The City's Rebellion Against the Rail Monopoly
Tacoma’s business leaders unite in a desperate, organized campaign to bypass the Northern Pacific's grip on local commerce by demanding new rail lines.
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Tacoma citizens are flooding The Tacoma Times office to sign collective letters addressed to railroad magnates E.H. Harriman, James J. Hill, and A.J. Earling. The campaign aims to challenge the traffic monopoly held by the Northern Pacific in Tacoma. Organizers argue that the city, as the second largest in the Pacific Northwest, should not be held captive by a single rail provider. Supporters include prominent local figures like Judge Emmet N. Parker and Councilman Christoffersen, who view the entry of competing lines as the key to Tacoma's salvation. The effort serves as a public show of force, demonstrating that local shippers are prepared to move their business to any competitor willing to lay tracks into the city.
“Let the N. P. know that it doesn't own us, body and soul.”
This civic push for rail competition mirrors modern efforts to break up utility and transport monopolies. Tacoma’s fight to diversify its logistics infrastructure was a defining struggle for city growth in the early 20th century.
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