Railroad Division Moves to Walla Walla
The Oregon-Washington Railroad & Navigation Company relocates its third division headquarters, promising new jobs and infrastructure to the city.
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.
According to word received here yesterday and confirmed at the company’s offices in this city, the headquarters of the third division of the O-W. R. & N. company will be established in Walla Walla, with Supt. A. G. Kamm in charge—now of North Yakima, says the Walla Walla Union. Over a score of railroad men and their families will move to this city, adding a payroll to Walla Walla of probably $5,000 per month. The eventual moving of the railroad shops and all equipment necessary to the maintenance of a division headquarters is also predicted. The third division will include all lines west of Riparia except the portion of the Snake river line from Snake river bridge to Ayer junction. This means that all lines between Riparia and Pendleton, Grange City Junction and Umatilla, and the branch line from Attalia to North Yakima will comprise the third division. In addition to Supt. Kamm and his staff of clerks, the office of J. Beck, chief dispatcher of the division, will also be moved here. It is believed that machine shops, terminal yards, a big roundhouse and other buildings necessary will be built here soon. An appropriation has already been made for building a ten-stall roundhouse here.
“Over a score of railroad men and their families will move to this city, adding a payroll to Walla Walla of probably $5,000 per month.”
The O-W. R. & N. was a massive economic engine for the Inland Northwest, and the movement of divisional headquarters was a major civic event. Today, the focus has shifted from rail logistics to regional logistics hubs for e-commerce, but the battle for 'division headquarters'—the fight for corporate investment and payrolls—remains a central theme for cities like Kennewick and Walla Walla.
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