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Ronde Valley, partly settled between the years 1862 and 1870, as was also the Powder River Valley and the Umatilla. All of these sections increased steadily in the next decade.

The Inland Empire; ranching. Moreover, the charms and the profits of stock-ranching on a large scale were causing a considerable emigration from the Willamette Valley to Central Oregon, especially Crook and Wasco Counties, while men from Southern Oregon crossed over to Klamath County, and to Harney County. In this vast plateau region, with limitless range all about, the stockman located his claim in some sheltered valley or cove, where the union of good soil and a supply of water made possible the growing of grain, hay and vegetables. He could thus support his home, while the herds or flocks multiplied until, in many cases, they numbered scores of thousands of animals and made their owners wealthy.

Some notion of the extent of the range business can be gathered from the statistics of the increase in live stock values which represent the range interest together with the ordinary farm interest. In Oregon the number of farms increased between 1870 and 1880 from 7,587 to 16,217 or 8,630, a gain of 113.7 per cent. But the value of livestock on farms and ranges increased in the same period from $6,828,675 to $17,1 10,392 or 150.6 per cent. In Washington the number of farms gained 108.8 per cent, while the value of livestock increased by 184 per cent. In Idaho the number