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85-453: Originally a sailing schooner built in 1879, the General Miles was extensively reconstructed in 1890 and renamed Willapa . In 1903 the name was changed again to Bellingham . After a conversion to diesel power in 1922, the vessel was renamed Norco . The vessel is notable for, among other things, for having been first a sailing vessel from 1879 to 1882, a steamship from 1882 to 1918,

170-637: A 3 ft ( 914 mm ) narrow gauge railroad that ran for over forty years from the bar of the Columbia River up the Long Beach Peninsula to Nahcotta, Washington , on Willapa Bay . The line ran entirely in Pacific County, Washington , and had no connection to any outside rail line. The railroad had a number of nicknames, including the "Clamshell Railroad" and the "Irregular, Rambling and Never-Get-There Railroad." The initial owners of

255-564: A customs duty , and as a former Canadian vessel, Bellingham would qualify. However, nothing came of this plan when it was determined that the Canadian law had changed, and a duty of 25% of the vessel's value would be imposed if Bellingham were to be returned to Canadian service. In 1909 Bellingham' s principal owner was listed as the Straits Steamship Company . By 1918, the boilers on Bellingham were considered too worn out for

340-535: A 200 horsepower (150 kW) Fairbanks-Morse semi-diesel engine was installed. The upper works were also extensively reconfigured and the vessel was again equipped to run from Seattle to Ketchikan and other ports of the Inside Passage. In this service the vessel was operated under the name Norco by the Northland Transportation Company . In the late 1920s the vessel was briefly owned by

425-564: A Ketchikan concern known as Citizen's Light and Power Company , which was a part of the public utility empire assembled by businessman Wilbur B. Foshay (1881-1957). From 1941 to 1946 the vessel was owned by Ketchikan Cold Storage, and then was purchased by Otis Shively. The vessel then was presented to the Puget Sound Maritime Historical Society to be used in the annual Seafair celebration in Seattle, to be burned in

510-413: A better steamboat landing was at Nahcotta , about 5 miles (8 km) south of Oysterville, and so Nahcotta became the northern end of the line. By January 1889, grading was almost complete all the way to Nahcotta, however, the railroad had run out of money when the track only reached as far as Ocean Park . More funds were raised, and by May 1889, the railroad had been completed to Nahcotta, costing twice

595-582: A businessman of McGowan , owned stock in Elving's ferry company, and he made it difficult for the railroad to build a road over his property to their competing ferry dock at Megler. Union Pacific shut down ferry operations to Megler in September 1930 selling to one of its employees, claiming they'd lost $ 40,000 per year in the ferry business. Roads were extended and improved in the Long Beach Peninsula in

680-544: A car. There, they were dumped in Baker's Bay to be made into rafts for water transport to sawmills. Feagans also reports that very large logs were hauled on disconnect logging trucks, and provides a photo, but gives no date or location. In 1891, the company's officers were L.A. Loomis, president, J.R. Goulter, secretary, and R.V. Egbert, Superintendent. Egbert left in 1895 and was replaced by Wallace Glover. Loomis and Coulter held their positions at least through 1896. Stops on

765-696: A cousin of Charles Peabody. The vessel was then placed on a route between the Washington ports along the Strait of Juan de Fuca , including Port Angeles . Clallam Bay , and, later, Neah Bay . Bellingham replaced the Alice Gertrude when that vessel sank after striking a rock in Clallam Bay on January 11, 1907. At this time Capt. Charles E Kastrom (d.1917) took over command of Bellingham and remained her principal captain until his unexpected death in 1917 following

850-455: A deficit of $ 127,000 rebuilding the Megler terminal and roadway for the ill-fated ferry service. The last train was run on September 9, 1930. Feagans describes the scene as follows: With Clem Morris at the throttle, engine No. 2, dragging a coach and the combine, made its leisurely way south from Nahcotta and then returned. Mrs. Taylor, of Ocean Park , who had been on the first train in 1889,

935-498: A destination resort area for Portland, Oregon , which was then growing rapidly in population. ISN also employed the General Miles on occasional trips to Tillamook and Coos Bay, Oregon . The first commander of General Miles was W.P. Whitcomb (b. 1848), who had previously been in charge of the General Canby . His brother, George H. Whitcomb (b. 1854), also served on the General Miles . Capt. John Henry D. Gray (b. 1839), who

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1020-518: A heart attack while at the helm of the steamer Waialeale When, in 1903, the Puget Sound Navigation Company purchased Thompson Steamship Co., Bellingham became the flagship of the PSN fleet. This ship, when rebuilt and in service as Bellingham in the early 1900s, was reported to have a "ghost whistle" which was described as a low moaning sound heard when the vessel was working through

1105-527: A heavy sea. In 1908, Joshua Green , president of the Puget Sound Navigation Company , explored the possibility of returning Bellingham to Canadian service to run against the Canadian Pacific 's steamships that were operating on the profitable Vancouver – Victoria route. For a long time, it had been the law in Canada that a former Canadian vessel could be returned to Canadian service without having to pay

1190-502: A number improvements to the track and rolling stock of the railroad. Trains now ran faster and on time. The dock and railroad facilities at Nahcotta were improved. Two important safety items, air brakes and Janney couplers , were adopted in 1903. The railroad also got into the business of hauling logs from Nahcotta down to Ilwaco. The company acquired the steam tug Flora Bell to round up log tows on Willapa Bay and bring them to Nahcotta to be loaded onto trains bound for Ilwaco. For

1275-626: A number of popular hotels, including the Tinker's Hotel and the Hotel Portland. The stop at the Breakers Hotel north of Long Beach was called Breakers Station and had a hotel. Cranberry Station was the next stop north of The Breakers. Loomis Station consisted of simply the mansion of Lewis A. Loomis, the founder and president of the line. The station was on the east side of the line. L.A. Loomis died in 1913, his mansion fell into disrepair, and

1360-514: A number of years there had been a plan by various persons and companies to build a standard gauge railroad all along the north bank of the Columbia from the ocean at Ilwaco to Wallula Gap near the junction of the Snake and the Columbia rivers. The first leg of this work was to be a railroad built along the north shore of the Columbia river from Ilwaco to Knappton, a small settlement 17 miles (27 km) to

1445-570: A pair of stilts in case of low water on the spit. Notice --A spotter is employed on every train, to prevent beach visitors from being robbed by the Ilwaco Councilmen and attorney, while en route through the city. Keep on the train and no danger need be apprehended from that source. Passengers alighting in Ilwaco do so at their own risk. Because of the extreme shallow water at the railroad's dock in Ilwaco restricted steamboat access to times when it

1530-671: A pier and freighthouse on Baker's Bay at Ilwaco , near the mouth of the Columbia River . Later, on February 23, 1875, L.A. Loomis and some of the same incorporators of the Ilwaco Wharf Company incorporated the Ilwaco Steam Navigation Company, with the goal of buying a steamboat and running passengers and freight across the Columbia from Astoria to the Ilwaco wharf that they had built. They sold stock again, raised $ 25,000 in working capital, and for $ 22,000, bought

1615-614: A pompous little train rattled in from Nahcotta and waited at the wharf; then from across the bay would come the steamer, a neat side-wheeler such as the Ocean Wave , and tie up at the dock. Passengers rushed ashore to get good seats in the narrow coaches, while freight and baggage from the boat was tumbled on the dock. Quickly, before an ebbing tide could ground it, the boat hurried off, and the train whistled shrilly and clattered away with its load of passengers. The line made connections with steamboats at both ends. At Ilwaco, steamboats meeting

1700-446: A profit, relying on government mail and troop transport contracts, which did not pay much. Eventually L.A. Loomis and some of his fellow entrepreneurs settled on the idea of building a railroad to replace the stage coach line that they had used to make the connection between Ilwaco and points on the Long Beach Peninsula. Loomis and others incorporated the Ilwaco, Shoalwater Bay & Grays Harbor Railroad on November 23, 1883. Survey work

1785-528: A public ceremony in the summer of 1950 as "Neptune's" barge. The vessel was loaded up with fireworks and other inflammable materials, and towed into Elliott Bay by the tug Goliah and set on fire. Although the vessel burned for hours, it proved difficult to sink. Only when the fireboat Duwamish filled up the vessel with water at high-pressure did the hull finally go under the water during night, off Alki Point . Ilwaco Railway and Navigation Company The Ilwaco Railway and Navigation Company operated

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1870-478: A sailing barge from 1919 to 1922, and a motor vessel (diesel-powered) from 1922 to 1950. General Miles was built in 1882 for the Ilwaco Steam Navigation Company . The vessel was a rebuilt sailing schooner which had been originally built in 1879. The ISN had been organized in 1875 by Lewis A. Loomis , Jacob Kamm and two others, for the purpose of developing transportation to, from, and on

1955-558: A salute was fired from the town cannon, to be answered with a long trailing whistle from the locomotive. Island Transportation Company The Island Transportation Company was a shipping company that was briefly operational in Puget Sound from 1889 to 1900. The company was organized in April 1889 by Herbert F. Beecher, who had recently left the employment of the customs office, and others. The company purchased three smaller steamers, of

2040-578: A significant business of the railroad. The first Nahcotta depot was located just south of the tracks. The lading extended northwards from a freight door a few feet towards the track, which at that point had a stub switch . The railroad had a three-stall roundhouse , water tank, and a gallows turntable at Nahcotta. Businesses in Nahcotta included the Bayview (formerly the Morrison) Hotel, built in 1889, and

2125-506: A specially-built dock at 14th Street in Astoria which included a ramp to allow rapid loading and unloading of automobiles. Pacific County, Washington helped out the Elving Company, giving them a $ 400 a year subsidy, and probably more importantly, building a road on pilings around the rocky promontory at Fort Columbia that the railroad had been forced to blast a tunnel through. In 1926,

2210-495: A tug. Capt. Herbert F. Beecher (b. 1853) purchased General Miles . Beecher, doing business as the Island Transportation Company , renamed the vessel Willapa , and ran it on Puget Sound Beecher left the business however after his steamer J.H. Libby burned on November 10, 1889. It is reported that Willapa took the place of J.H. Libby for a time, carrying passengers and freight between Port Townsend and

2295-505: A wreck site, and weekly excursions were made to take vacationers to watch the lifeboat rescue drills at the Klipsan Beach Station. Ocean Park had been founded by Methodists as an alcohol-free summer community. It was much closer to the beach than it is today, because of sand accretion. The depot at Ocean Park was located on the east side of the tracks immediately to the north of a road crossing. There were several businesses in

2380-653: The Utopia and the old sidewheeler George E. Starr , both owned by the Puget Sound Navigation Company . On December 6, 1903, in heavy fog, Bellingham was towing the steamer Dode to Whatcom for repairs, the vessels still being run by the Bellingham Bay company. The fast steamer Flyer pulled away from the Seattle dock en route to Tacoma and five minutes later Bellingham collided with Flyer . Dode , under tow and unable to manoeuvre, also collided with Flyer . Flyer

2465-835: The Alaska Steamship Company was organized by a group of Seattle business and steamboatmen. At that time, the Alaska trade was dominated by the Pacific Coast Steamship Company . The first vessel purchased by Alaska Steam was the Willapa , which, following an extensive overhaul and refitting, departed on her first Alaska trip from the Schwabacher Brothers wharf on March 3, 1895, returning two weeks later on March 17. Willapa carried 79 passengers, 23 horses, and several hundred tons of cargo. A rate war then ensued with

2550-773: The Alaskan Panhandle . This company used Willapa as a relief boat on various routes, including the service to including Clayoquot on the west coast of Vancouver Island . In November 1902, Capt. C.E. Curtis in association with the Bellingham Bay Transportation Company , acquired Willapa from the Canadian-Pacific Navigation Company, and renamed the ship Bellingham . During 1903, the rapidly growing Puget Sound Navigation Co. acquired Bellingham Transportation Company, but Dode and Willapa did not go to PSN operational control until

2635-457: The Long Beach Peninsula , located on the north side of the mouth of the Columbia River . The company's first vessel was the General Canby , a 110 ft (33.53 m) steam tug built in 1875 at South Bend, Washington . ISN organized steamboat routes both on Willapa Bay , on the east side of the Long Beach Peninsula, and also on the Columbia River, on the south side of the peninsula. By

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2720-541: The San Juan Islands . Willapa was returned to Portland in 1890, where, in work completed in 1891, the vessel underwent a substantial reconstruction. The hull was cut in two, and an additional section 36 ft (10.97 m) was inserted in the middle, with the resulting hull being 136 ft (41.45 m) long. In 1894, Willapa was leased by the Hastings Steamboat Company . On January 21, 1895,

2805-525: The Union Pacific Railroad tried to best the Elving company by building their own automobile ferry, the North Beach. Union Pacific had ferry slips built at Astoria and at Megler. Although the North Beach was a well-built vessel, launched on April 28, 1927, with fanfare, and making its first run on July 6, 1927, North Beach could never manage to compete with Captain Elving's boats. J.W. McGowan,

2890-535: The Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission . Asay summed up the terrible financial condition of the railroad at this time: There was no question that the line was financially hopeless; passenger traffic had declined from almost 33,000 riders in 1924 to only 10,700 in 1929. Operating revenues amounted only to $ 18,622 in 1928, while expenses hovered at nearly $ 85,000. Worse, the O-WR&;N had incurred

2975-584: The Willapa Bay area was logged out a few years later. The extension had been built to allow ready conversion to standard gauge, by use of larger standard gauge cross-ties. However, by 1910, the Northern Pacific abandoned its plans to build out to the mouth of the Columbia on the north bank, and as a result the Ilwaco railroad never had any outside rail connection. On December 23, 1910, the Union Pacific ,

3060-594: The Columbia until 1921, but apparently only on the Portland-Astoria run. This left only the previously thought inferior route of taking a train from Portland to Astoria and then a steamboat (usually the Nahcotta ) to the Megler dock. However, by 1920, the real competitor for the railroad had become the automobile. A paved highway on the south bank of the Columbia was completed in 1916, running from Portland to Astoria. On May 1, 1921, regular automobile ferry service

3145-441: The Long Beach Peninsula which cut sharply into the railroad's freight business. The railroad calculated that the line had suffered losses of $ 300,000 from 1925 to 1928. Apparently the railroad then hit on the idea of forming a new subsidiary, the Astoria, North Shore and Willapa Harbor Railroad, selling stock in the railroad to local residents, and then using the proceeds from the stock sale to buy out its losing operation. Supposedly

3230-613: The Megler dock looking southeast. At this time, the Willapa Transportation Company was running both of their steamboats, the Reliable and the Shamrock , on the run from South Bend to the Long Beach Peninsula, so that it was now possible to travel from South Bend by steamboat to Nahcotta, board the train and ride down to Megler, transfer to the T. J. Potter , and travel on the T. J. Potter upriver to Portland. The fare for this

3315-530: The Megler dock to large depot to meet steamboats arriving from Portland or Astoria. Because the water was deep enough all the time at the Megler dock, the railroad was finally able to run independently of the tide. In 1903, T.J. Potter made daily trips, departing from the Ash Street dock in Portland at 8:00 a.m. (1:00 p.m. on Saturdays, no run on Sundays). The heavily retouched photograph at right shows

3400-475: The Nahcotta Hotel, and Morehead's general store. Most of Nahcotta's business district burned down on January 27, 1915, and was never rebuilt, a total insurance loss of $ 32,500. The railroad ran a train of volunteers to Nahcotta to fight the fire. Structures lost included the first Nahcotta depot, valued at $ 1,500 for insurance purposes. The railroad's car sheds survived, as did the cars inside. Oysterville

3485-594: The Pacific was stranded while trying to cross the Columbia Bar on September 5, 1883. Five tugs were called out, including General Miles , Pioneer , Brenham , Astoria , and Columbia , and with great effort they were able to save the ship. ISN kept the General Miles on the Astoria-Ilwaco route until 1889, when the vessel was sold to Portland Coast and Steamship Company and transferred to Coos Bay to operate as

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3570-600: The Pacific Coast company, forcing Pacific Coast to cut its rates by more than 50%. On March 19, 1897, at 2:30 a.m., bound for Mary Island, Alaska , Willapa was proceeding in a heavy snow storm in Seaforth Channel , a part of the Inside Passage , when the vessel struck ground on Regatta Reef. The passengers were removed without casualty by a schooner and local canoes manned by First Nations people. Much freight

3655-571: The area. The railroad transported boxes of canned razor clams from canneries at Ocean Park. The railroad also built a siding in Ocean Park for the Ilwaco Mill & Lumber Company. The railroad built a long dock out into deep water in Willapa Bay at Nahcotta. Willapa Bay was the location of a major oyster fishery, and transporting the harvested oysters south to Ilwaco, and eventually Portland, became

3740-417: The coastal or inland variety: the J.B. Libby , Point Arena , and General Miles . These vessels were employed in northern Puget Sound and the San Juan Islands . The company suffered a major reverse when J.B. Libby got fire on November 10, 1889, while transporting a cargo of lime from Roche Harbor . The vessel was a total loss, and while operations were resumed for a time with General Miles taking

3825-449: The company were Lewis Alfred Loomis, Jacob Kamm , I.W. Case, H.S. Gile, and B. A. Seaborg . L.A. Loomis was a pioneer on the Long Beach Peninsula . He had formed the Ilwaco Wharf Company in July, 1874. In addition to Loomis, incorporators of the Ilwaco Wharf Company included Robert Carruthers, George Johnson, Abraham Wing, and Captain J.H.D. Gray. They sold shares and raised $ 2,500 to build

3910-505: The company. Starting in the summer season of 1910 through 1913 (there was a slight dip in 1912 due to persistent bad weather at the beach), these efforts produced the most business the company had ever seen. The summer of 1913 was the absolute peak for the railroad. The weather was good, a competitor resort had been destroyed by fire, and jetty projects at the mouth of the Columbia River required hauling passengers and freight. New facilities were built at Nahcotta and improvements were made to

3995-476: The early 1880s, demand on the Columbia river route, which ran from Astoria, Oregon to Ilwaco, Washington , was increasing beyond the General Canby' s legal passenger capacity, which was 75 in summer and 40 in winter. For this reason, ISN had a new steamer, the General Miles , constructed in Portland, Oregon . Completed in 1882, General Miles was a near sister ship to the General Canby . The General Miles

4080-410: The early 1920s. At the same time freight business fell off sharply for the railroad. Steamboat connections were lost both at Nahcotta and Columbia River terminals. Meanwhile, the railroad was still trying to pay the expenses for the expansion of the Megler facilities to accommodate the ferry enterprise. In 1925, motor truck operators in Astoria started using the ferries to transfer directly over to

4165-645: The east. The work was contracted out by the Columbia Valley Railroad , but it was supervised by the chief engineer of the Oregon Railway and Navigation Company . After various legal and survey matters settled the route (which actually ran inland from the Columbia shore), construction began in 1907 and was finally completed, following many legal and financial difficulties, in June, 1908, with a terminus at Megler . The railroad never quite made it to Knappton, which

4250-550: The first engines, came from the Utah & Northern Railway , which had been converted to 4 ft  8 + 1 ⁄ 2  in ( 1,435 mm ) standard gauge in 1887. The rails were light, 35 pounds to the foot (52 kg/m). By 1888, the railroad had picked up some more used rolling stock from the Utah and Northern, and completed laying track to Long Beach . Construction began in April, 1888, starting at Ilwaco. The corporation

4335-550: The founders of the Ilwaco railroad, had a sawmill on the lake, where he cut boards to make crates to pack the salmon he canned at his plant (called "Aberdeen Packing Company") on Main Street in Ilwaco . There was only a platform and shed at Seaview until 1905 when a regular depot was built. That depot building still exists, and is now a restaurant. The railroad's major destination was Long Beach, an early tourist trap, and location of

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4420-478: The line in 1896 in order from south to north were Ilwaco, Holman Station, Seaview, Long Beach, Tioga, Breakers Station, Pacific Park, Cranberry Station, Oceanside, Loomis, Ocean Park, and Nahcotta. The railroad ran south down First Street in Ilwaco, and then out onto a dock in Baker's Bay. Floating logs were stored behind log booms on the west side of the Ilwaco dock. A water tank was located at Holman Station, which

4505-463: The line was acquired by the Oregon Railway and Navigation Company in 1900, the company put the T. J. Potter on the route from Portland direct to Ilwaco to bring more vacationers to the Long Beach Peninsula . The new company also made improvements to line's trackage, which presumably resulted in the improvement of service so that it only took an hour to complete the train's journey from Ilwaco to Nahcotta. Presumably things had improved by 1905, when

4590-465: The name Bellingham . A donkey engine with steam driven by a vertical boiler was installed, which powered two cargo hoists. The vessel was also rigged with auxiliary sails, although these appear to not have been used very much. In 1922 Bellingham' s owners determined that the vessel could be put to better uses. The vessel was taken to the Lake Union Drydock and Machine Works in Seattle where

4675-494: The new operation would return the route to profitability by operating cheaper small diesel-electric engines and cut its expenses by 90%. The plan also included a new ferry for motor traffic and used of trucks instead of rail to deliver freight. There were some problems with the legality of the stock proposal, as the sale could not proceed without the approval of the Interstate Commerce Commission. Local opposition

4760-432: The originally estimated $ 100,000. The line was built with 35-pound-per-foot rail, which was too light for the equipment. Loomis as president was very frugal, especially on maintenance expenses. For example, even though there were several derailments caused by rotting cross-ties , Loomis refused to pay for any replacements unless he could punch a hole in the tie with his walking stick. For all of these reasons, it took

4845-528: The owner of the Oregon Railway and Navigation Company reorganized its operations, and the Ilwaco railroad became officially known as the Ilwaco Division of the Oregon-Washington Railroad and Navigation Company . The company then embarked on a publicity campaign to get more summer vacationers to travel to the Long Beach Peninsula. Improvements were also made to the rolling and floating stock of

4930-585: The railroad ceased making stops at Loomis. (The ghost station of Loomis Station should not be confused with the community of Loomis, Washington in Okanogan County .) Oceanside is reported to have been an unscheduled stop from 1908 to 1930. The railroad also took the crew of the Klipsan Beach Life Saving Station to wherever a vessel might have stranded on the beach along the line. Occasional special runs were made to bring on-lookers to

5015-481: The railroad claimed to be able to make the run in just an hour from south to north. At Nahcotta the propeller steamers Shamrock and Reliable would meet the train at the end of the Nahcotta dock, and pick up passengers bound for South Bend across Willapa Bay . In 1896, another steamer employed on the Willapa Bay run was the Edgar . Large logs were hauled out to the Ilwaco dock chained down to flat cars, one log to

5100-424: The railroad for less than the company's total capitalization of $ 100,000, so the company decided to act as its own general contractor, and hire the Portland firm of Hawgood & Habersham as engineering consultants. The 3 ft ( 914 mm ) gauge was selected to save money on grading and other construction. Also, smaller and less expensive engines and cars could be used. The rails themselves, as well as one of

5185-437: The railway up to Chinook, where the railway then went inland somewhat to cross the Wallicut river. Subsequent stops on the line's extension were Ellis, Wallicut, and a stop called China, after the large number of Chinese cannery workers who lived there. Business increased substantially following the extension of the railroad. More passenger trains were run. Shipping of freight, particularly of raw logs increased greatly, until

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5270-403: The spring of 1904. It is also reported that Canadian-Pacific sold Willapa to the Thompson Steamship Company before the vessel came into the ownership of Puget Sound Navigation Co. Thompson Steamship was a Port Angeles concern run by the Thompson brothers, including John Rex Thompson . John Rex Thompson was a business ally of C.E. Curtis. A news report from late 1902 stated that Willapa

5355-412: The station and trackage in Ilwaco. At this time, there were few automobiles on the Long Beach Peninsula. The railroad charged $ 68 to transport an automobile from Portland to Ilwaco. After 1913, business fell off for the railroad, and would never come back to that peak. Even so, the owners continued to make some investments in the line, such as completing the relaying of the line with 56-pound rails all

5440-401: The steamboat General Canby . Other steamboats making the run to Ilwaco in the days before the railroad was built include the U.S. Grant , the R.R. Thompson , and the General Miles . From 1884 to 1888, the Oregon Railway and Navigation Company is reported to have put the Alaskan (sidewheeler) on the run from Portland to Ilwaco. For a number of years the company struggled to make

5525-414: The train right on the dock at Megler. The train then proceeded almost due west for about 1/2 mile around Point Ellice, where, after 1921, Captain Elving's ferries would dock. Next, for about a mile, the railroad ran along flat bench next to the river until it reached McGowan , where the McGowan family had built a large dock and a cannery. A passing track was built at McGowan. The railroad then entered

5610-510: The train several hours to complete its run of only 15 miles (24 km). No trains ran on Sunday, at least in April 1905. The railroad's early operations attracted some criticism from a local newspaper, which in an 1896 purported "advertisement" for the railroad, stated among other things: Their Elegant Steam Tub Leaves Astoria every day that she can escape the eagle eye of the Inspectors. Passengers are required to furnish themselves with life preservers, and to take their own risks, and also

5695-404: The trains included, at various times, the Ilwaco , Suomi , General Canby , Nahcotta , and the Ocean Wave . From 1894 to 1896, the company also put the naptha launch Iris on the Astoria-Ilwaco run. In 1898, the railroad commissioned the twin-propeller steamer Nahcotta , built in Portland, Oregon in 1898 and after resolving some engine troubles, placed her on the Astoria-Ilwaco run. After

5780-461: The tunnel under Fort Columbia . Just on the west end of tunnel was the small depot for the fort's needs. A long pier extended into the river from Fort Columbia, this is shown on the Corps of Engineers maps as the pier "QM", for quartermaster. The next stop on the line was Chinook , where the railway ran through the streets of the small town. By 1927, an auto road had been built from Megler to Chinook and then to Ilwaco. This roadway ran parallel to

5865-430: The vessel to be of any further service as a powered ship. The fittings and machinery were therefore removed and scrapped by the firm of Neider & Marcus. In March 1919 Bellingham was sold to H.C. Strong who was doing business as the Sunny Point Packing Company. The powerless vessel was taken to the King and Winge shipyard in West Seattle which converted the ship into an unpowered sailing barge which still retained

5950-441: The way up to Nahcotta. A paved highway was completed from Portland to Astoria which caused river passenger traffic to fall off. The T. J. Potter was condemned at the start of the 1916 season and not replaced, which cut off direct water access to the Long Beach Peninsula from Portland (the source of most of the tourist business) to the railroad's dock at Megler. The railroad still ran the steamers Harvest Queen and Nahcotta down

6035-439: Was $ 4.25 one-way and $ 7.25 round trip. The only alternative route required transfer to the Nahcotta , going south across the Columbia River to Astoria, and then boarding a train bound for Portland on the Astoria and Columbia Railroad . Since the rail trip from Astoria took as long to get to Portland as it took for the T. J. Potter to steam upriver, the alternative route was not favored. A traveller from Portland would board

6120-409: Was a prominent passenger on the last one. On the engine the peninsula residents hung a mourning wreath for a railroad that had served them well for 42 years. *** Ilwaco 's Mayor Brumbach, who had attended the groundbreaking ceremonies over forty years before, addressed the citizenry from the rear platform of the train. Taps was sounded from an old bugle, and as the 3:30 train departed for the last time

6205-504: Was about one and a half miles further east. The most notable engineering feature of the extension was a tunnel, the only one on the line, blasted through the rock at Scarborough Head. This was right under an army coast defense facility known as Fort Columbia . A large dock, supposedly the largest on the Columbia was built at Megler. The tunnel was 910 feet (277 m) long and The dock was reported to measure 120 feet (37 m) by 900 feet (270 m) in area. Entire trains would run out on

6290-508: Was also known as the Willows. The railroad kept a cranberry warehouse at Black Lake, a little north of Ilwaco. Feagans states that this warehouse was built about March 1915, the same time that the second Nahcotta depot was built to replace the one that had been destroyed by fire in January of that year. Black Lake itself was sometimes called Johnson Lake or Whealdon's Pond. B.A. Seaborg, one of

6375-499: Was also salvaged, but several head of horses could not be rescued and were therefore shot. Although originally considered a total loss, later Willapa was purchased from the underwriters by Canadian interests, removed from the reef, and repaired. Subsequently, Willapa came into the control of the Canadian-Pacific Navigation Company , one of the dominant shipping companies on the coast of British Columbia and in

6460-502: Was badly, but not irreparably damaged. Bellingham sustained only light damage. No one on any vessel was injured. Shortly after this incident Bellingham was transferred to the control of the Inland Navigation Company , which was owned by businessman Charles E. Peabody and associates. For a short time after this acquisition, Bellingham was placed on the Seattle – Port Townsend route, running under Capt. Howard Penfield,

6545-412: Was capable of multiple uses, being equipped with towing bits for tugboat work as well as being designed to accommodate 125 passengers and handle 150 tons of freight. The company placed the General Miles in service right away running with the General Canby , so that two trips a day could be made between Astoria and Illwaco. This improved steamship service helped popularize the Long Beach Peninsula as

6630-435: Was commissioned, to be done by Major A.F. Searles, of Portland . It was estimated that the railroad could be built for a cost of $ 5,000 per mile. This meant that it would take about $ 100,000 to build the railroad. The company's founders raised the money through sale of stock, which took several years to reach a level of capital where construction could begin. The company could not locate a general contractor who would build

6715-486: Was high, and the plan eventually came to nothing. This left abandonment of the line as the only realistic business option. In that time, abandonment of a common carrier's route required the consent of the Interstate Commerce Commission. The Union Pacific sought this consent, and following a hearing, on July 12, 1930, the railroad obtained permission to abandon from the Interstate Commerce Commission and

6800-572: Was initiated from Astoria to a dock at McGowan, west of railroad's dock at Megler and closer to the Long Beach Peninsula. Now people could drive their automobiles all the way to Astoria and onto a ferry to take them over to the Long Beach Peninsula, without the need of either railroad or steamboat. Ferry traffic quickly rose, and the ferry company, owned by Captain Fritz S. Elving, rapidly built new ferries ( Tourist , Tourist No. 2 , and later, Tourist No. 3 ) and dock facilities. The ferries departed from

6885-475: Was not a stop on the original line. In 1890, citizens of Oysterville attempted to organize an extension of the railroad north from Nahcotta to improve business conditions there, but were not able to raise the funds to do so. In August, 1900, Loomis sold his stock to the Oregon Railway and Navigation Company , which assumed total control over the railroad, which had then total assets in rolling stock, track, and real property valued at $ 248,000. The new owners made

6970-405: Was permitted by the tide, for so long as the railroad's southern terminus was at Ilwaco, the railroad's schedule was based on the tide charts. For example, a schedule for April, 1905, shows times of departure from Astoria for the steamer Nahcotta as varying from as early as 5:00 a.m. to as late as 8:30 a.m. Mills imagined the scene as follows: Just in time for the high tide of Ilwaco,

7055-485: Was reorganized at about the same time, so that the Ilwaco Steam Navigation Company became the Ilwaco Railroad and Navigation Company (incorporated August 16, 1888). Grading the rest of the line continued through the rest of 1888. The line had reached Long Beach by July 19, 1888. The northern terminus had been originally planned to be at place called New Saratoga, one-half mile south of Oysterville . It turned out that

7140-522: Was the grandson of explorer Robert Gray , was one of the masters of General Miller at this time, as well as being a part owner. Gray used General Miles in the development of the Grays Harbor area. Gray was in command of General Miles at the salvage of the then almost new steamer Queen of the Pacific (330 ft (100.58 m)) in 1883 when that vessel grounded on the Clatsop Spit . Queen of

7225-500: Was to be purchased by a syndicate headed by John Rex Thompson. In May 1904, allegations were made in court of financial malfeasance and breach of trust by C.E. Curtis, causing Bellingham Bay Transportation Co., a company owned by local farmers, to become financially insolvent. On return to Puget Sound, Bellingham was placed on the Seattle – Bellingham route, which included through service by local steamer from Bellingham to Blaine and Point Roberts . Running against Bellingham were

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