RailroadsRailroadsPowerpoint presentation By

Nicholas LumiereNicholas Lumiere

Pictures

Railroads from 1851-1860 Seattle needed a railroad to become more prosperous.

Early Seattle knew that they needed railroads to attract settlers to Seattle to raise money. In 1845 a charter planned for tracks Between Lake Superior and the Puget Sound

A skeptical federal government did not act until their early 1850s when the army dispatched surveyors including Washington Territorial governor Isac Stevens to scout possible routes. In 1852 Steven Hodgson filed a donation land claim 15 miles south of Olympia and a small settlement grew.

Railroads from 1861-1870

With some 1,150 residence Seattle was the 3rd largest city in Washington by 1870. Arthur Denny and others realized that railroads would be important for Seattle to grow into a bigger city.

Railroads from 1871- Now

The A.A. Denny was named to honor city founder Arthur Denny. Seattle’s first locomotive ran on the track from South Lake Union to the coal bunkers at Pike street.

What did Seattle do when Tacoma won?

When Seattle got the news that Tacoma won the terminus they decided to build their own railroads. Even though Tacoma won they eventually connected with the Seattle railroads. The homegrown never made it to Walla Walla but it did open the coal mining districts of southeast King County. Local investors organized Seattle and the Walla Walla railroads to connect with the North Pacific.

Somewhat later tracks

One of the railroads’ construction began in 1883. Northern Pacific extended tracks north from Tacoma to Stuck Junction (near future Auburn) opening at 1885 lasting 3 hours 25 minutes and costing a dollar for the ride.

Railroad Station

Some new facts about railroads

Arthur Denny was the president of the railroad company. In 1872 the Northern Pacific railroads established a rail junction at Safeco 15 miles south of Olympia. In the late 1880s James J. Hill of the great Northern Railroad realizing that Seattle was the port most accessible to Pacific markets chose Seattle for the western terminus for his rail line. In 1893 the great Northern tracks were completed providing a direct rail link between Elliot bay and the rest of the nation.

Big thanks to…• HistoryLink.org

• The Mohai Museum

Thank you all for helping!