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The Klickitat County Agriculturist, Goldendale, WA., March 25, 1911, page 3
"Klickitat Intelligence"

MARYHILL

Our correspondent at Maryhill furnishes a timely and highly interesting description of the famous Maryhill section of Klickitat, now being developed by Mr. Samuel Hill.
Samuel Hill is one of the West's most enterprising and progressive men and in every venture where he is found there is merit and wise discernment of opportunity combined. Mr. Hill is a man for details and leaves nothing for guess. He is one of the most pronounced promoters and builders of good roads in the West. Not only is Mr. Hill a worker, that he is one of the most genial and pleasant men to meet personally.
The largest private improvement and development work conducted in the Pacific Northwest, embracing extensive road building constructed upon the latest scientific lines of grades and materials; fruit raising according to the best modern ideas; farming with regard to the highest degree of culture and most acceptable possibilities; cattle grazing and dairying upon a basis of absolute and thorough knowledge in each department of pure-bred and productive stock; dry farming and irrigation, followed out in one complete system with due regard to every condition of soil, location, drainage, air current, climate, etc., that will make of it not only an experimental farm, but a model institution educating the producers of the state and stimulating scientific farming, rather than the hap-hazard methods now so generally in vogue - is that now in progress at Maryhill, near Goldendale.
The first thing that Mr. Hill did after securing the land was to insure the building of good roads. Samuel C. Lancaster, government expert on good roads; R.H. Thomson, city engineer of Seattle, and N.D. Miller, chief engineer of the Spokane, Portland & Seattle railroad, were enlisted and under the direct supervision of Mr. Miller, with advice from Mr. Lancaster, Mr. Thomson and Mr. Hill himself, who is famed for his roadbuilding knowledge, surveys were made and estimates given and the building of roads begun. Local improvement district No. 1, of Klickitat county, levied a road tax of $35,000, to which Mr. Hill added a like amount and six miles of tar macadam roadway is now under construction. This roadway leads off from the state road at this place, running northward toward Goldendale.
In addition to this Mr. Hill is building two miles of road as his own expense to connect with the Goldendale road, thus giving the county seat modern roads extending from Vancouver. The roadway which Mr. Hill is building will cost at least $6,000 per mile.
The entire holdings are in the name of the Maryhill Land Company, organized in 1908, of which the party most largely interested is Samuel Hill, president; A.C. Richardson, vice-President, and A.L. Whelan, secretary, and the project embraces over 6,000 acres of as rich and productive soil as can be found in the world, lying on the north bank of the Columbia, southeast of Goldendale.
The lands which are embraced in this estate include many old farms, and altogether there are about 150 acres which are now in fruit. In addition to the acres under cultivation during this year, 2,000 acres have been a plowed, of which 150 acres are to be planted to fruit and the balance to alfalfa and wheat. It was rather startling to the natives there to see Mr. Hill's men plowing 14 inches deep (a very unnecessary procedure - eight inches was good enough in the good old days) but when the wheat yield was noticed this year these old-time cayuse farmers sat up and took notice and many a pony has been stretching leather which before had a bit of pleasure in plowing time.
The opportunities for irrigation are here taken into consideration. The lands adapted to fruit are well watered with subsoil irrigation, but in the event that not sufficient water is had to properly grow and mature crops, a system of direct irrigation is inaugurated which when complete will cost at least $100,000. A reservoir having a capacity of 80,000,000 gallons has been built and the plan is to carry the water to the land in pipes, offering a minimum of loss through the evaporation and providing water for domestic and fire purposes as well as irrigation.
The work of cultivating the soil and caring for the vast undertaking here is placed under separate heads, and each man is held personally responsible for the success of the department under his care. For each department specialists have been secured of learning and ability to meet any emergencies that may arise in the conduct of their work.
For the attainment of the best results a government-tested weather apparatus has been installed, adapted to this special altitude and absolutely accurate. In every way possible scientific methods have been followed and men of experience are employed who were not experiments, but tried workers in their lines.
Already at Maryhill have been built a large and pleasant hotel, capacious barns, an annex to the hotel, a blacksmith shop, a garage, church, large merchandise store, grocery, butcher shop, and several cottages and an office building. Two telephone lines have long-distance wires to this place, a postoffice is established and the beginning of the town started.
The location of Maryhill is absolute. The view from the hotel is commanding and the vista of river and country is inspiring. As the writer stood upon the brow of the hill looking to the westward, this beautiful March day, below lay a quiet town with its dooryards and smoking chimneys. The majestic Columbia river graceful followed her course in curves and bends to the sea. As the shadows of the evening settled in the west glowing under a ruddy canopy of sun-kissed clouds, the towering, snow-capped peak of Mt. Hood, Oregon's sublime the mountain, stood as a sentinel of the night waving on the passing light of day. The glow of splendor that tinted the evenings skies thrilled and enraptured the soul, and as the ruddy glow passed and the shadows of darkness settled and the light gleamed out from the windows of many a home pierced the still night, the thought came that as this is the country of great and large scenery and climate, it must be the place for large and successful operations.