For those who are familiar with how this series of books is organized 1, this book offers a straightforward example of its type. The first european americans and canadians to view the willamette area were trappers who traveled up the willamette valley in the early 1800s. Railroading in the lower willamette valley benton county museum. Forty years ago the willamette valley was eager for railroads, just as now for automobile highways. Union pacific currently the important main line from portland south into california is owned by this. History of the willamette valley, being a description of the valley and its resources, with an account of its discovery and settlement by white men, and its subsequent history. Clackamas southern railway company willamette valley southern railway willamette valley railway 1911 to 1939. The willamina and sheridan railroad also ran passenger service from willamina to broadmead about halfway between sheridan and whiteson. Between 1908 and 1915, two large systems, the oregon electric railway and the southern pacific red electrics, joined smaller competitors constructing railways throughout the region. Browse and buy a vast selection of railroad history books and collectibles on. Railway needs business support to restore line south of silverton. Willamette valley railways by richard thompson arcadia.
Willamina railroad was incorporated and built a short 5. Garden home junction of the oregon electric railway garden. This book s author said theyre covered in another book. The train makes the trip in just 39 hours 45 min at an. Jun 30, 2020 last month, a team from willamette valley companys railroad division had the privilege of traveling to boca raton, florida to meet with industry representatives and officials at the nrcremsa 2017 conference and exhibition. They were to explore both the deschutes route and the willamette valley. Train, railroad, transportation books from karens books. Shop railroad history books and collectibles abebooks. Settlers began arriving in the area in the late 1830s while the oregon territory was still under joint occupancy by britain and the united states. Company railroad reaches umatilla providing transcontinental links. In 1966, david lett planted the first vitis vinfera vines in the volcanic red jory soils of the dundee hills in the willamette valley, oregon. The new york central system historical society announces the final book of the.
Willamette valley railway began in 1980, when mike and david root were in search of a shortline railroad to operate. By robert lowry, kenneth munford, and harriet moore originally published in the horner museum tour guide series, 1979 in the past 100 years, dozens of companies have set out to build railroads in the willamette valley. The map in that book makes the line appear to have operated between what is now patton valley road and the tualatin river. Waconda substation 2009 monument valley, oregon, electric, cabin, history, house style. Personal reminiscences of its early pioneers anonymous on.
Willamette s rich history click the image above to download the brochure and take the walking tour. Dec 30, 2020 the oregon railway had been preceded by the willamette valley railroad company, which conveyed to it, april 2, 1880, and which has been referred to earlier in this article as the successor of the original dayton, sheridan and grand ronde railway. But the roots of this railroad are rich in tradition dating back to the days of southern pacific. Part 2 midamerican frontier western americana, 15501900.
The mission of the willamette valley model railroad and operating museum, wvmrom, is to educate visitors about the heritage, history and evolution of railroads in oregon and their effect on the growth of local agriculture and industry using a model railroad layout. The railroad featured here is not mentioned in the encyclopedia of western railroad history. He won a federal subsidy and built the oregon and california railroad as far south as. The willamette valley is world famous for producing award winning pinot noir wines.
The chief and the longest lived of these companies was the oregonian railway company. The navigable river which drains the valley was an easy. To discuss and keep informed of willamette valley, oregon trains. The main line runs from albany to lebanon, with two branch lines at lebanon going to sweet home and mill city. Highest rated places of interest or tour operators on tripadvisor, promoting those where there is at least one tour or activity available to book on tripadvisor. Railroads were the largest industry in the united states by the late 1800s, and they held a commanding share of the transportation market for both freight and passengers until well after world war i. When the first settlers arrived in the willamette valley in the mid 1800s, they found a broad valley covered with clusters of oaks, tall fir, and grassy prairies. Willamette valley railways images of rail series by. The tualatin valley as we see it today is located within the willamette valley of. The willamette valley railway reporting marks wvr, wgr is a shortline railroad that operates in the willamette valley of oregon. History of the abandoned willamette valley and coast railroad between patton and cherry grove, oregon.
History of the narrow gauge railroad in the willamette valley by leslie m. A page dedicated to books that i own, recommend or suggest that are related to subjects on this website. Wvco railroad division willamette valley company blog. Willamette valley southern railway company new book. Garden home junction of the oregon electric railway.
Portlands interurban railway local and regional history books. Passengers traveling in the willamette valley now have only one choice of carrier, southern pacifics steampowered passenger trains. An unincorporated community grew around the willamette valley railroad depot south of forest grove. Willamette valley railways local and regional history books. Scott forty years ago the willamette valley was eager for railroads, just as now for automobile highways. Henry larcom abbot to form a party to survey a railway route from california to portland, oregon. A pair of entrepeneurs, louis and george gerlinger, father and son, were two of the partners in the original corporation. From wagon trains to river boats to railroads to expansive highway systems each new wave expanded the reach of a. A number of other interurban railways originated in portland but were not even mentioned in this book. The willamette valley, bounded on the west by the coast range and on the east by the cascades, is the largest river valley in oregon. Community events past events sick lecturebook series.
Photos of the willamette shore trolley railway museum, historical sites, pacific northwest, north. Wvmrm became a partner museum at powerland in 1999. History of the willamette valley, being a description of the. Oregon railroads in the late 1800s oregon secretary of state. Railroad history buffs might stop in mill city to see the old railroad bridge. The navigable river which drains the valley was an easy avenue of transportation, but wagon roads leading to the river were difficult, and, in much of the productive. Patton is a point on the southern pacific just south of. This page was created in december 2003 to showcase our finds while exploring abandoned railroads in the pacific northwest. The history of the oregon and california railroad jstor. History of the willamette valley, being a description of the valley and its resources, with an account of its discovery and settlement by white men. Portland railroad history pacific railroad preservation.
On the outskirts of newberg, we will venture deep into chehalem mountains and explore some of the beautiful wineries scattered among the hills. Willamette valley railways tells the story of the electric interurban railways that ran through oregons willamette valley and of the streetcars that operated in the towns they served. The company consisted of a sawmill, a small railroad, some logging equipment, and 1,200 acres of timberland. History of oregon, volume 1 history of oregon, charles henry carey. Long before modern light rail vehicles, electric trains were providing portland and the willamette valley with reliable, elegant transportation that. Free shipping on many items browse your favorite brands affordable prices.
The willamette valley from portland to salem the gallery. Learn more about our track santiam excursion trains history. However, even without a connection to the transcontinental railroad, the oregon economy benefited as willamette valley farmers finally had an efficient link to portlands seaport. The line was abandoned in 1935, according to the southern pacific in oregon. No history of the oregon and california railroad can be complete unless it. The subject of the book is willamette valley electric railways, and provides history and illustration of the areas interurban and street railways, but does not deal with steam railroads. Richard has been writing about oregons railway history since 1979. The steamboat beaver on the willamette river in circa 1875. It operates about 64 miles 103 km of track and is based in lebanon, oregon. Wvr operates freight service from a connection with up at woodburn to stayton, or 29.
Line further abandoned to only three miles of track to stapleton by 1979. Patton valley to cherry grove this short line extended west from a connection with the southern pacific line discussed above at patton to the community of cherry grove. Portland also continued to be a major power broker in oregon politics, and the influence of its banks extended to the interior columbia basin and beyond the willamette valley to the south. Willamette river history development along the willamette river. Willamette valley treaty commission negotiates treaties. Part of the northern willamette valley avas, these wineries specialize in producing pinot noir grapes for which the region is famous.
Ben holladay, oregon blue book web site, viewed july 18. The railroad was conveyed june 2, 1879, to a company representing the new investors, the willamette valley railroad company, and the old company was dissolved. Oregon historical quarterlyvolume 20history of the. Willamette valley southern railway abandoned rails. The photo depicts the inaugural willamette valley express breaking through a paper banner at portland union station on august 2, 1980. Chronology of events in oregon history from 1851 to 1900. A sixtymile forested corridor stretching from the willamette valley to. Its all due to the soils laid down by the great floods of the last ice age and our moderate climate, which makes the northern willamette valley region ideal for growing pinot noir grapes. Few people are likely to be familiar with the subject matter of the book, though, since it is a collection of several narrow gauge railroads that were built in the last quarter of the 19th century in order to provide routes to some of the smaller cities south of. As a result, a citys fortunes were largely dependent on its rail connections. The willamette valley and coast railroad abandoned rails.
Willamette valley railways images of rail series by richard. The southern pacific few cities in the willamette valley can mention their history without also mentioning the name of this company. The oregon and california railroad efforts at the first railroad in the willamette valley and portland. Long before modern light rail vehicles, electric trains were providing portland and the willamette valley with reliable, elegant transportation that was second to none.
In 1855 jefferson davis, secretary of war, gave orders to lt. The map shows existing electric interurban lines mostly radiating out from portland run by oregon electric, united railroad and oregon water power. A history of transportation in the pacific northwest jstor. Willamette valley wine tasting, dundee hills ava the. The albany and eastern railroad reporting mark aerc is a short line railroad in the willamette valley of oregon that was created when the bnsf railway spun off its sweet home branch line in may 1998. The aerc operates the mill city branch line, which runs from mill city to page, or and then, via trackage rights over the union pacific railroad uprr, to albany, or. Oregon historical quarterlyvolume 20history of the narrow. Im a volunteer and extra board for this railroad updated on a regular basis. The arrival of transcontinental railroads in the pacific northwest during the 1880s marked one of the key turning points in the regions history. Still, it would have been nice to know how extensive portlands interurban railway. Oregon historical quarterlyvolume 20history of the narrow gauge.
The 10 best willamette valley specialty museums with. Willamette valley wine tasting, yamhillcarlton ava the. However, in the early 1870s that picture began to change. The town of willamette is located on a native american trail which ran south from willamette falls, an important gathering place for many tribes. History corvallis had been the most important town in oregons willamette valley for many years. The completion of a northern transcontinental railroad brought new people, new ideas, and new groups to the northwest. The willamette valley is oregon most populous region, extending 120 miles south from portland through salem, albany, corvallis and eugene. Contract for construction had been let in april, 1878, and the track between dayton and sheridan opened for traffic october 24, 1878. An environmental history of the tualatin valley, washington county, oregon by. While other cool climate varieties were planted at the time pinot gris, chardonnay, and pinot blanc it was the noble pinot noir that the early settlers hung their hats on and that continues to be the driving force behind the willamette valley. Patton is a point on the southern pacific just north of gaston on the abandoned line between st. This is the story of the pioneering local railways that started it all as they built south along the willamette river to oregon city and east to estacada and bull run in the foothills of the cascade mountains.
Map of interurban and other railroad lines in the northern willamette valley region, dated 1910. Victor hugo dunton house 1916 and the dunton family farm home of the. This book draws on, builds upon, and departs from other hi. This years event proved once again to be an unparalleled opportunity for wvco and other railway businesses to. History of the northern pacific railroad issue 691 of cihmicmh microfiche series gilded age making of the modern world. Amundson, history of the willamette valley and cascade. Known as south forest grove, it was later dubbed carnation after the flagship product of the pacific coast condensed milk company, which opened the states largest condensery there in 1902.
Innovative solutions for coatings, fillers, adhesives, robotics, parts, engineering, and much more across more than a dozen. The mission of the willamette valley model railroad and operating museum, wvmrom, is to educate visitors about the heritage, history and evolution of railroads in oregon and their effect on the growth of local agriculture and industry using a model railroad layout as one of the tools for providing the education. The minute book of the cascade railroad is in the library of the oregon. Pratum coop is among the businesses that have been without willamette valley railway service. It leased a line from woodburn to stayton from the southern pacific transportation company in february 1993, as well as a branch from geer west to salem partly abandoned in 1995, and purchased the property in 1996. Some such ventures were the willamette valley southern and the extensive southern pacific system. Dec 03, 2012 the city became the hub of an electric rail network that spread throughout the willamette valley. Willamette river history about the watershed the city of. A community to share information, photos, and videos of railfanning.
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