The Rails of Mason County: An Industry Giant Plans a Deep-Woods Expansion
A representative of the Port Blakely Mill Company confirms plans to lay a standard-gauge steel railroad into the heart of Washington's timber country, setting the stage for industrial transformation.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
The Port Blakely Mill Company has invited sealed bids for the construction of three miles of railroad starting from Little Skookum, in Mason County. This project is understood to be the beginning of a larger strategy by the company to access its extensive timber holdings. The company currently owns a great deal of timberland, and this initial three miles of road will fit it for heavy log hauling. Extensions are planned to run rapidly in the direction of the Chehalis River and Gray's Harbor. As soon as practicable, freight and passenger accommodations will be provided, and the road will develop into a first-class line. J. G. Scurry, engineer for the Blakely Mill Co., stated that the road will be standard gauge and supplied with steel rails. The distance to tide-water is approximately thirty-three miles, with an estimated cost of $10,000 per mile. John Forbes, an agent for the company, remarked that the road's early building will depend in a great measure on the liberality of the local people, noting that while the company's primary object is the timber, the line will be a prime factor in the rapid settlement of the valley.
“The road, as you know, will be a prime factor in securing a rapid settlement of your magnificent valley.”
This 1886 report captures the 'company town' era of Washington, where industrial giants like Port Blakely dictated the geography and development of the region. Much like the modern debates over tech-campus infrastructure and private development of public transit corridors, these historical rail expansions show how private corporations long ago acted as the primary architects of the Pacific Northwest’s connectivity.
From readers
No comments yet. If you know something about this story — a correction, a family memory, a source — it belongs here.