Write a detailed history of the Spokane, Portland, And Seattle Railway.
(1905 - 1970)
Answers
Answer:
The Spokane, Portland and Seattle Railway was constructed solely as a direct link into Portland, Oregon for the Northern Pacific and Great Northern. It was never intended to maintain a long-term identity but soldiered on for nearly seven decades after numerous attempts to merge the so-called "Hill Lines" failed. The SP&S was built at a relatively late date, delayed largely to ongoing disputes with Union Pacific and its subsidiary, the Oregon Railway & Navigation Company. After persistent legal battles regarding access into Portland and ownership of the mighty Columbia River's north bank, SP&S's 379.5-mile main line was finally completed in 1909. "The Northwest's Own Railway" (also known as the "North Bank Road") was the great James J. Hill's most famous project within the Pacific Northwest as he worked to establish a dominating presence to garner as much freight and passenger business as possible.
Answer:
Gaertner he wrote to his son, Louis, then- president of the Great Northern, on July 20, 1905 about the prospects of a joint- construction project.