History of rail in Oregon
Encyclopedia
The history of rail in Oregon predates the transcontinental railroad
in 1869.
As Oregon was aligned with the union states during the American Civil War
, a railroad connection was proposed to help supply the Union and build morale.
to Owyhee, and proposed a railroad along this line, then joining the transcontinental railroad near Winnemucca, Nevada
. Pengra incorporated a company in 1867 but failed due to lack of financial support.
William Williams Chapman, Surveyor General of Oregon from 1857 to 1861, proposed a railroad along the Oregon Trail
from Portland
, over the Blue Mountains
, along the Snake River
, then south to the transcontinental railroad at Salt Lake
. Chapman created the Portland, Dalles and Salt Lake Railroad Company in 1881, then reincorporated it as the Portland, Salt Lake and Salt Pass Railroad Company in 1876. He attempted to raise funds for this company in the eastern United States as well as England
.
Both Pengra and Chapman's companies were hampered by the Crédit Mobilier of America scandal
in 1872.
Rail routes to follow the Oregon Trail
were surveyed by the government, Union Pacific, and others, including James H. Slater
and Dan Chapman's Grande Ronde Valley and Columbia River Valley Construction Company in 1874, and the Blue Mountain and Columbia River Rail-Road Company's narrow gauge effort.
The wooden-railed narrow-gauge Walla Walla and Columbia River Railroad, established in 1868, involved several overland portage
s.
was sent by German investors to see oversee their investments in the Oregon and California Railroad Company, then became the major force in railroading for the region. In 1879, he purchased the Oregon Steam Navigation Company
and the Oregon Steamship Company, merging them to the Oregon Railway and Navigation Company (OR&N).
Since Union Pacific and Central Pacific
had an uneasy agreement due to owning the western and eastern halves of the Transcontinental Railroad
, Vilard approached Union Pacific with an alternative to using the Central Pacific line from Salt Lake City to San Francisco. He offered a 50% partnership in the OR&N in 1879. Union was already building an extension from Brigham City, Utah
to Butte, Montana
that could be extended west. Central Pacific threatened Union Pacific if such an arrangement was made, which ended it immediately.
Northern Pacific had a line reaching from the Dakotas to northern Idaho. Villard reached an agreement with Northern Pacific in 1880, which gave Portland access to transcontinental rail lines. Since activity in the Pacific Northwest
had picked up by 1881, Union Pacific was again interested in the 1879 proposal. Union Pacific created the Oregon Short Line from Granger, Wyoming
to the OR&N lines at Huntington, Oregon
, joined on November 11, 1884. Union Pacific and Northern Pacific were now in direct competition, which led Northern Pacific to build their own line directly to the coast at Tacoma, Washington
.
Villard's OR&N lines were leased to Union Pacific's Oregon Short Line from 1887 until Union Pacific purchased OR&N in 1889.
Transcontinental railroad
A transcontinental railroad is a contiguous network of railroad trackage that crosses a continental land mass with terminals at different oceans or continental borders. Such networks can be via the tracks of either a single railroad, or over those owned or controlled by multiple railway companies...
in 1869.
As Oregon was aligned with the union states during the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
, a railroad connection was proposed to help supply the Union and build morale.
Early proposals
Byron J. Pengra, the Surveyor General of Oregon from 1862 to 1865, secured a federal land grant in 1864 for the Oregon Central Military Wagon Road from EugeneEugene, Oregon
Eugene is the second largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon and the seat of Lane County. It is located at the south end of the Willamette Valley, at the confluence of the McKenzie and Willamette rivers, about east of the Oregon Coast.As of the 2010 U.S...
to Owyhee, and proposed a railroad along this line, then joining the transcontinental railroad near Winnemucca, Nevada
Winnemucca, Nevada
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 7,174 people, 2,736 households, and 1,824 families residing in the city. The population density was 867.5 people per square mile . There were 3,280 housing units at an average density of 396.6 per square mile...
. Pengra incorporated a company in 1867 but failed due to lack of financial support.
William Williams Chapman, Surveyor General of Oregon from 1857 to 1861, proposed a railroad along the Oregon Trail
Oregon Trail
The Oregon Trail is a historic east-west wagon route that connected the Missouri River to valleys in Oregon and locations in between.After 1840 steam-powered riverboats and steamboats traversing up and down the Ohio, Mississippi and Missouri rivers sped settlement and development in the flat...
from Portland
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
, over the Blue Mountains
Blue Mountains (Oregon)
The Blue Mountains are a mountain range in the western United States, located largely in northeastern Oregon and stretching into southeastern Washington...
, along the Snake River
Snake River
The Snake is a major river of the greater Pacific Northwest in the United States. At long, it is the largest tributary of the Columbia River, the largest North American river that empties into the Pacific Ocean...
, then south to the transcontinental railroad at Salt Lake
Salt Lake
For a lake containing a high concentration of salt, see salt lake.More specifically, Salt Lake may refer to:- Cities, counties, towns etc. :* Salt Lake, Hawaii, a neighborhood on the island of Oahu...
. Chapman created the Portland, Dalles and Salt Lake Railroad Company in 1881, then reincorporated it as the Portland, Salt Lake and Salt Pass Railroad Company in 1876. He attempted to raise funds for this company in the eastern United States as well as England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
.
Both Pengra and Chapman's companies were hampered by the Crédit Mobilier of America scandal
Crédit Mobilier of America scandal
The Crédit Mobilier scandal of 1872 involved the Union Pacific Railroad and the Crédit Mobilier of America construction company in the building of the First Transcontinental Railroad. The distribution of Crédit Mobilier shares of stock by Congressman Oakes Ames along with cash bribes to...
in 1872.
Rail routes to follow the Oregon Trail
Oregon Trail
The Oregon Trail is a historic east-west wagon route that connected the Missouri River to valleys in Oregon and locations in between.After 1840 steam-powered riverboats and steamboats traversing up and down the Ohio, Mississippi and Missouri rivers sped settlement and development in the flat...
were surveyed by the government, Union Pacific, and others, including James H. Slater
James H. Slater
James Harvey Slater was a United States Representative and Senator from Oregon. An Illinois native, Slater also served in the Oregon Territory’s Legislature, then later the Oregon State Legislature, and was the owner of the Corvallis Union newspaper.-Early life:Born near Springfield, Illinois, in...
and Dan Chapman's Grande Ronde Valley and Columbia River Valley Construction Company in 1874, and the Blue Mountain and Columbia River Rail-Road Company's narrow gauge effort.
The wooden-railed narrow-gauge Walla Walla and Columbia River Railroad, established in 1868, involved several overland portage
Portage
Portage or portaging refers to the practice of carrying watercraft or cargo over land to avoid river obstacles, or between two bodies of water. A place where this carrying occurs is also called a portage; a person doing the carrying is called a porter.The English word portage is derived from the...
s.
Henry Villard
Henry VillardHenry Villard
Henry Villard was an American journalist and financier who was an early president of the Northern Pacific Railway....
was sent by German investors to see oversee their investments in the Oregon and California Railroad Company, then became the major force in railroading for the region. In 1879, he purchased the Oregon Steam Navigation Company
Oregon Steam Navigation Company
The Oregon Steam Navigation Company was an American company incorporated in 1860 in Washington with partners J. S. Ruckle, Henry Olmstead, and J. O. Van Bergen...
and the Oregon Steamship Company, merging them to the Oregon Railway and Navigation Company (OR&N).
Since Union Pacific and Central Pacific
Central Pacific
Central Pacific can refer to:* The Central Pacific Railroad, the western part of the Transcontinental Railroad in the United States* The Central Pacific Area, a subdivision of the Pacific Ocean Areas in World War II...
had an uneasy agreement due to owning the western and eastern halves of the Transcontinental Railroad
Transcontinental railroad
A transcontinental railroad is a contiguous network of railroad trackage that crosses a continental land mass with terminals at different oceans or continental borders. Such networks can be via the tracks of either a single railroad, or over those owned or controlled by multiple railway companies...
, Vilard approached Union Pacific with an alternative to using the Central Pacific line from Salt Lake City to San Francisco. He offered a 50% partnership in the OR&N in 1879. Union was already building an extension from Brigham City, Utah
Brigham City, Utah
Brigham City is a city in Box Elder County, Utah, United States. The population was 17,899 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Box Elder County. It lies on the western slope of the Wellsville Mountains, a branch of the Wasatch Range at the western terminus of Box Elder Canyon...
to Butte, Montana
Butte, Montana
Butte is a city in Montana and the county seat of Silver Bow County, United States. In 1977, the city and county governments consolidated to form the sole entity of Butte-Silver Bow. As of the 2010 census, Butte's population was 34,200...
that could be extended west. Central Pacific threatened Union Pacific if such an arrangement was made, which ended it immediately.
Northern Pacific had a line reaching from the Dakotas to northern Idaho. Villard reached an agreement with Northern Pacific in 1880, which gave Portland access to transcontinental rail lines. Since activity in the Pacific Northwest
Pacific Northwest
The Pacific Northwest is a region in northwestern North America, bounded by the Pacific Ocean to the west and, loosely, by the Rocky Mountains on the east. Definitions of the region vary and there is no commonly agreed upon boundary, even among Pacific Northwesterners. A common concept of the...
had picked up by 1881, Union Pacific was again interested in the 1879 proposal. Union Pacific created the Oregon Short Line from Granger, Wyoming
Granger, Wyoming
Granger is a town in Sweetwater County, Wyoming, United States. The population was 146 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Granger is located at ....
to the OR&N lines at Huntington, Oregon
Huntington, Oregon
Huntington is a city in Baker County, on the eastern border of Oregon, United States. It is located on the Snake River and along Interstate 84 and U.S. Route 30. The population was 515 at the 2000 census.- History:...
, joined on November 11, 1884. Union Pacific and Northern Pacific were now in direct competition, which led Northern Pacific to build their own line directly to the coast at Tacoma, Washington
Tacoma, Washington
Tacoma is a mid-sized urban port city and the county seat of Pierce County, Washington, United States. The city is on Washington's Puget Sound, southwest of Seattle, northeast of the state capital, Olympia, and northwest of Mount Rainier National Park. The population was 198,397, according to...
.
Villard's OR&N lines were leased to Union Pacific's Oregon Short Line from 1887 until Union Pacific purchased OR&N in 1889.
Planned or incomplete railroad lines
The following railroad lines were surveyed and perhaps graded, but not completed.Northeast Oregon
- Union, Cornucopia and Eastern Railway (or UCE) - planned to connect Union, OregonUnion, OregonUnion is a city in Union County, Oregon, United States. The population was 1,926 at the 2000 census.- History :Union was platted on November 11, 1864 along the Oregon Trail. The name references the Union states, or Northern States, of the American Civil War....
with mines near CornucopiaCornucopia, OregonCornucopia is a ghost town of the gold mining boom of the 1880s in Eastern Oregon, United States. The name of the town was chosen since it meant "Horn of Plenty". Gold was discovered in Cornucopia in 1884. The town was platted in 1886. It is located east of Baker City high in the mountains of Pine...
, $3 million in funds - Union, Cove and Valley Railway - planned to use the Union depot of the UCE to CoveCove, OregonCove is a city in Union County, Oregon, United States. The population was 594 at the 2000 census.-History:Cove was platted in the 1870s along Ruckles Road, only the second road over the Blue Mountains.-Geography:...
- Union, Cornucopia and Eastern Transportation Company - planned to build on the same route of the planned UCE. November, 1898, $3.5 million in funds, had a Chinese-American director, unusual in the 1890s.
- Summerville, Blue Mountain and Walla Walla Railroad Company - planned to follow the former Thomas and Ruckle RoadThomas and Ruckle RoadThe Thomas and Ruckle Road, also known as Ruckles Road or Ruckels Road, was a wagon road over the Blue Mountains.George Thomas was a stagecoach driver who came west to California in 1849, before moving to Walla Walla. Colonel J. S. Ruckle arrived in Oregon in 1855 as a steam boat pilot for the...
from SummervilleSummerville, OregonSummerville is a city in Union County, Oregon, United States. The population was 117 at the 2000 census.-History:Summerville was platted on September 20, 1873 along Ruckles Road by William H. Patten. Patten had a freight depot along Ruckles Road, only the second road over the Blue Mountains, which...
to Walla Walla. Fall 1898. - Union Railroad and Transportation Company, renamed Union Railroad Company. Planned to follow the UCE to the Snake RiverSnake RiverThe Snake is a major river of the greater Pacific Northwest in the United States. At long, it is the largest tributary of the Columbia River, the largest North American river that empties into the Pacific Ocean...
. - Hilgard, Granite and Southwestern - originate on the OR&N line near HilgardHilgard, OregonHilgard is an unincorporated community in Union County, Oregon, United States, at the junction of Oregon Route 244 with Interstate 84/U.S. Route 30, near the Grande Ronde River. It is also the site of a junction of the Union Pacific Railroad...
and connect to GraniteGranite, OregonGranite is a city located in Grant County, Oregon, United States. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 24, up from its population of 10 in 1990...
to supply the Powder River Mines. - Grande Ronde and Wallowa Railway Company - follow the Grande Ronde RiverGrande Ronde RiverThe Grande Ronde River is a tributary of the Snake River, long, in northeastern Oregon and southeastern Washington in the United States. It drains an area southeast of the Blue Mountains and northwest of the Wallowa Mountains, on the Columbia Plateau...
to connect ElginElgin, OregonElgin is a city in Union County, Oregon, United States. The population was 1,654 at the 2000 census. The 2007 estimate is 1,685 residents. The community is named after the Lady Elgin, a ship lost on Lake Michigan....
, WallowaWallowa, OregonWallowa is a city in Wallowa County, Oregon, United States. The population was 869 at the 2000 census.-History:Wallowa was platted in 1889. Wallowa is a Nez Perce word describing a triangular structure of stakes that in turn supported a network of sticks called lacallas to form a fish trap. The Nez...
, and JosephJoseph, OregonJoseph is a city in Wallowa County, Oregon, United States. Originally named Silver Lake and Lake City, in 1880 the city formally named itself for Nez Perce Chief Joseph. The population was 1,054 at the 2000 census.- History :...
. - Oregon Washington Railroad Company - G. W. Hunt, January 1889 intended to run from WestonWeston, OregonWeston is a city in Umatilla County, Oregon, United States. It was originally a post office called Mitchell's Station, established in February 1867. In September 1869, T.T. Lieuallen renamed the post office after his hometown, Weston, Missouri. The population was 717 at the 2000 census...
across the Blue Mountains, eventually to Boise. Company purchased by 1891, never completed in part due to the Panic of 1893Panic of 1893The Panic of 1893 was a serious economic depression in the United States that began in 1893. Similar to the Panic of 1873, this panic was marked by the collapse of railroad overbuilding and shaky railroad financing which set off a series of bank failures...
. - Wallowa Valley Railroad Company, W. J. Cook, 1905 attempt to connect Elgin to Lewiston, IdahoLewiston, IdahoLewiston is a city in and also the county seat of Nez Perce County in the Pacific Northwest state of Idaho. It is the second-largest city in the northern Idaho region, behind Coeur d'Alene and ninth-largest in the state. Lewiston is the principal city of the Lewiston, ID - Clarkston, WA...
. OR&N completed their line as far as Elgin once they discovered this attempt, but never completed the Lewiston segment.
Completed railroad lines
- Central Railway of Oregon - purchased existing rail lines near Union, Oregon and built an extension from Union to CoveCove, OregonCove is a city in Union County, Oregon, United States. The population was 594 at the 2000 census.-History:Cove was platted in the 1870s along Ruckles Road, only the second road over the Blue Mountains.-Geography:...
in 1906. Went bankrupt in 1909, reformed as Central Railroad of Oregon in the same year. Surveyed lines across the Blue Mountains in 1910, actually built a 4 miles (6.4 km) line from Richmond to a Hot Lake HotelHot Lake HotelHot Lake Hotel is a hotel originally built in 1864 in Hot Lake, Union County, Oregon, United States. The hotel became a popular vacation and resting spot due to its relaxing thermal waters. It was purchased by Dr. W. T. Phy in 1917 who developed state-of-the-art medical facilities including a...
. Hauled 33,415 passengers and 18,200 tons of freight in 1912, but went out of business in 1924. All rail lines were scrapped, except for the Union-Union Junction segment, which was taken over by the Union Railroad of Oregon, which was in service (especially for the Ronde Valley Lumber Company) at least into the 1970s.
See also
- Rail transport in OregonRail transport in OregonRail transport is an important element of the transportation network in the state of Oregon. Rail has existed in the state in some form since 1855 and the state was a pioneer in development of electric railway systems...
- List of Oregon railroads
- Oregon Rail Heritage FoundationOregon Rail Heritage FoundationThe Oregon Rail Heritage Foundation is a registered non-profit organization based in Portland, Oregon, United States. Composed of several all-volunteer groups dedicated to maintaining vintage railroad equipment, the ORHF is committed "to secure a permanent home for the City of Portland’s steam...