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Railroad History
In Douglas
County
A train locomotive at Riverfront Park on the Umpqua River in Roseburg.
(Photo No. douDA0079) source:
Gary Halvorson,
Oregon State Archives
The first locomotive in America came into operation
in 1829 in Honesdale, Pennsylvania. Ths prompted the Baltimore and
Ohio railroad to be founded. In 1852, the first locomotive engine made
it's way west of the Mississippi River.
Though a railroad to and through Oregon was proposed
as early as 1840 by Asa Whitney, the idea was not seriously
entertained until after 1862. At that time, because mining had
made California a bigger state, the railroad went there first.
But there was a need for railroad in Oregon.
Pioneers wanted their mail. Farmers who at that time made a good
living from supplying miners in California with farm goods needed ways
to ship their goods, and up until now they had the choice of either
going by sea, or by wagon. Miners in Oregon who ran placer mines
or mines that required the huge hydraulic mining equipment could take
weeks off their delivery time if the railroad came. And yet, Oregon
waited for it's own railroad lines.
The Central Oregon Railway of Salem, Oregon was
organized by an Act of Congress on July 25, 1866. This act of
Congress gave this company a land grand of 20 acres for every one mile
of completed track. By, 1870, a new company had come in and taken
over, the California and Oregon Rail Road company.
It was the Organization of the Act from Congress
which spurred rail road life into Douglas County. A track
running from Portland to Roseburg, a span of 200 miles, finally came
into being. The first train finally arrived in Roseburg, Oregon
October 26, 1872. Other lines added were: Oakland, Oregon to
Roseburg, Oregon -a span of 19 miles in February 1873. A line from
Roseburg to Myrtle Creek (22 miles), and from Myrtle Creek to Riddle
(six miles) was completed in September 1882. By 1941, thanks to
folks wanting mail, farmers needing to ship goods, miners who wanted
their equipment, and loggers needing to haul their logs about there
was over 3,500 miles of railroad line laid in Douglas County alone!
Along with the new rail road came a new way to make
history in Douglas County. Rail road has it's own lore to explore.
There are the catastrophe's, and many other stories to be told.
Here we will add your stories to our pages. Please consider
sending in stories of Douglas County
Railroad history.
Here is our first story:
Cowlitz County
Advocate
Thursday, November 12, 1900
Trains Crash
Together
Three killed outright and three
fatally injured
Roseburg, OR., Nov 12 – The worst wreck ever known on this
division occurred about daylight this morning, two miles south of
Roseburg. Two freights,
the regular No. 224, south bound, and a long extra coming north,
smashed together on a curve in a heavy fog.
Engineer Sam Hendricks, of No. 225, and
fireman Wilhelm, of the extra, were caught beneath
the wreck and almost instantly killed. Fireman Ed Riddle,
Engineer Walter Drennan and Head Brakeman Charlie
Campbell, were all badly injured, the latter two
doubtless fatally Riddle lost a foot and suffered a broken left arm.
Campbell’s head was badly hurt, his right leg crushed, hi left
arm broken, and it is feared his neck was broken.
Brennan received a cut through the skull over the left eye,
about three inches in length, which exposed the brain.
His leg was broken and he received many bad cuts and bruises.
One of the trainmen ran to town with the news and an engine and
caboose were sent out after the three injured men, who were cared for
by three physicians on arriving in the city. Some time was required to
get Hendricks and Wilhelm from the wreck.
The latter was pinned down in the cab, the coals from the
firebox burning off both his legs to the knees.
The bodies were brought to the undertakers immediately.
The necks of both of the men were broken.
The scene of the wreck defies adequate description. The boiler
of the extra’s engine had literally forced it’s way through the other
engine it’s full length, but neither engine had left the track.
They were both partly covered by wrecked freight cars, the
engine of No. 225 was entirely covered, and a badly broken-up box car
surmounted the heap, apparently balancing on the smokestack. This part
of the wreck caught fire once, but the flames were quickly
extinguished.
It is stated that the wreck was due to a misinterpretation of
orders on the part of Engineer Drennan of the extra.
Superintendent L. R. Fields happened to be in the city, and is
looking after the dead and wounded men.
Coroner Twitchell has summoned a jury and will hold an inquest
tomorrow on the remains of Wilhelm and Hendricks.
Thank you to researcher,
Lillian Schiendel , for submitting this article.
"Douglas County took in vast amounts of money over the
decades from O&C (Oregon and California) lands. The payments were
a vestige of an 1866 federal land grant to subsidize the
construction of a railroad from Portland to the California
border. The grant consisted of 20 one square-mile sections for
every mile of completed railroad. The line was completed by the
Oregon and California Railroad Company in 1887.
Trouble began in 1894 when the railroad began to illegally sell
the heavily forested land for its timber value. Earlier federal
legislation required that only "actual settlers" could purchase
the land from the railroad company. Finally, Congress responded
by taking back most of the land and earmarking much of the timber
sale revenues for counties along the route."
source:
Oregon State Archives
Outside Links:
Central Oregon & Pacific Railway @ wikipedia
source: Oregon State Archives
Don't forget you can visit The Lane-Floed
House
Saturdays & Sundays from 1 pm to 4 pm
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