Oregon Railroad and Navigation Company
Union Pacific Railroad Company |
The Oregon Railroad and Navigation Company (OR&N) was a
OR&N was initially operated as an independent carrier, but
Predecessors
The OR&N was made up of several railroads:
- Columbia Southern Railway from Biggs to Shaniko, Oregon.
- Oregon Railway and Navigation Company traces its roots back as far as 1860. It was incorporated in 1879 in Portland, Oregon and operated between Portland and eastern Washington and Oregon until 1896, when it was reorganized into the Oregon Railroad and Navigation Company. The Oregon Railway and Navigation Company was the core 643 miles (1,035 km)of the OR&N. Its route eventually became the backbone of Union Pacific Railroad's mainline from Utah to the Pacific Northwest.
- non-operating subsidiaryof the OR&N in 1888 and was eventually sold to the OR&N in 1910.
- Milton). The first 33 miles (53 km) took 6 years to build.[1]In 1881 the railroad came under the control of the OR&N, and the narrow-gauge was converted to standard gauge. In 1910, the Walla Walla and Columbia River Railroad was consolidated into the OR&N.
- lumber carrier operating 13 miles (21 km) of track between Walla Walla and Dixie. In 1903 the Mill Creek Flume and Manufacturing Company was purchased by the OR&N and renamed the Mill Creek Railroad. The track was standardized in 1905. After the track was standardized, the OR&N sold the Mill Creek Railroad and it was merged into the Washington and Columbia River Railwaywhich became part of the Northern Pacific Railway in 1907.
- Oregon Railway Extensions Company was incorporated in 1888 at Portland and built 69 miles (111 km) of track with two branches. One branch ran from La Grande, Oregon where it interchanged with the OR&N and then ran northeast to Elgin. The other branch ran from Winona, Washington, to Seltice via St. John, Sunset, Thornton and Oakesdale. The railroad was a non-operating subsidiary of the OR&N. In 1896 it was sold at foreclosure to the OR&N.
- Washington and Idaho Railroad was incorporated in 1886 and was also sold at foreclosure to the OR&N in 1896. The Washington and Idaho Railroad operated 154 miles (248 km) of track. The O.R.&.N. gained access to Burke, Idaho through the acquisition of the Washington and Idaho Railroad.[3] Union Pacific continued to operate the Washington and Idaho to Burke until 1985 after the O.R.&.N. abandoned it in 1936–38.[3]
- Idaho Northern Railroad was built as a subsidiary of the O.R.&.N. and was absorbed as a branch-line in 1910.
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/04/Oregon_Railway_and_Navigation_Co_1887.jpg/268px-Oregon_Railway_and_Navigation_Co_1887.jpg)
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/01/Burkemain.jpg/274px-Burkemain.jpg)
The Oregon Railway and Navigation Company's purchase of the Oregon Steam Navigation Company in 1880 gave it a partial route on the south (Oregon) side of the Columbia River. The company then pursued expansion of its Columbia River route, surveying from where the Oregon Steam Navigation tracks ended at Celilo and continuing east to Wallula. By 1882 the route along the Columbia River was complete.
Starting in 1880, one of the competitors of the Oregon Railway and Navigation Company was the Shaver Transportation Company.
Blue Mountain route
The company purchased right-of-way in 1882 from
Shipping
Before 1879, the Oregon Steamship Company provided passenger service onboard coastal steamships from
Columbia
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/41/SS_Columbia_Undated_Photograph.png/220px-SS_Columbia_Undated_Photograph.png)
In 1880, the Oregon Railroad and Navigation Company accepted delivery of the steamship Columbia from
George W. Elder
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/1c/George_W_Elder_%28steamship%29_at_Sitka.gif/204px-George_W_Elder_%28steamship%29_at_Sitka.gif)
The George W. Elder was another steamship operated by the Oregon Railroad and Navigation Company. Originally an east coast steamer built by
Other ships
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/36/OR%26N_House_Flag.svg/220px-OR%26N_House_Flag.svg.png)
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/cd/Hassalo_%28sternwheeler_1899%29_advertising_poster.jpg/220px-Hassalo_%28sternwheeler_1899%29_advertising_poster.jpg)
The 1899 Annual Report of Directors for the Oregon Railroad & Navigation Company lists 26 or 27 other ships besides the Columbia and George W. Elder between June 30, 1898, and June 30, 1899. The fleet listing from June 30, 1898, to June 30, 1899, goes as follows[9]
Steamships
- Columbia
- State of California
- City of Chester
- Oregon
- George W. Elder
- Victorian - Reported to have been sold between 1898 and 1899.
- Olympian
River Steamers
- T.J. Potter
- R.R. Thompson
- Harvest Queen
- D.S. Baker
- Sehome
- Almota
- Emma Hayward
- Hassalo (Original) - Removed from service between 1898 and 1899. Reasoning given says Hassalo was "worn out".
- Modoc
- Oklahoma
- Elmore
- Ruth
- Gypsy
- Lewiston
- Spokane - Constructed between 1898 and 1899.
- Hassalo (Later) - Constructed between 1898 and 1899.
Tug boats
- Escort
- Wallowa - Constructed in 1889 and still exists today.
Barges
- Columbia's Chief
- Atlas
- Wyatchie
- Autocrat
- Siwash
- lumber and salmon fishing industries. The company built the railroad[clarification needed] to serve the steamshipoperation. The Oregon Steam Navigation Company was sold to Oregon Railway and Navigation in 1880.
- Oregon Steam Navigation Company (of Washington) was incorporated in 1860 to operate via land along a portion of the Columbia River that was unnavigable by steamship because of the rapids. The railroad operated from The Dalles to Celilo Falls.[clarification needed]
- Oregon Portage Railroad operated 4.5 miles (7.2 km) of track between Bonneville (on the Columbia River) and Cascade (Cascade Locks, Oregon) from 1858 to 1863. The railroad hauled primarily military and immigrant traffic. In 1862 the railroad was sold to the Oregon Railway and Navigation Company for $155,000.
- Nahcottain the north, with steamboat connections at both ends. In 1900, the Oregon Railway and Navigation Company bought a controlling interest in the company.
See also
- Colgate Hoyt
- Oregon Railroad and Navigation Company 197
- Idaho Northern - Absorbed into OR&N in 1910.
- Henry W. Corbett
References
- ^ OCLC 4383986.
- ^ Oregon. Public Service Commission, Oregon Railroad Commission. Annual report, Volumes 5-6. Harvard University.
- ^ a b "Idaho Railroads: Map, History, Abandoned Lines". American-Rails.com. Retrieved 2022-08-07.
- ^ "CONTENTdm". digital.lib.uidaho.edu. Retrieved 2022-08-07.
- ^ "The Railway World, Volume 5". Reprinted. United States Railroad and Mining Register Company. 1879. p. 734. Retrieved 13 September 2013.
- ISBN 0-471-38420-8
- ^ "George W. Elder (steamer) - Magellan - The Ships Navigator". Magellan - The Ships Navigator. Retrieved 23 July 2013.
- ^ Grover, David H. (31 March 2008). "The George W. Elder Defied the Skeptics". Bay Ledger News Zone. Retrieved 23 July 2013.
- ^ Annual Report of the Board of Directors of the Oregon Railroad and Navigation Company, to the Stockholders, Volume 3. Oregon Railroad and Navigation Company. 1899. p. 24.
- Robertson, Donald B. (1995). Encyclopedia of Western Railroad History - Volume III - Oregon & Washington. Caldwell, ID: The Caxton Printers. ISBN 0-87004-366-8.