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Steel Wheels and Thundering Change: The History of Railroads in Oregon

By Robert Matsumura

Steel Wheels and Thundering Change: The History of Railroads in Oregon

A train whistle in the distance. The thunderous roar of steel wheels rolling down the tracks. Most of us take these everyday sounds for granted, but in the 19th and early 20th centuries, the din of a locomotive was synonymous with commerce and modernity as America grew to be an industrial giant on a global scale. It was no different in Oregon. As the great migration west pushed across the Great Plains through the Rockies and on to California and the Pacific Northwest, so too, came the railroads.
Although connecting Oregon to the famous transcontinental railroad had been proposed previously, once prior to the Civil War and again shortly thereafter by Byron J. Pengra and William Chapman, respectively — both surveyor generals of Oregon — only modest progress had been made. In 1868, bold entrepreneur Ben Holladay set out to connect Oregon to the Union Pacific transcontinental railroad under construction in California. His Oregon and California Railroad (O&C) successfully completed a route south from Portland to Roseburg, but was forced to a halt due to high expenses and insufficient financing.
Still, despite failure to further connect to the transcontinental railroad, the O&C benefited the budding Oregon economy greatly as it connected the farmers of the Willamette Valley with Portland and its shipping facilities. By 1882 the O&C line had come under the control of the Southern Pacific Company. Construction resumed on the tracks and reached the California border in 1887, thus achieving connection with the transcontinental line. In the early history of Oregon, numerous cities in the Willamette Valley and south to the California border rose and fell in prominence in relation to the Southern Pacific Railroad, as its presence brought wealth and relevance to some while marginalizing others into obscurity.
As for connecting to the transcontinental railroad to the east, it was Henry Villard who really got the ball rolling. Hired in 1879 by German investors to represent their interests in the Oregon and California Railroad Company, Villard purchased two existing Oregon transportation firms and merged them to form the Oregon Railroad and Navigation Company (OR&N). In competition with James J. Hill of the Great Northern Railway, who was attempting to establish an eastern connection with the transcontinental from rival Seattle, Villard was determined to beat Hill to the punch. A master of the strategic maneuvering required in the cutthroat game of railroad construction and investment, Villard, through his purchase of the Oregon Steamship Navigation Company (OSNC), gained ownership of existing tracks along the Columbia River. By 1883 Villard had also gained control of the Northern Pacific, and by linking their line to OSNC’s line, was finally able to complete Oregon’s eastward connection to the transcontinental railroad. A year later, Villard forged an additional transcontinental connection via his Oregon Shortline Railroad which hooked up with the Union Pacific line in Wyoming to the southeast.
For those not well acquainted with railroad terminology, “short line” railroads are independently operated railroads that cover shorter distances and connect shippers with larger freight networks. These short line railroads are a critical part of the supply chain, as they allow many shippers not directly located along major railroad lines to transport their products to market. While Oregon’s railroad history understandably focuses heavily upon the development of the major railroads — the Northern Pacific, Union Pacific, and others — and their efforts to connect Oregon to the transcontinental railroad, it would be remiss not to acknowledge the many short line railroads linking farmers, ranchers, manufacturers, and logging operations to national and global markets. These short line railroads included the Willamette Valley Southern (Oregon City, Molalla, Mt. Angel), the Oregon Pacific (Portland and Canby), the Carlton and Coast Railroad (upper reaches of the Yamhill River), and Oregon & Northwestern (Eastern Oregon), among others.
Despite the fact that populists at the turn of the century resisted railroads as emblematic of the ills of industrialization, viewing their rise as a degradation of traditional agrarian ideals, the majority of Americans embraced the convenience and efficiency they brought. With the dawn of the 20th century, Portland was a national hub for both passengers and freight, being serviced by the Union Pacific, Northern Pacific, Great Northern and Southern Pacific railroads.
As a major railroad city, it was decided that Portland should have a train station befitting its stature as a significant center of commerce. Henry Villard spearheaded the effort to build what would eventually come to be Union Station, hiring the famous East Coast architectural firm McKim Mead & White to design it. The firm’s proposed plan would have made Portland’s new train station the largest in the world at the time. However (likely due to cost), a more modest plan was eventually accepted. This smaller plan proposed by architects Van Brunt & Howe commenced construction in 1890, and was completed six years later. Originally named Union Depot, the station opened for business February 14, 1896. The project was financed by the Northern Pacific Terminal Company at a cost of $300,000 (approximately $9.77 million in 2021). The signature architectural feature of the station was its 150-foot Romanesque Revival style clock tower. In 1948 the tower’s iconic neon “Go by Train” signs were added on the northeast and southwest sides and “Union Station” on the other two sides.
With the creation of Amtrak in 1971, and its prominence as the primary operator of passenger trains in the United States, the major railroad companies focused primarily on the transportation of freight. Over the years many of the railroads merged and consolidated. Union Pacific absorbed Southern Pacific, and Burlington Northern merged with Santa Fe Railway. Both still provide freight service to Portland.
If you wish to learn more about trains in Oregon’s history and view some vintage locomotives as well, take a trip to the Oregon Rail Heritage Center (ORHC) at 2250 SE Water Avenue in Portland. The ORHC has restored and maintains three original locomotives at their facility — Oregon Railway & Navigation 197, Spokane; Portland & Seattle 700; and Southern Pacific 4449.
The next time you hear the whistle of a train in the distance, or find yourself waiting at a railroad crossing as a train thunders down the tracks, take a moment to appreciate how this symbol of the Industrial Revolution helped shape Oregon and still plays a vital role in the transportation needs of our country.

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