by Jeri Jackson McGuire (Author)
Clarkston, Washington, and Lewiston, Idaho, are twin cities that meet at the confluence of the Snake and Clearwater Rivers in southeast Washington. Gold was discovered upstream in the Clearwater drainage in 1860. A few settlers crossed the Snake River to an area called Jawbone Flats. It was flat and covered with sagebrush. Thirty years later, investors from back East arrived with big plans. C. Van Arsdol designed the first irrigation system, and Charles Francis Adams was a big influence in bringing irrigation and education to Clarkston. By 1899, Clarkston became prosperous with their award winning fruit orchards. In 1896, Edgar H. Libby received the franchise to build a bridge to connect with Lewiston, Idaho. The name finally became Clarkston in 1902, when the town was incorporated. In the 1970s, slack water brought big changes to the area called the "Banana Belt." With the dikes and the smooth waters, the valley became an ideal place for boating, fishing, and tourism.