Oregon Portage Railroad
Encyclopedia
The Oregon Portage Railroad was the first railroad in the U.S. state of Oregon
. It originally ran for 4.5 miles (7.2 km) with 7 miles (11.3 km) of telegraph line, and was later extended to a length of 15 miles (24.1 km). The railroad was located on the south bank of the Cascades canal, of the Columbia River
, from Tanner Creek (near the modern-day location of Bonneville Dam
) to the Cascade Locks
(which were under construction in the later years of the railroad's operation).
and Harrison Olmstead in 1856, but had been out of service since around 1858. The cost of the construction of the railroad was $50,000 USD, and the line opened on May 20, 1861. A year later, it stopped using mule power, acquiring the Oregon Pony
, the first locomotive in the Pacific Northwest
, which made its debut on May 10, 1862.
The restoration of the railroad in 1891, including a conversion
to the narrower gauge, was inspired by pressure from steamboat captains, who needed the capability of safely transporting goods and passengers past the Cascades Rapids
and were disappointed with the poor quality of the Cascades Railroad
, as well as delays in the construction of the Cascade Locks and Canal
. Once the locks were completed in 1896, demand for a railroad decreased. However, the Oregon Portage Railroad was not the first rail development along the Columbia. Justin Chenowith successfully operated a railroad system on the river's north bank, in Washington, in 1851.
, which sold it for $155,000 USD around the year 1880 as part of the company's sale to the Oregon Railway and Navigation Company.
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
. It originally ran for 4.5 miles (7.2 km) with 7 miles (11.3 km) of telegraph line, and was later extended to a length of 15 miles (24.1 km). The railroad was located on the south bank of the Cascades canal, of the Columbia River
Columbia River
The Columbia River is the largest river in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. The river rises in the Rocky Mountains of British Columbia, Canada, flows northwest and then south into the U.S. state of Washington, then turns west to form most of the border between Washington and the state...
, from Tanner Creek (near the modern-day location of Bonneville Dam
Bonneville Dam
Bonneville Lock and Dam consists of several run-of-the-river dam structures that together complete a span of the Columbia River between the U.S. states of Oregon and Washington at River Mile 146.1. The dam is located east of Portland, Oregon, in the Columbia River Gorge. The primary functions of...
) to the Cascade Locks
Cascade Locks and Canal
The Cascade Locks and Canal was a navigation project on the Columbia River between the U.S. states of Oregon and Washington, completed in 1896. It allowed the steamboats of the Columbia River to bypass the Cascades Rapids, and thereby opened a passage from the lower parts of the river as far as The...
(which were under construction in the later years of the railroad's operation).
Construction
In 1861, John W. Brazee of the Oregon Portage Company began the construction of a railroad on a mule and wagon road that had been constructed by Col. Joseph S. RuckleJoseph S. Ruckle
Colonel Joseph S. Ruckle was a businessman who moved to Oregon in 1855.In Oregon, he captained Van Bergen's Oregon Steam Navigation Company steamship named the Fashion on the Columbia River. He then built his own boat, the Mountain Buck, and then a railroad portage...
and Harrison Olmstead in 1856, but had been out of service since around 1858. The cost of the construction of the railroad was $50,000 USD, and the line opened on May 20, 1861. A year later, it stopped using mule power, acquiring the Oregon Pony
Oregon Pony
The Oregon Pony was the first steam locomotive to be built on the Pacific Coast and the first to be used in the Oregon Territory. The Oregon Pony, a geared steam 5' gauge locomotive with 9"X18" cylinders and 34" drivers, was used in the early 1860s to portage steamboat passengers and goods past...
, the first locomotive in the Pacific Northwest
Pacific Northwest
The Pacific Northwest is a region in northwestern North America, bounded by the Pacific Ocean to the west and, loosely, by the Rocky Mountains on the east. Definitions of the region vary and there is no commonly agreed upon boundary, even among Pacific Northwesterners. A common concept of the...
, which made its debut on May 10, 1862.
The restoration of the railroad in 1891, including a conversion
Gauge conversion
In rail transport, gauge conversion is the process of converting a railway from one rail gauge to another, through the alteration of the railway tracks...
to the narrower gauge, was inspired by pressure from steamboat captains, who needed the capability of safely transporting goods and passengers past the Cascades Rapids
Cascades Rapids
The Cascades Rapids were an area of rapids along North America's Columbia River, between the U.S. states of Washington and Oregon. Through a stretch approximately wide, the river dropped about in .-Boat portage:Boat travelers were forced to either portage boats and supplies or pull boats up with...
and were disappointed with the poor quality of the Cascades Railroad
Cascades Railroad
The Cascades Railroad ran for about on the north bank of the Columbia River around the Cascades Rapids. The owner was the Oregon Steam Navigation Company. The railroad operated as a portage around the rapids. The railroad was broad gauge from 1860 to 1880, standard gauge from 1880 to 1883, and ...
, as well as delays in the construction of the Cascade Locks and Canal
Cascade Locks and Canal
The Cascade Locks and Canal was a navigation project on the Columbia River between the U.S. states of Oregon and Washington, completed in 1896. It allowed the steamboats of the Columbia River to bypass the Cascades Rapids, and thereby opened a passage from the lower parts of the river as far as The...
. Once the locks were completed in 1896, demand for a railroad decreased. However, the Oregon Portage Railroad was not the first rail development along the Columbia. Justin Chenowith successfully operated a railroad system on the river's north bank, in Washington, in 1851.
Ownership
The Oregon Portage Railroad was operated by the Oregon Steam Navigation CompanyOregon Steam Navigation Company
The Oregon Steam Navigation Company was an American company incorporated in 1860 in Washington with partners J. S. Ruckle, Henry Olmstead, and J. O. Van Bergen...
, which sold it for $155,000 USD around the year 1880 as part of the company's sale to the Oregon Railway and Navigation Company.
See also
- Steamboats of the Columbia River#Railway completion forces steamboats off routes
- Henry VillardHenry VillardHenry Villard was an American journalist and financier who was an early president of the Northern Pacific Railway....