The Homegrown Railroad That Opened the Snoqualmie Country

Until late in the ’70s the great resources of the western portion of the then territory of Washington were little known to the great world of commerce east of the Mississippi. To the minds of millions of people it was but an impenetrable wilderness, inhabited by savage Indian tribes. It was not long, however, before the reports of travelers describing it as a region abounding in fertile valleys and limitless forests whose commercial value would one day command the attention of the world caused far-sighted business men to investigate. As a result the great iron highways which now encircle a continent were pushed over valley and plain, through mountain gorge and grand forests, until at last the great inland sea which extends from the Straits of Juan de Fuca almost to the Columbia was in close communication with the wealthy cities of the East. As a natural result of tying the best geographical location for commercial relations, Seattle rapidly became a city of magnificent size, the center of industry in the Northwest.

It soon became evident to several public-spirited citizens that the rich districts to the east and north of Seattle, owing to the rivers and vast forests intervening, were prevented from adding their wealth of lumber and cereals to the yearly output. The result was the organization of a railroad company at home, which was known as the Seattle, Lake Shore & Eastern Railway Company. This was done April 28, 1885, under the laws of Washington Territory. The original capital stock was $5,000,000, and the original incorporators were James R. McDonald, F. H. Osgood, Judge Thomas Burke, Dr. Thomas T. Minor, Daniel H. Gilman, Hon. John Leary, Hon. Henry L. Yesler, David T. Denny, George Kinnear, G. Morris Haller, Griffith Davies, William Cochrane and James W. Currie, all citizens of the city of Seattle and territory of Washington. Work was immediately begun and in a short time the rich regions of Gilman, North Bend, Anacortes, etc., were given an outlet from which have come millions of dollars’ worth of products. The Seattle, Lake Shore & Eastern Railway is the only line to Gilman, Snoqualmie Falls, and the North Bend country; the quickest and shortest route to Snohomish, the Monte Cristo mines and Anacortes, Hamilton, Sumas, New Whatcom and Vancouver. Some of the finest scenery in the United States can be seen on this route. The Snoqualmie Falls are unsurpassed in beauty, and the natural trout streams and pools lining the route are a paradise for the sportsman. Every season hundreds of the disciples of Izaak Walton take advantage of the road to spend a day on lakes and streams and never fail to return with a full creel.

In 1891 the Northern Pacific Railroad secured a majority of the stock of the road and immediately assumed control. This continued until June 30, 1893, as a part of the general system. At that time Thomas R. Brown was appointed receiver of the road, and on February 1, 1894, John H. Bryant was appointed co-receiver.

The miles of line operated by the Lake Shore road number 176.95. The Seattle, Lake Shore & Eastern Railway is an institution that contributes largely to the prosperity of Seattle. The trade of the country which it traverses from Seattle to the British line is almost entirely tributary to this city. It is a historical fact that the period of Seattle’s greatest prosperity dates from the time this enterprise was started. Seattle capital is now largely interested in the cedar shingle mills which furnish a large share of the business of the line, and the improvements that are made in the various towns the road touches are the reflection of the enterprise of Seattle’s citizens. The fertile country on each side of the road offers rare opportunities to the settler, who can find a good market for all he can raise close at hand. Under the able management of Superintendent Newman Kline, the operating department is being worked to great advantage to the company.

It is safe to say that the business of a railroad reflects more truly the general condition of trade than that of any other interest, and while the Lake Shore road is suffering from the prevailing depression, every effort is being made in the traffic department to cooperate with the business interests of Seattle toward mitigating its severity. The logging business, which is a principal source of revenue to the road, has been badly affected, and as a consequence the decrease in earnings of the road has been very marked. Loggers have been sustained by the road to the point of self-sacrifice, the management of the road believing it sound business policy to keep its patrons by every reasonable means. The fact that the Lake Shore is purely a local institution, and that its prosperity is absolutely dependent on and closely identified with local interests, is sufficient to justify what has been and always will be the policy of the present management: to cooperate and encourage heartily every local enterprise.