Oregon, Washington and Alaska; Sights and Scenes for the Tourist — Inside the Classic

The Pioneer as Urban Prophet

Lomax's portrait of Spokane Falls hinges on a founding myth: a lone white man arriving by bull team in 1878, seeing the falls, and deciding to wait for a city to grow around him. The author emphasizes the pioneer's patience—"for several years his eyes fell on nothing but gravel-beds and foamy waters"—before the boom arrived. This narrative device frames urban growth as inevitable and almost magical, yet Lomax grounds it in concrete details: the pioneer still lives within earshot of the falls, now worth a million dollars. The passage reveals how the guide uses individual stories to personify regional progress, a technique repeated in descriptions of other settlements.

Indians, Resources, and the Promise of Tourism

In the Coeur d'Alene region, Lomax notes that about 250 Indians on the reservation "enjoy the proud distinction of being the only tribe who refuse Government aid," preferring to farm independently with improved machinery. This observation, while reflecting contemporary biases, offers a rare glimpse of Indigenous agency. The author then pivots to the area's tourist potential: Coeur d'Alene Lake is "one of the prettiest sheets of water on the continent," teeming with salmon and game. A Government Commission is working to open the land to the public, and Lomax predicts the town of Rockford will soon become a resort. The juxtaposition of Indian self-sufficiency and commercial development underscores the guide's underlying tension between preservation and exploitation.

Boosterism Through Natural Description

Lomax's descriptions of landscape are never neutral; they serve as advertisements for economic activity. The Spokane River is a "clear and beautiful mountain stream" whose waters are harnessed for mills and factories. Four large flouring-mills exploit the falls, enabling cheaper flour production and cementing Spokane's hold on the surrounding agricultural plain. The author frames natural features as resources waiting to be tapped, a perspective consistent with his role as a railroad agent. Readers should note how Lomax consistently links scenic beauty to commercial opportunity, treating waterfalls, lakes, and forests as assets rather than mere vistas.

The Guide's Structure and Intended Audience

The book's opening list of agents—from Albany to Liverpool—reveals its primary audience: potential travelers who could book tickets through the Union Pacific network. Lomax writes for Easterners and Europeans curious about the Northwest, blending practical information with hyperbolic promotion. The text moves rapidly from place to place, offering snapshots rather than deep analysis. A first-time reader should approach the guide as a period artifact, attentive to its boosterish tone and the assumptions it makes about progress, race, and nature. The excerpts suggest the full work likely follows a similar pattern: a series of vignettes designed to entice tourists and settlers alike.

Lomax's guide rewards readers who attend to its commercial logic and narrative strategies. The pioneer of Spokane Falls, the self-sufficient Coeur d'Alene Indians, and the harnessed river all serve a single story: the region's inevitable rise. Yet the excerpts also hint at lost alternatives—the Indians who refused government rations, the wilderness that preceded the city. Reading between the lines of boosterism reveals a more complex history, one where progress came at a cost. This guide is best approached as a primary source for understanding how railroads marketed the American West.