Newport's Railroad Franchise Went Through in a Single Night
In May 1908, the Commercial Club packed the council meeting and Newport's leaders voted without dissent to hand the Idaho & Washington Northern its franchise, betting the town's future on rail and industry.
The town council met in regular session Tuesday evening, Mayor Appel and all councilmen except Eckerson present. After the reading of the minutes and the starting of routine business, Mayor Appel suggested that the council and all citizens interested meet at the Town Hall Friday evening, May 22, at 7 p.m. for the purpose of going over the ground and looking over the street and alley vacations asked by the Idaho & Washington Northern Railroad, with the purpose of getting a better understanding of what is asked. The attendance of all citizens is welcome and urged. A remonstrance from Phillip Nagel and wife objecting to the vacation of certain streets and alleys was read and referred to a later time for consideration. The committee on streets and alleys reported favorably for passage of the franchise ordinance asked by the Idaho & Washington Northern Railroad. Caldwell moved the suspension of the rules and the taking up of the ordinance for final reading and passage. President McMorran of the Commercial Club, accompanied by a committee of ten from the citizens of the town appointed by the Club, asked leave to read the following resolution, which was unanimously adopted by the Club at a meeting held Monday evening: 'Resolved, That it is the sense of this Club that to provide Newport with adequate transportation facilities, to provide sites for industries, and to promote the commercial and industrial welfare of the town, the council should, without delay, pass the franchise asked by the Idaho & Washington Northern Railroad.' There being a large number of citizens present, Mayor Appel asked for an expression of views regarding the matter, and the following spoke in favor of the passage of the ordinance: Dr. Sutherland, Walter Rogers, Sidney W. Rogers, and C. A. Fiedler. The Mayor also delivered a short talk on his views of the matter and expressed them in a clear, concise statement favoring the same. The ordinance was then read by sections and adopted as a whole by a unanimous vote.
“Resolved, That it is the sense of this Club that to provide Newport with adequate transportation facilities, to provide sites for industries, and to promote the commercial and industrial welfare of the town, the council should, without delay, pass the franchise...”
Newport's 1908 railroad vote was a classic growth bet: a town with no sure future handing a franchise to a private company in exchange for promises of traffic and industry. The same bargain—public authority, private infrastructure, and a hoped-for boom—still shapes small-town politics, though today the fights are as likely to be over broadband, utility service or a new warehouse as a rail line.
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