washington branch of the Northern Pacific railroads, some distance from its side lines, so that very little of the county is more than 12 miles from a railroad shipping point.  There are 170 miles of railroad tracks in the county.

Cities and towns.

Davenport, the county seat and largest town in the county, is situated on the central Washington branch of the Northern Pacific railway near the middle eastern portion of the county, and has a population of about 2,800 people.  Its business blocks are chiefly built of brick.  It owns its own water system, is lighted with electricity, has fine school buildings and churches.  Its court house cost about $80,000.  It is surrounded by splendid farms and annually ships out about 1,250,000 bushels of wheat.

[Page 70] Wilbur, a town of 1,500 people, on the Northern Pacific railway, is a very important shipping and distributing center.  It has large flour mills, warehouses, five churches, and schools, electric lights, and water system, bank, newspaper, parks, and important commercial institutions.

Almira, in the western part of the county, on the Northern Pacific railway, is another prosperous and growing grain center with about 600 people.

Harrington, on the Great Northern railway, is a town of some 1,200 people.  It has a beautiful location, commands the trade of a large farming county, ships grain and livestock, and is a prosperous and growing town.

Creston, Egypt, and Bluestem are smaller growing commercial centers.

MASON COUNTY

Mason county lies on the upper reaches of Puget sound, having the Olympic mountains at its north, where about one-fourth of the county is in the Olympic forest reserve.  Its total area is about 900 square miles, and it has a population of about 6,000.  Hood’s canal penetrates well into the center of the county in its great bend, giving it a very long salt-water shore line.  From the Olympic mountains numerous streams flow into the Puget sound, while others empty their waters into Gray’s harbor.