The Farmer Who Halted the Railroad
When a railway company tried to seize land for a branch line without fair payment, a Whitman County farmer fought back by having the construction crew arrested.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
The troubles over the right of way for the Spokane & Palouse branch culminated on Wednesday in the arrest of Contractor Wanner and his foremen, and the subsequent arrest on Thursday of the remaining members of the grading force, 15 men in all. A. F. Keys, the farmer who made the complaint, furnished a reporter with the particulars: The graders commenced work on Mr. Keys' land, two miles from Palouse City and eighteen miles from Colfax, about three weeks ago. The contractor told Keys that Mr. Gorringe, agent for securing the right of way, was expected soon and would make satisfactory arrangements. The agent appeared a few days later and offered $15 for the right of way; this was refused and $400 demanded. The agent said he would have the land condemned and the work proceeded. On Wednesday, Keys had the contractor and his men arrested. The matter was settled yesterday without trial by Judge Houghton, of Spokane, representing the company; Keys received $400 for the right of way, $100 for damage inflicted by stock on his premises, and $50 for attorney's fees, with the company paying all costs.
“The agent said he would have the land condemned, and the work proceeded until Wednesday, when Keys had the contractor and his men arrested.”
This 1887 dispute over eminent domain and corporate overreach in rural Washington echoes the ongoing tensions between property owners and infrastructure developers across the Pacific Northwest today. It serves as a reminder that the rapid expansion of railroads—and modern tech or energy infrastructure—often leaves local residents to fight for fair compensation against well-resourced companies.
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