Newport Builds Its Way to the Water — One Petition at a Time
Rail engineers run spur lines to the Pend d'Oreille River Navigation Co. docks while the Commercial Club passes the hat for lumber to extend a sidewalk down Pine Street to the Idaho line.
Idaho & Washington Northern engineers have been running lines from the main track of the road to the boat landing and docks of the Pend d'Oreille River Navigation Co.
Lumber has been ordered for the construction of a new sidewalk on Pine Street west from Washington Avenue to the Idaho state line. The walk will connect there with a recently constructed walk through old town to the docks of the navigation company. The walk will be constructed as soon as the weather conditions will allow. Secretary Harris, of the Commercial Club, has circulated a petition to defray the expense.
“Secretary Harris, of the Commercial Club, has circulated a petition to defray the expense.”
Newport's whole argument for itself was printed on its own masthead — 'Where Rail and River Meet' — and in 1908 the town was still pouring gravel and driving piles to make that slogan true. The last mile to the water was paid for by a subscription list circulated by the Commercial Club, not by the city. Pine Street still runs west toward the river, and the question of who pays for the last stretch of public infrastructure is still on the council's agenda.
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