Railroad vs. Waterfront: The 'Ram's Horn' Dispute

The owners of property along the ram's horn right-of-way do not seem to have quite made up their minds what course to pursue when the railroad companies begin to rebuild their line on that long-debated ground. The Oregon Improvement Company claims to have either purchased or received right-of-way deeds to the whole strip, but abutting property owners do not admit this. Amos Brown, for instance, says he only gave a written agreement to allow the road to pass through his property between Spring and Seneca streets, signed only by himself and not his wife, and that the road has no valid deed for her interest. Capt. David Gilmore, whose property sits at the foot of University street, notes that if the Lake Shore tracks move to their designated right-of-way, they would cut through his warehouses and require the removal of existing fruit stands and offices. Property owners like Dobson & Denton fear the construction will complicate the already difficult haulage of lumber from the Commercial mill, setting the stage for a protracted court battle to stop the reconstruction.