The End of the Footpath Across the Columbia
Northern Pacific enforces a strict no-trespassing rule on the bridge between Kennewick and Pasco, severing a vital pedestrian link.
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 N.P. railroad bridge between this city and Pasco, which had it been operated upon a jitney tariff basis for foot traffic would have made its owners millionaires, has been closed to all kinds of pedestrian travel. No more will the giant thing of wood and steel feel the touch of human soles; no more will the moonlight races on the hiking path be possible; no more will the swirling waters below yawn for the belated reveler; no more will the superstructures sigh for Sunday strolling lovers. Yes, there's a reason. A big, burly railroad cop stands guard at either end and the 'no trespassing' rules of the railroad have outgrown the faded placards. The railroad company started in a week ago today to enforce a recent order of the public service commission, which calls for a rigid enforcement of the rules which prohibit pedestrian travel. Superintendent Overstreet, of the N.P. police force, who was in the city yesterday, said that as soon as it became more generally known that the bridge had been closed, he was of the opinion that the situation could be handled by one watchman stationed at the draw span. Closing the bridge will undoubtedly have a far-reaching effect on hobo travel across the eastern part of the state. Both the Kennewick and the Pasco police forces look upon the closing with favor, as many a petty offender in the past has made his getaway via the big bridge.
“No more will the giant thing of wood and steel feel the touch of human soles.”
The bridge mentioned once served as a vital, if dangerous, link between two growing Tri-Cities communities. Today, the walk between Kennewick and Pasco remains a contested space in urban planning, reflecting long-standing regional debates over accessibility versus industrial security.
From readers
No comments yet. If you know something about this story — a correction, a family memory, a source — it belongs here.