The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1911-03-29

ament of one whose whole heart, soul
for over five years.
Leading Steps Recalled
I'm concentrating this important
incident in the history OF Yakima val
ley and our state t would seem fit
ting to recall some OF the leading
steps by which It has reached its pres
ent stage.
"It will doubtless be a surprise to
many to know what has never been
announced before. that the North
Coast railroad really had it's start in
1904 as a result of my ambition to en-
ter the electric railway field in this
valley. During that year when. as
many present well know, I had already
become rather heavily interested in
enterprises in North Yakima and vi
cinity. I arranged to revive the cleo
trio railway enterprise which some
years before had been projected by
our lamented friend. Judge Whitson
and others. I mention this here be-
cause of the very interesting relation
1t later bore to the North Coast
scheme as the latter unfolded
THE intention then was to build
electric lines from North Yakima up
and down the tributary valleys. for
example. up the Ahtanum and Naches,
, over into the Mckee. down Yakima
valley, through Parker bottom to
zillah and Sunnyside and ultimately
up into the Cowiche and elsewhere.
Local Interests Intervene
81 had practically arranged the A.
N a N al, ,ln ;,,f 60
ward with request that I desst, be-
cause, they said, they had made all
arrangements to promptly carry out
the same scheme. Wishing them God
speed l stepped aside However. as
the months heightened into a year or
more without these other interests
making substantial progress I began
to seriously consider the matter of
competitive railway facilities in
broader way.
Thus. / September 1905. after
having made some preliminary sur
veys. with your honored citizens o. A.
Fechter and John j. Rudlkin and some
eastern friends I organized the North
Coast Railway company, which on ac-
count of the rapid broadening of the
enterprise was supplanted by The
North Coast Railroad company in
April. 1906. This marked the actual
serious beginning of our work. En-
gineering and right OF way work in
the Yakima valley was well advanced
by July. 1906. The first grading on
the line was done on the Rainier d.
vision at Rowe hill about ten miles
west of North Yakima in October.
1905. while the first grading on the
Yakima division was done about two
miles from Grandview in March,
1906. Final contracts We're let for
grading the Yakima valley line to
your townsmen Case and Eschbach
July l, 1906. and this firm (now Esch-
bach, Bruce Il Coz has since con-
structed practically the entire line
from the Columbia river to this city.
Columbia River Bridge
"The most important engineering
and construction feat, the bridging of
the Columbia river, was really begun
in March, 1909, and completed No
vember 1 1910. This latter great task
and all this other work has been ac-
complished without the loss of a single
life or noticeable financial mishap, a
fine tribute to the skill and care OF
Cnlel Engineer II. l.. fltman ana
staff, and the high class of our con
tractors and construction forces.
THE first rails were laid at Alfalfa
December 10, 1909 and they reached
the city limits of North Yakima on
February 2S, 1911. and to bring the
history up to date we should add that
the honor of inaugurating the first
through service has been accorded to
our valued neighbors of the superb
city of Walla Walla for this glorious
22nd day of March. 1911.
Now. returning briefly to the cleo
trio railway situation. AS many here
know this was finally taken In hand
bv such of your esteemed fellow citi-
zens as Hon. Jack Splawn and
Messrs. II. b. Scudd-r and G. S. Ran
kin in 1907. These gentlemen were
the real heroes in this railway ro-
nance. and I only wish I could ade-
quately express the obligations of this
community to them and fittingly por-
tray the magnitude Of their work and
the gravity of their trials in endeav-
ors to put the enterprise on It's feet.