Where Exactly is the Inland Northwest?

Joseph, Oregon at the base of  Oregon's Wallowa Mountains

 

Is Joseph, Oregon, in the Inland Northwest?

After being told for years that eastern Washington, northern Idaho, and northwestern Montana, comprise the Inland Northwest, we were interested to discover that Baker City, Oregon, is also included within that distinctive region, according to a travel brochure from the area.

But people involved in a Wiki discussion about the Inland Northwest's borders are convinced it is limited to eastern Washington and northern Idaho. They are irritated by the proposition that parts of  Oregon and Montana are included. They are also wondering if "Inland Empire,"  and Inland Northwest are the same thing.

 What is the Inland Empire?

The Merriam-Webster Geographical Dictionary (published in 1949, 1972, and 2001) says the Inland Empire covers Eastern Washington, northern Idaho, northeastern Oregon, and far-western Montana.

A railroad trestle spans mountain tops in northern Idaho, an area through which people walked until trains between Chicago and Tacoma connected it with the outside world. 

"Inland Empire (Pacific Northwest). Here are entered works about the Northwestern United States between the Cascade Range and Rocky Mountains, comprising eastern Washington, northeastern Oregon, northern Idaho and extreme western Montana." 

Spokane: the Hub of an Empire

Historylink.org, backed up by the State of Washington and the Washington State Department of Archeology and Historic Preservation, says that the Inland Northwest and Inland Empire are the same place: "Spokane is the commercial hub of the interstate area known formerly as the “Inland Empire” and now as the Inland Northwest.”

Historical photo of Spokane and Inland Empire Railroad in downtown Spokane, Washington, USA in 1912, from the collection of The Spokesman-Review, Spokane, WA

 

In the old days, the word "empire" defined a promising region that rich people were investing in, where, opportunities were rampant, and one could get lucky if he or she ended up in the right place as the right time. Nowadays the idea of empire has fallen out of favor, being commonly associated with unbridled exploitation of land and people by an elite few. Nowadays, "Inland Northwest" is a more palatable term.

Spokane began to emerge as the center of the Inland Empire in the late 1880s, when the discovery of gold in north Idaho caused it to boom. Many fortune hunters from around the nation acquired their grub stakes in Spokane and used it as a jumping off point to the remote mountain mining areas.

The "Inland Empire" name memorializes railroad tycoon Jim Hill, who was widely known as the "Empire Builder, for his role in developing rail access to the resource-rich Northwest.

Farms and mountains of the Inland Northwest attracted homesteaders and speculators who sought rich lands like this field near Sanders, Idaho, between Coeur d'Alene and Joseph, Oregon

Spokane grew as a commercial and financial hub where railroads converged, and from which eager entrepreneurs and settlers traded and fanned out to the surrounding mines, fields, and forests. Today, the city serves the commercial, manufacturing, transportation, medical, shopping, and entertainment needs of an 80,000 square mile region.

Former Secretary of the Spokane Chamber of Commerce, John R. Reavis, opined about the city's sphere of influence in his 1891 Annual Report:

"By reason of her geographical position and railroad connections Spokane is fitted as no other city is, or ever can be, to be the distributing center of all that country within a radius of 150 miles, and in some instances territory much farther away. (Pacific Northwest Collections, University of Washington Libraries. Spokane, Washington: W. D. Knight. pp. 6–7, 10–12.)

Spokane Washington's service area in 1891

 

Towns near the edge of Reavis's 150 mile radius are: Wenatchee and Winthrop to the west at the base of the Cascade Mountains; and Whitefish, Montana, at the base of the Rocky Mountains to the east. By Reavis' parameters, "The Empire" included Walla Walla, Washington, to the south, and Lewiston in Idaho, (only 87 miles south of Spokane) where the Snake and Clark Fork rivers converge, and which some argue is the southern terminus of the Inland Northwest. Note the 150 mile radius encompasses Joseph on the south and also extends north into Canada.

 Enter Baker, "Queen City of the Inland Empire”

Did Reavis's "much farther away" comment include Baker City, Oregon? In 1900, Baker City, boasted a population larger than that of Spokane, which is 200 miles north as the crow flies.

Baker City, Oregon

 

 

Baker City prospered due to a profusion of gold strikes and it promoted itself as the “Queen City of the Inland Empire,” according to The Oregon Encyclopedia, a project of the Oregon Historical Society.

So, According to historical authorities, the Inland Empire and Inland Northwest are one and the same, and the area reaches from the Canadian border, south as far south as Baker City, Oregon. Apparently, the cities of Wallowa County, in Oregon's northeastern corner lie within the sphere of the Inland Northwest.

Winter Birding in the Wallowas

The Wallowa Mountains provide habitat for some of Oregon's most unique birds, according to naturalist Stephen Shunk, who owns Paradise Birding in Sisters, Oregon, which leads birding tours around the world, including the Wallowa Mountains of northeastern Oregon. 

Photo courtesy of Steven Shunk, Paradise Birding of Sisters OR

 The formidable barrier of the Wallowa Mountains

"The forbidding arctic winter drives countless northern breeding birds southward to spend the season in milder climes. Dozens of songbird and raptor species make their way south until they reach winter foraging grounds just across the Canadian border. Those that migrate west of the Rockies run into a formidable barrier in Northeastern Oregon. Here they gather in large concentrations to overwinter in the shadow of the Wallowa Mountains," according to Stephen.

Joseph, Oregon, at the foot of the towering Wallowa Mountains

Unique species

A few species that breed in the Wallowas, such as the Gray-crowned Rosy-Finch, make their way down the north-facing slopes each winter. The gray-crowned rosy-finches (L. t. tephrocotis) were confirmed as a "distinct race" in the 1930s, when a party from the Museum of Vertebrate Zoology obtained19 breeding pairs from two alpine localities on the Eagle Cap and Elkhorn Peaks at the headwaters of the Lostine River.

Audobon of Portland confirms that the Wallowa Mountains comprise the entire breeding range of the Wallowa Rosy Finch, a subspecies of Gray-crowned Rosy-Finch, and notes additionally that it is the only area in the state with regular confirmed breeding of Pine Grosbeak.

Winter bird varieties

Steven Shunk photo

Stephen gives an overview of other birds that can be seen in the Wallowa area during winter:

"The huge flocks of rosy-finches may join dozens or even hundreds of Snow Buntings to forage on the rolling, snow-covered prairie north of the mountains. Occasionally, Lapland Longspur joins large wintering flocks of Horned Larks, and Northern Shrike patrols the region for easy forage.

"Each winter, hundreds of Bohemian Waxwings gorge on mountain-ash and juniper fruits in the Wallowa Valley. Nearly every gully in the nearby prairieis filled with small flocks of American Tree Sparrows. In some years, Common Redpolls swarm the birch and alder trees by the dozens.

Steven Shunk photo

 "Searching for tree sparrows and redpolls along the prairie back-roads typically yields resident coveys of Gray Partridge, and possibly a glimpse of Oregon’s only wild population of Sharp-

tailed Grouse.

"Pileated Woodpecker inhabits the forest that meets the grasslands from the north. Rough-legged Hawk and Bald Eagle exhibit a commanding presence throughout the region, highlighting dozens of  wintering raptors.

"In some years, a Snowy Owl or Gyrfalcon spends the winter in Wallowa County. And all of this occurs surrounded by some of the most spectacular scenery in North America."

Wallowa Winter Bird Guide

Mt. View Motel & RV Park guests with an interest in birding can inquire at the motel office for a copy of the list of birds identified during Stephen's Wallowa County winter bird tours during seven years between 2003 and 2014. Motel owner Scott is a birder who is happy to share his love of birds and his own birding trip experiences.

Next Wallowa Winter Birding Tour

Paradise Birding's next Wallowa Birding tour is scheduled for Feb 2019. Contact Stephen Shunk for more information at 541-408-1753 or steve@paradisebirding.com.

Stephen founded Paradise Birding in 1997. He has led tours to birding hot spots around the world, including the Wallowas, and at annual Oregon birding festivals: The Harney County Migratory Bird Festival, which celebrates the large annual migration of birds that pass through Harney Basin on the Pacific Flyway in April, and the Silver Falls Mother's Day Birding & Wildflower Festival.

Stephen co-founded the East Cascades Bird Conservancy, which is now the East Cascades Audubon Society chapter. He is also co-founder of the Oregon Birding Trails program and coordinated its flagship project, the Oregon Cascades Birding Trail.  

Oregon's Alpinefest in the Mountains

Experience the fun of Swiss-Bavarian Alpine culture against the breathtaking backdrop of northeast Oregon's Wallowa Mountains, a.k.a. Little Switzerland, Sept 27 to Oct 1, with four days of accordions, polkas, lederhosen, alpenhorns, bratwurst, bier trinken, and of course, yodeling at Oregon's Alpenfest 2017.

Heidi the Movie

Not feeling Bavarian yet? Get in the Alpenfest mood at the OK Theater in Enterprise, OR, Wednesday, Sept 27, with the new version of "Heidi." Doors open 5:30 p.m., film at 6. $5 adults and teens, $1 kids unless dressed in costume, then free admission.

Oregon Alpenfest Schedule

Opening Ceremony in Enterprise

 

Don the dirndles and lederhosen on Thursday for the procession and opening ceremony of Oregon Alpenfest downtown Enterprise at 4 pm. Then head to Terminal Gravity for the official tapping of the first keg of Alpenfest Beer, with more accordians and yodeling, which becomes increasingly more fun as greater quantities of beer are consumed.

Art, Music and Dance at Edewlweiss Inn

Alpen festivities move to the Edelweiss Inn at Wallowa Lake on Friday, where the Alpine Art Fair, polka lessons, Tirolean dancers, music, and of course, more yodeling start at noon.

Frühstück und Schwingen

An Alpine breakfast is available at the Alpine Inn at Wallowa Lake, Saturday morning, starting at 8 a.m. Don't miss the demonstration of Swiss folk wrestling (Schwingen) at 11:30 a.m.

 The Main Event

The Alpenshow at Edelweiss Inn runs from 1 to 11 pm with much beer drinking, dancing, yodeling, and free waltz lessons at 5 p.m.

Accordions all Day 

 

Meanwhile, the sound of accordions will fill the air in downtown Joseph through the day between 10 am and 2 pm at the Wallowa County Farmers Market and Joseph Visitor Center.

 Military, Law Enforcement & Firefighters Free Day

The Sunday line-up at Edelweiss Inn is more of the same with free admission on Patriot's Day for military service members and veterans, law enforcement officers, and firefighters.

Contact Oregon's Alpenfest at alpenmeister@swissmail.com or 541-398-1096

Film: Massacre at Hell's Canyon

The Chinese Must Go

The film “Massacre At Hells Canyon”, will be shown Tuesday, Sept. 26 at 7 p.m at The Josephy Center in Joseph, Oregon. Suggested donation is $5.

The documentary recounts the brutal murder of Chinese miners along the Snake River, about 40 miles east of Joseph, OR, as the crow flies.

In 1886, more than thirty Chinese gold miners, operating under the auspices of the Sam Yup Company of San Francisco, acquired grub stakes at Lewiston, Idaho, and headed up the Snake River. They hauled their supplies upstream for 65 miles along rough and rocky banks, maneuvering their boats through some of the most rugged and isolated terrain in the West. They struggled past the mouth of the Imnaha River and set up camp at Dry Creek near a traditional Nez Perce Indian crossing. There they proceeded to extract fine gold "flour" from debris left behind by less patient miners. Historical rumors estimate the Chinese miners had accumulated around $5,000 of gold dust when they were all shot and mutilated by a gang of ruffians holed up nearby. 

Antagonism toward the Chinese was high on the frontier at the time, as it was for any people with strange traditions, darker skin, or Mongolian features, especially if they seemed threatening due to factors such as controlling valuable resources, and working harder, smarter, or cheaper than everyone else. 

The massacre was briefly tried in a local court at Enterprise, where a Wallowa County jury found the perpetrators not guilty. After that it seemed best not to dwell on the gory matter and it never made the history books. The details are still sketchy, although some of the trial records that had disappeared surfaced in 1995, buried under other papers in an old safe being donated to the local museum.

Former Wallowa County Commissioner Ben Boswell, whose family settled in the area in 1872, has been quoted as saying that: "Somebody intentionally tried to keep this story from happening. Somebody intentionally caused people to forget."

Efforts of several researchers over the past few decades have stimulated interest in preserving the story of the victims and memorializing their plight.

(Read https://www.osbar.org/publications/bulletin/07nov/legalheritage.html for a recounting of the story and the social climate of the day.)

What was obvious at the time, was that by July of 1887, the mutilated bodies of Chinese miners were washing up along the Snake River about 65 miles downstream in Idaho Territory, so at least the appearance of an investigation was required.

One of the suspects, Frank E. Vaughan, turned state's evidence and his testimony led to the arrest of three suspects, including15-year old Robert McMillan. They were all acquitted. Three others fled and were never tried. A relative of Vaughn later opined that "he was guilty as sin." 

Three years after the trial, young McMillan, who had downplayed the events in court, was dying of diphtheria in Walla Walla, Washington, with a guilty conscience. He made a deathbed confession that he witnessed 13 of the Chinese gunned down at Deep Creek the first day. He was not present the second day, but had heard the boasting about how 21 more were killed.

The incident was officially acknowledged in 2005 and the site of the crime was named Chinese Massacre Cove. In 2012 a small monument was delivered there by helicopter and a ceremony ensued. Located within the Hells Canyon National Recreation Area, the best way to see the memorial is to travel up the river by boat from Lewiston.

Find The Josephy Center at 403 Main St. in Joseph, OR, 541-432-0505.