Kent Bids for the Electric Rail
Citizens and business leaders in the White River Valley rally to secure a $100,000 subsidy for an electric railway line to Seattle.
A large meeting of citizens of Kent and the White River valley was held to discuss the project of an electric railway from Seattle to Kent. Fred E. Sander of Seattle was present and assured the people that he stood ready to build the road, provided they offered assistance. He requested a subsidy of $100,000 in money or land, noting that the railway would benefit every resident by lowering freight and passenger rates. Judge Jacobs spoke in support of Mr. Sander’s capability, and a committee including Capt. J. J. Crow was appointed to canvass the valley for subscriptions. Capt. Crow has already offered to donate five acres of land within the town limits for a power house.
“He figured that as the building of the road would benefit every man in the valley... it was but just that they should aid him.”
The struggle for transit access between Kent and Seattle has been a century-long battle; where the 1893 town sought an electric rail line, modern residents now rely on the Sounder train and light rail extensions to bridge the same gap.
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