Southern Pacific Railroad
Named in 14 stories. Back to all names
- Apr 16, 1882The Great Railway Land ScandalA sweeping federal report reveals that major railroad corporations failed to complete thousands of miles of track despite receiving massive federal land grants.Seattle, WA
- Jun 20, 1883The Struggle for a Snoqualmie RoadA cattle driver arrives in Seattle via Snoqualmie Pass, arguing that a functional wagon road would be more transformative for Seattle's economy than a railroad connection.Seattle, WA
- Jan 23, 1884The Political Row Over Huntington’s Land GrabA fiery congressional clash over the Southern Pacific Railroad's vast land claims reveals the intense lobbying battles defining the American West.Seattle, WA
- Oct 10, 1892The Dead Horses That Taught Tacoma How to Raise Sunken ShipsA Tacoma patent company says its collapsible air bags can lift wrecks from the sea floor—a trick supposedly inspired by a bloated boatload of horses in the Ohio River. Investors are already fighting over the fortune.Tacoma, WA
- Apr 29, 1893The Barkentine Eureka Slips PortIn a display of industrial defiance, the captain of the Eureka clears Seattle harbor with a non-union crew, outmaneuvering local labor organizers.Seattle Harbor, Seattle, WA
- May 13, 1893The Great Transcontinental Rail and Steamship Rate WarSeattle merchants scramble to capitalize on a cutthroat battle between the Southern Pacific railroad and the Columbian Steamship Company that threatens the stability of Northern transit lines.Seattle, WA
- Feb 28, 1894The Secret Business of DeportationShipping firms compete for lucrative federal contracts to transport Chinese residents being forcibly removed from the Pacific Northwest.Tacoma, WA
- Apr 12, 1894Northern Pacific Slashes Freight Rates in a Coast-to-Coast WarSeattle shippers get word that commodity rates from Chicago and the river cities will drop to match the Southern Pacific’s Sunset route.Seattle, WA
- Jul 15, 1894The Trains Came Back—And Seattle's Mail Came With ThemWith the Pullman boycott collapsing, Northern Pacific and Lake Shore trains returned to schedule in Seattle, non-union crews took the throttle, and three days of stranded mail finally reached the post office.Seattle, 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 14, 1895A $10,000 Railroad Check and a Whispering Campaign in OlympiaIn 1895, Washington's legislature gathered to choose a U.S. senator, and the Seattle press heard that the Southern Pacific had put $10,000 behind one candidate.Olympia, 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 12, 1895San Francisco Capitalists Plan a New Waterway at Smith's CoveA newly incorporated dredging company asks the state for the right to dig out and fill Seattle's northern tide flats, promising wharves, railroad yards and mills.Seattle, WA
- May 9, 1904The Hunt for the Copley Train RobbersDetective agencies converge on Seattle in search of three men accused of a brutal train heist and murder in California.Seattle, WA