The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-01-01
HISTORICAL REVIEW.
Early Construction of Railroads In wash
fngton.

ington.
The first railroad built In the Northwest
was az the Cascades Of the Columbia, the
purpose being 10 give traffic connections
between steamers operating above and be-
iow that obstruction to navigation. II
was built IN ISL on the Washington side,
by the Bracfords, who were operating
steamboats, or the river. The track was
two-foot gauge, with four-inch hr scantling
for rails. The cars were hauled by mules,
and had wooden wheels, made of Gr
plankS. and wooden axies. No iron was
used in construction Of car, rails or motive
power, except the nails. freight was $50
a ton from Portland 10 The D2lles. and the
Bradfo-ds had a bonanza. In 1855, they
constructed another wooden road, stand
ard gauge, and stauncher than the hTst-
Travel increased so much. however, that
the Bradfords did not long enjoy their prof
liable monopoly. Colonel RuckEes, river
navigator, began wagon road on the
Oregon side Of the Cascades, and secured q
part OF the traffic. Afterwards, In ls5s,
REckies and his associates began the con-
stTuction OF a trarnway on the Oregon side
from the Lower Cascades. now known as
Bonneville, 10 the Upper Cascades, a dis
lance OF I've miles. In 1864 a locomotive
was bought, the nrst in the Northwest, and
operated for two and oEe-haIf- miles Of the
road, which was substantially built
Mules still hauled the cars on the other
half Of the railroad. The Bradford road
had meantime become SO worn out that
Ruckles & Co. were employed to transfer
their freight while they rebuilt their own
line with iron rails from the Upper TO the
Lower Cascades. About this time the two
companies consolidated
These roads were not in any sense indie
pendent railroad enterprises. They we're
portage roads, atfording facilities for con-
tinuOus traffic by river from The DaIIes 70
Portland 1t was not until $50 thar a
genuine railroad enterprise vas projected
and construction actually begun. In that
year work on the Northern Pacific branch
from KaIama TO Puget sound was inauer1-
rated. Twenty-Five miles were finished II,
July, 1871; but the road was not completed
TO Tacoma until after the financial panic
OF 1878.
The traffic Of the upper Columbia
was done by steamboat for many wears.
but the interruptions TO navigation AT
The DaIles and the Cascades made i
SO costly that it consisted of IittIe
=
passengers. In is72 the O-eoon
Steam Navigation Company constructed
portage road on the Oregon side fourteen
miles from The Dailes TO Cello In the
same year the WaIIa Waua Il Columbia
River railroad vas built by Dr. D. {. Baker
from Nalia Walla 10 WaIiula, on the CO.
iunoIa r1ver, with branch from Whit
man 70 Blue Mountain, In UmatiIIa
county. o., total distance Of forty-six
miles The express purpose OF construction
o. tnls road vas 70 drain the rich grain
producing Walla Walla county and carry
iss pro1uct 70 the steam boats Of the Oregon
steam Navigation Company, on the Coiuna-
Ola river. lie track was originally narrow
gauge and was laid with wooden rails:
then cnange was made to strap rails:
iatef, ngnt IRON rails were laid. and still
later, light steel rails.
In ls75 the nght for the location Of the
western terminus Of the Northern Paciac
vas settled oy the designation of Tacoma.
and then Seattle, n its bitter disappoint-
ment, organized the Seattle & WaIIa WaiIa
kalIroad TO seek an outlet of It's own.
ne road was constructed TO the lannon's
1aloot coal mines ar Renton in ISL and
spur was run on to the Newcastle nincs
Later, the people Of Olympia, animated bv
ike motive as the people Of Seastle
oulit the narrow gauge railroad f-or,
olympia 70 connection with the Sortber,
Pacific II Tenino.
The great financial crash Of fs-s led 20
cessation o. operation on the Nortba~,
Paciilc, and no active work was do,e
anywhere IN the territory until ls7s ard
is44, when the Northern built lis Puval-
Ivy valley line, thirty-one miles TO the ro,l
mines at WiIkeson. In 1879 the Snrfbs~r-
Pacific recovered from its heavy revr-ss
OF SIX ears before and work vas rasrrns,l
on the main line. walla WaIIa va. -
lected as the point for beginning cor~--r,r-
ton On the Pen d. Oreiue sfv;s;rs,,
because navigation Of the Columbia cr~,li
oe utlIized 10 supply material. and bararsa
the newly organized Oregon RAILWAY =
Navigation Company had determined -
oalid line up the southern bank of tbs
Columbia TO that point Work on ,his
olvlslon OF the main line was carr;ad -,
actively until November. 1851. whe, : -
completed 10 LAKE Pen d'OreiIle. rea,g,, a..
connection with the great transcont;ns,,..l
Northern Paclne. The eeTemonv ~ -.
driving OF the last spike occurred Se.r,.s--,-
Der :, ISIS, at Sold Spike sta.io1 -.
miles vest Of Helena. Nor. - ~ ny
Lodge river. Ae1
Meanwhile the lesharyy that had 49,.
hned transportation enterprises in Orc,
ana Washington largely 10 rixa- ,,a,-s,...-
ton and local railroads. was sh.rs, -,
Inrough the influence Of .ha4 ,,,sss =