Organization

Great Northern Railroad

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Jan 1, 1891When Seattle Won the Transcontinental SweepstakesIn 1890, the Great Northern, Northern Pacific, and Union Pacific converged on Seattle, transforming the city from a remote settlement into a global Pacific terminus.Seattle, WA
Jan 10, 1891Will the Great Northern Build Through the White River Valley?Chief engineer E. H. Beckler surveys the route between Seattle and Portland, weighing the high costs of a shore line against an inland rail path.Seattle, WA
Jan 25, 1891The Great Northern’s Secret March: How Seattle Won the Rail WarWhile Tacoma watches in disbelief, eighty miles of steel rails and bridge materials are already en route to Seattle, signaling that James J. Hill’s new railroad will make the city its headquarters.Seattle, WA
Feb 18, 1891Fatal Landslide Near Richmond BeachA foreman is buried alive after returning to a construction site to retrieve his coat as the earth gives way.Shoreline, WA
Nov 27, 1891Jim Hill Finally Names Everett as the Sound TerminusA contract to build the Great Northern from Everett to Stevens Pass promises 3,000 jobs and a transcontinental line — if the tunnel and the promises hold.Everett, WA
Dec 31, 1891Olympia’s Booster Year: Brick, Bridges and a 50,000-Person PromiseAs 1891 closed, the capital city counted $3 million in new buildings, a record bridge, electric lights and new rail lines — and predicted 50,000 residents within a decade.Olympia, WA
Feb 9, 1892A Disappearance on the Railroad FrontA successful contractor vanishes in Seattle, leaving behind a trail of suspicion and a family waiting in Wisconsin.Western Hotel, Seattle, WA
Feb 10, 1892The Iron Road Rushes EastIn 1892, railroad tycoon James J. Hill arrived in Spokane to finalize plans for a massive rail expansion that would forever link the Columbia River plateau to the transcontinental network.Spokane, WA
Mar 11, 1892The Burlington Quarry StrikeForty laborers left behind in Burlington after the Great Northern railroad’s stone quarry abruptly shut down without paying their wages.Burlington, WA
Jun 1, 1892Great Northern Crews Link Spokane and Push Toward the ColumbiaTracklaying reaches a fever pitch as James J. Hill's Great Northern connects to Spokane, with plans to bridge the Cascades and link Seattle to the East by the new year.Spokane, WA
Jun 4, 1892The Iron King Comes to TownJames J. Hill, railroad magnate, plots the Great Northern's arrival in Seattle and the future of regional freight rates.Elliott Bay waterfront, Seattle, WA
Jun 5, 1892Railroad Chief Urges Shared Yards to Protect Seattle WaterfrontRailroad tycoon James J. Hill takes the stage at City Hall to warn Seattle against repeating Chicago’s development mistakes.Seattle City Hall, Seattle, WA
Jun 9, 1892The Waterfront Railroad WarA high-stakes turf war breaks out at the foot of Madison Street as rival rail companies fight to lay track across contested land.Madison Street, Front Street, Yesler Avenue, Seattle, WA
Jun 10, 1892The Waterfront Rail WarTensions mount between the Great Northern and Lake Shore railroads over property rights on the Seattle water front.Madison Street, Front Street, Yesler Avenue, Seattle, WA
Jun 11, 1892Building the Great Northern Through the CascadesTunnel construction for the Great Northern Railroad claims a life as laborers battle mountain mud and unrelenting rain.Skykomish, WA
Jul 24, 1892James J. Hill Promises the Great Northern Will Reach the East by November — and Denies Any San Francisco LineThe railroad president stops in Seattle, admits terminal talks have failed, and says his trains will be running through to the East before the year is out.Seattle, WA
Aug 4, 1892The Battle for Shilshole AvenueThe Ballard city council faces down powerful railroad interests after a heated mass meeting at Berg's Hall.Shilshole Avenue, Ballard, Seattle, WA
Aug 23, 1892The Great Northern Is Coming as Fast as Men and Money Can Push ItA contractor's progress report puts track at the Columbia by October—if enough workers can be found.Spokane, WA
Aug 24, 1892Labor Woes on the Great Northern GradeChief Engineer E. H. Beckler reports on the rapid push to bridge the mountains and finish the main line, but complains of a revolving door of disgruntled workers.Seattle, WA
Aug 26, 1892Two Miles of Steel a Day: Hill's Great Northern Starts Laying Track Toward the SoundTracklaying on the Great Northern's main line east from Lowell began yesterday, and a steam tracklayer is expected to throw down two to three miles of rail a day on the road to Snohomish.Lowell, Everett, WA
Aug 29, 1892Three Miles a Day: The Great Northern Races the Snow to the ColumbiaWith tracklayers advancing west from Spokane and a tunnel still to be bored, John F. Stevens tells Seattle he needs men—and expects to connect the line by mid-November.Rock Island, WA
Sep 16, 1892The Corporate Ballot: A Senate Seat for SaleDemocratic candidate Col. C.W. Griggs claims he can deliver the votes of 6,000 Great Northern Railway laborers to win a Senate seat, sparking a fierce clash over political integrity and union coercion.Seattle, WA
Sep 18, 1892Unearthed Artifacts at a Railroad GradeConstruction crews working on the Great Northern Railway discovered an ancient, mysterious cache of weapons while carving through an Indian grave site near Rock Island.Rock Island, WA
Oct 4, 1892Hiking the Great Northern Rail GradeA grueling five-day foot journey from Wenatchee to Snohomish reveals the raw, volatile life of the 'mushroom towns' springing up along the railroad's path.Stevens Pass, Skykomish, WA
Oct 5, 1892The Brutal Assault at Martin CreekTwo railroad laborers are brutally beaten and robbed at a camp near Martin Creek, leading to the swift arrest of their assailants.Skykomish, WA
Oct 6, 1892Railroads Took 158 Million Acres of Public LandA scathing editorial indictment of Republican railroad subsidies in the Pacific Northwest.Yakima, WA
Oct 15, 1892The Great Northern's Monopoly on the WaterfrontRailroad superintendent McCabe warns that the city's waterfront is being handed over to James J. Hill, effectively cutting off public access.Yesler Avenue, Seattle, WA
Oct 25, 1892Bridge Collapse Kills Seven Great Northern Railroad WorkersA temporary construction span on the Wenatchee River failed under the weight of a heavy train, plunging workers sixty feet into the water.Wenatchee River, Wenatchee, WA
Oct 27, 1892Bridge Collapse Inquiry Mired in SecrecyA tenth victim has died following a bridge collapse on the Great Northern line, as company officials actively obstruct the inquest.Wenatchee River, Wenatchee, WA
Nov 11, 1892Life on the Construction TrainA reporter’s harrowing journey to the front lines of the Great Northern railroad expansion through the Skykomish Valley.Skykomish, WA
Nov 13, 1892Smallpox Standoff Hits the RailsA bitter public health dispute erupts between Snohomish County and the Great Northern Railroad over who should pay to contain a growing contagion.Snohomish, WA
Nov 22, 1892Great Northern Right-of-Way Case ResumesRailroad giants clash over terminal access, threatening to destroy the city’s existing shipping infrastructure.Alaskan Way, Seattle, WA
Dec 24, 1892Smallpox Outbreak Spreads Through North Sound Logging CampsAs cases of smallpox multiply in Snohomish and Great Northern railroad camps, residents demand that the city quarantine travelers arriving from the north.Snohomish, WA
Dec 25, 1892Holiday Travelers Stranded by MudslidesA Great Northern train headed to Seattle was halted by a series of massive land-slides near Ballard, forcing passengers to hike five miles through mud and slush to reach the city on Christmas Eve.Seattle, WA
Dec 25, 1892Smallpox Reaches the CityA Great Northern laborer turns himself in to authorities as fears grow over an outbreak in Snohomish.Washington Street, Seattle, WA
Jan 7, 1893The Last Spike for the Great NorthernWithout fanfare, the transcontinental link is finished in the Cascades, promising a new era for Seattle.Stevens Pass, Skykomish, WA
Jan 8, 1893The Great Northern Reaches the SoundA celebratory train marks the completion of the Great Northern railway line into Seattle, signaling a new era of regional connectivity.Seattle, WA
Jan 26, 1893The Great Northern Moves to Remake the Tide FlatsA legal victory paves the way for a massive industrial expansion on Seattle's waterfront, promising a surge in local jobs and terminal capacity.Seattle, WA
Jan 29, 1893Abandoned in the SnowForty laborers hired by the Great Northern Railway are left destitute in Snohomish after being denied work and food.Snohomish, WA
Feb 3, 1893Smallpox Outbreak Hits Seattle Lodging HousesCity health officers scramble to contain a sudden spike in cases as the disease spreads through the southern district.Pioneer Square, Seattle, WA
Feb 3, 1893Bribery Scandal Rocks Great Northern Condemnation TrialA railroad condemnation suit descends into chaos as court witnesses reveal a plot to buy off the jury.Cherry Street, Seattle, WA
Feb 14, 1893Seven Lots, Three Judges, and a Railroad's Sky-High BillWith jurors suspected of being bribed, three judges took over the Great Northern condemnation case—and the valuations for a few lots near King Street swung wildly.Seattle, WA
Feb 25, 1893Spokane Was Ready to Rotten-Egg Jim HillThe Great Northern's freight rates left Spokane merchants bitter enough to organize, sue, and threaten the railroad baron with produce.Riverside Avenue, Spokane, WA
Mar 5, 1893The Struggle for Industry in FairhavenA local Chamber of Commerce defends its record against editorial attacks, citing structural economic barriers and the legacy of broken 'boom' promises.Bellingham, WA
Mar 23, 1893The Wild Frontier of the Great Northern RailroadConstruction along the Great Northern line brings a chaotic boom to mountain settlements, featuring lawless towns, massive snowslides, and precarious tobogganing.Leavenworth, WA
Mar 26, 1893The Strange Death of a FugitiveA foreman, desperate after a violent assault, ended his own life in the most unusual of ways while under police guard on a train near Snohomish.Snohomish, WA
Mar 28, 1893The Italian Immigrants vs. The Employment AgentAfter Italian laborers were fired from Great Northern Railroad jobs, a fraud suit against their recruiter ends in a whimper when the prosecution's witness goes missing.Seattle, WA
Mar 30, 1893The Great Northern Moves into SeattleAfter securing land for its terminal, the railroad prepares to transform the city into a major transcontinental hub.Seattle, WA
Apr 12, 1893Vigilante Justice Looms in SkykomishAn assistant engineer reports that a gang of gamblers and outlaws has taken control of the Great Northern Railroad laborers' camp.Skykomish, WA
May 21, 1893The Infinite Forests of WashingtonHow Washington State’s cedar shingles and massive timber began to replace the nation's dying pine supplies in the 1890s.Seattle, WA
Jun 1, 1893Making Way for the Iron HorseSeattle's Board of Aldermen debates the Great Northern railroad franchise, wrestling with the demand for a major depot against the city's future growth.Railroad Avenue, Seattle, WA
Jun 4, 1893The Clearing of 'Whitescapel'Prominent citizens argue that a new Great Northern depot will sanitize a notorious South Seattle slum.Seattle, WA
Jun 19, 1893The Great Northern's First DepartureSeattle celebrates as the first through passenger train to St. Paul departs Marion Street, marking a new era of transcontinental connection.Seattle, WA
Jun 29, 1893The Fiery End of a Ballard MillA state-of-the-art shingle mill in Ballard is reduced to cinders after a catastrophic fire, leaving 150 workers suddenly jobless.Salmon Bay, Ballard, Seattle, WA
Jul 2, 1893A Deadly Nap by the TracksA store clerk near Mount Vernon meets a tragic end after falling asleep on a rail platform.Mount Vernon, WA
Jul 4, 1893The Great Northern's Bridge to NowhereA spectacular fire tears through the Moses Coulee trestle, halting traffic and forcing a massive rebuilding effort in the Washington wilderness.Rock Island, WA
Jul 5, 1893The Iron Road Reaches SeattleHow James J. Hill bypassed government land grants to connect the Pacific Coast to the interior, permanently altering Seattle’s future.Railroad Avenue, Seattle, WA
Aug 26, 1893Great Northern Secures Wharfage for Trans-Pacific TradeA new contract at University Street promises to connect Seattle directly to the booming tea trade from the East.Seattle, WA
Sep 3, 1893Firestorms Ravage the Snoqualmie and Skykomish ValleysA massive wildfire has destroyed timber, bridges, and the entire settlement of Wellington, forcing settlers to flee for their lives.North Bend, WA
Sep 8, 1893Racing Against the Cascade WinterGreat Northern railroad contractors scramble to build massive timber snowsheds through the mountains before the deep snows of winter set in.Skykomish, WA
Sep 19, 1893Fortifying the Mountain PassGreat Northern Railroad crews race against time to shield the Cascade division from winter avalanches.Skykomish, WA
Oct 17, 1893An Odd English Collier Sails In, and the Wharves Fill to See HerThe first ship of the new Great Eastern line ties up at Baker's wharf after eighteen days from Yokohama, carrying tea, matting and curios — and no passenger cabins at all.Seattle, WA
Nov 8, 1893The Great Flood of 1888Torrential rains and melting snow paralyze the Snohomish and Stillaguamish valleys, destroying bridges and disrupting rail travel to Monte Cristo.Snohomish, WA
Nov 15, 1893Seattle Rejects the 'Evergreen State' SouvenirLocal business leaders take a stand against an exclusionary advertising scheme that demanded cash for recognition.Seattle, WA
Dec 9, 1893Horror on the Great Northern RailsA head-on collision near Edwall leaves two trainmen dead and locomotives in flames, marking a deadly period for the railroad expansion.Edwall, WA
Dec 13, 1893The Flour Price PlungeWashington millers slash prices as the local wheat market faces blockade-related distribution issues.Seattle, WA
Jan 6, 1894Don't Tear Down the Mineral PalaceA Seattle booster exhibit built to dazzle Great Northern investors sits empty after the Panic of 1893 — and a reader begs the city not to wreck the one thing that proves Puget Sound is worth their money.Seattle, WA
Jan 22, 1894Hard Times Force Railroads Toward a MonopolyFinancial desperation drives the competing lines of the Pacific Northwest to consider an end to expansion and a new era of joint operation.Seattle, WA
Feb 8, 1894Railroads Hike Lumber Freight RatesLocal lumber mills face an uncertain future as major rail lines announce a sharp increase in freight rates for shipments to the Midwest.Seattle, WA
Feb 13, 1894The Conductor Who Fought BackA Great Northern conductor uses his fists to fend off two muggers he recognized from his days on the rail lines.Madison St, Seattle, WA
Feb 22, 1894Railroad Tycoon Predicts Pacific Coast Steel BoomJames J. Hill, president of the Great Northern Railroad, outlines the regional economic outlook and argues that the West's raw materials will soon fuel a local industrial revolution.Aberdeen, WA
Mar 24, 1894The Great Northern's Cold Response to Striking Car CleanersStriking workers at the Great Northern railroad were barred from their own hearing before the Chamber of Commerce, where the company dismissed their demands as 'janitor's work.'Chamber of Commerce, Seattle, WA
Apr 14, 1894The Great Northern Rail Strike Paralyzes the NorthwestWorkers across the line walk off the job to protest wage cuts and the threat of strikebreakers.Seattle, WA
Apr 16, 1894The Tragic Death of a Great Northern LaborerA railroad worker dies following a brutal brawl at a Third Street saloon, leading to the arrest of a local proprietor.Seattle, WA
Apr 17, 1894The Great Northern Paralyzed: A Railway Strike Grips the NorthwestAmerican Railway Union members walk off the job, leaving trains idle and the city's rail infrastructure in limbo as local brotherhoods face a takeover by a newer, militant labor force.Seattle, WA
Apr 19, 1894A Railroad Strike Tests Seattle's Union Solidarity—and the CourtsAs Great Northern strikers held firm, a federal injunction and a trainload of deputy marshals moved against them, while Seattle union men rallied at Labor hall and organized along the line at Skykomish.Seattle, WA
Apr 23, 1894The Great Strike Wave of 1894Across the nation, laborers and coal miners are organizing and striking against wage cuts, prompting a debate in the press about the true state of the economy.Seattle, WA
May 13, 1894The Railroad That Ran to Nobody: Tacoma's Lake Park Line in Ownership LimboUnion Pacific bought the ten-mile line to Lake Park and American Lake, but its earnings are now being kept while the receiver sends back no instructions.Tacoma, WA
May 22, 1894Late-Night Blaze Nearly Consumes Third Avenue ShopA swift response by Seattle firefighters prevents a major conflagration at a secondhand goods store.Third Street, Seattle, WA
Jun 26, 1894The Great Northern Smuggling CaseA train conductor faces federal charges for allegedly attempting to transport Chinese passengers across the border.Bellingham, WA
Jul 15, 1894James J. Hill's Railroad Ultimatum to SeattleThe Great Northern president tells Seattle's council he will build freight and passenger terminals 'right away'—if the city grants the track franchises he wants across the tide flats and South Third.Seattle, WA
Jul 21, 1894A Second Railroad Strike Threatens Seattle as Union Demands Great Northern Stand DownSeattle's American Railway Union president receives a telegram from Chicago ordering a halt to Great Northern's assistance to other roads — and local trainmen brace for another walkout.Seattle, WA
Aug 8, 1894The Girl With a Tag and a Basket, Half a World From HomeHilda Kanniainen left Finland in June, crossed the Atlantic and the continent without speaking English, and arrived in Seattle bound for her sister in San Francisco. Strangers took her in for the night.Seattle, WA
Aug 17, 1894The $2 Fee That Sunk a Warehouse: Railroads Tighten Grip on Seattle's WaterfrontA group of local businessmen planned a major grain warehouse at the foot of Battery Street, but Northern Pacific's refusal to budge on switching fees scuttled the deal—and highlighted the railroads' stranglehold on Seattle's shipping future.Seattle, WA
Aug 22, 1894The $3 Switching Fee That Almost Sunk Seattle's Grain WarehouseNorthern Pacific and Great Northern agree to absorb the fee, clearing the way for a new grain warehouse at the foot of Battery Street—and a bid to make Seattle a wheat port.Seattle, WA
Sep 11, 1894Four Railroads, One Street Grid, and a Deal Seattle Had to ApproveGreat Northern, Northern Pacific and rival lines nearly settle how their tracks will cross south of downtown—if the city council will rewrite their franchises.Seattle, WA
Jan 12, 1895The Railroads' Man in the Senate RaceA Spokane editor charged that John L. Wilson's campaign for U.S. Senate was being bankrolled and worked by the Northern Pacific and Great Northern railroads.Olympia, WA
Jan 12, 1895The Railroads Tried to Buy a Senate Seat in OlympiaWith three transcontinental lines reportedly backing John L. Wilson for the U.S. Senate, the Post-Intelligencer warns that Washington's legislature is not for sale.Olympia, WA
Jan 12, 1895The Case for a Wagon Road Over Stevens PassA Skykomish correspondent pitches a $40,000 public road from Seattle to Tolt and over the old Great Northern tote road, so farmers needn't pay the railroad to cross one hill.Stevens Pass, Skykomish, WA
Jan 21, 1895Spokane's Revolt Against a Railroad-Backed SenatorIn 1895, thousands of Eastern Washington voters signed a protest against John L. Wilson, charging that four transcontinental railroads had bought his Senate candidacy while freight rates drained the region dry.Spokane, WA
Apr 29, 1897Wenatchee Growers Told a Railroad: Give Us Water and We'll Fill Your Freight CarsA delegation of Wenatchee Valley orchardists met Great Northern officials at Seattle's Hotel Butler to argue that irrigation—not mines or timber—would turn eastern Washington into a freight-producing countryside.Hotel Butler, Seattle, WA
Mar 23, 1909Tacoma Takes a Win in the War of the RailsTacoma boosters celebrate a victory as the Great Northern Railroad prepares to move its commissary operations from Seattle to Tacoma.Tacoma, WA
Mar 24, 1909The Iron Horse Makes Tacoma its HomeThe Great Northern Railroad shifts its western terminus to Tacoma, promising a population boom and shifting the city's status in the eyes of national rail agents.Tacoma, WA
Jul 9, 1909Great Northern Railroad Official Injured in Runaway CarriageMaj. A. M. Anderson, a right-of-way agent for the Great Northern, suffers a broken collarbone after his team takes fright at a railroad crossing.Oroville, WA
Dec 24, 1909Railroad Profits vs. Living WagesWhile railway magnates plead poverty to block pay increases for switchmen, their own financial reports reveal a surplus that tells a different story.Everett, WA
Mar 18, 1910Betrayed by the Railroad: The Wellington Disaster SurvivorsAfter the catastrophic avalanche that killed nearly 100, laborers hired for rescue work are abandoned without food or pay, forced to trek 74 miles to Everett.Everett, WA