Railroad Rumors Rattle Walla Walla
Speculation mounts as a local rail line prepares to shed its aging equipment for a mysterious new venture into the Blue Mountains.
A representative of the W.C.R. (Walla Walla and Columbia River Railroad) connected with the general manager's office in Walla Walla was in the city Thursday, taking an invoice of office fixtures and furniture. An invoice of a like feature has been taken all along the entire system of the W.C.R. It is rumored that the W.C.R. will sell their second-hand stuff, including their engines now running on the road, to a new railroad organized in Walla Walla this spring with Jos. McCabe as head promoter. Mr. McCabe is also general manager of the W.C.R. This new road, which is yet on paper, is to run east from Walla Walla, tapping the timbered country in the Blue Mountains. Such a move would enable the W.C.R. to dispose of all its undesirable stuff to the new road, enabling it to buy new engines of a modern type. The rumor of the reported sale could not be verified, but the indications are that there is a foundation of truth to the story.
“The new road, which is yet on paper, is to run east from Walla Walla, tapping the timbered country in the Blue mountains.”
Railroad history in Walla Walla defined the city's economic reach in the early 20th century. Today, the debate over how land and transit infrastructure are prioritized—and who benefits from those 'on paper' plans—remains a central theme in the city's growth.
From readers
No comments yet. If you know something about this story — a correction, a family memory, a source — it belongs here.