Dedicated to the preservation of the history of the union pacific railroad. The original railroad was formed by a joint working relationship between the union pacific and the northern pacific now bnsf railroads. Washington state department of transportation september 2008, washington state rail system map pdf. Native americans used camas lily extensively for medicinal purposes and as a staple food source. To railfans and historians the camas prairie is legendary for its numerous tunnels, high timber trestles earning it the name as the railroad on stilts, and overall breathtaking scenery of the pacific northwest. The csp was a remnant of railroad wars in the 19th and 20th century, when edward h. This history presents the origins of the unique cooperation between the parent companies up and np, details the many routes surveyed to the railroads namesake camas prairie and to the logging camp at headquarters, idaho, including maps of the lines considered in lapwai canyon, site of the famous halfmoon bridge. There was a railroad war going on between the union pacific and northern pacific lines to dominate this area. Hill the empire builder, battled each other to see who could better serve the pacific northwest via the most rail lines. Originally a cooperative building effort by predecessors of the union pacific and the bnsf in the early 20th century, as of 2004, remnants of the camas prairie are operated as the 77mile great northwest railroad by watco cos.
These images capture the railroad equipment, locations, personnel, and operations that, for generations, have connected inland northwests agricultural regions with each. The railroad soon reached out to these towns and brought millions of board feet of logs out to mills that popped up everywhere. Union pacifics bc707, bc708 boxcars page 34 by jim b. The book includes an interview, about the movie, with retired camas prairie engineer bill clem. For original or later records, check with the church history library in salt lake city many of the records to about 1948 are available at the familysearch library in salt lake city and at its familysearch centers. Author vince posted on february 5, 2017 february 18, 2017 categories local history tags breakheart pass, camas prairie railroad, central idaho, charles bronson, northern idaho, northern pacific railroad, railroad on stilts, union pacific railroad, wild wild west, wooden trestles leave a comment on railroad on stilts camas valley railroad. Railroad pictorials, railroad history, steam locomotives, passenger trains, modern railroading.
Jan 16, 2008 an online railroad bookstore featuring a curated selection of new and used railroad books. The camas prairie railroads second subdivision was completed in 1908. The camas prairie railroad went right through the spalding site, with the former state park being situated on one side and the old presbyterian church on the other. Uphs library specific areas union pacific historical society. Freight trains ran fairly regularly along this railroad.
Jim fredrickson contributed the earliest informationa 1916 companygenerated list from his collection. Camas prairie railroad passenger service this short line was created as a joint venture between union pacific and northern pacific to tap the potential of the rich timberlands in eastern washington state and western idaho. Idahos railroad on stilts edmonds, washington, pacific fast mail, 1986, were donated to the university of idaho library by hal riegger in may 1987. The nickname railroad on stilts, refers to a section of the defunct camas prairie railroad of northern idaho.
Final op session on john mcbees joint line page 1 final op session on john mcbees joint line page 2 kansas city terminal railroad visit southside railroad modelers. The final series contains permits allowing riegger on railroad property, track profiles, and tapes of oral history interviews with retired camas prairie employees. The history of the camas prairie railroad begins in the late 19th century as the owners of the up and np, edward harriman and james j. One result was the camas prairie railroad, jointly operated by np and up. They were processed by judith nielsen in february 1990. A history of camas prairie, by john f ryan lasting legacy, 18901990, camas prairie, idaho, by nan reedy and lena nash rice settlement of oregon and western idaho by utah pioneers, by mary n porter harris. He has a particular interest in branchline and shortline railroads that once connected, and in many instances still connect, small communities with the rest of the nation. The area surrounding the small town of fairfield, idaho offers a unique opportunity to view camas lilies camassia quamash pursh greene in abundant quantities. Traditionally, camas prairies were burned frequently at low intensity in late summer when the meadows were dry and the seeds released into the soil, eliminating competing vegetation, and encouraging the spread of camas. During those years the bannock indians would gather in the area during the summer and hunt wild life and gather camas wild onion and yampas wild carrot roots to store for winter use.
Hill were fighting over this whole inland area to see who could get. Each one assumes a different height and length, as determined by steep canyon walls. Quantity 1 cubic foot collection number mg183 collection summary research files, including newspaper and journal articles, maps, correspondence, oral history tapes and transcripts, and photographs, pertaining to rieggers book, the camas prairie. Camas county is full of history, stories, dreams and beauty. In one fivemile 8 km stretch, there were more than a dozen trestles. It would be essential for anyone who wanted to model the railroad, either in whole or in part. The camas prairie centennial marsh wildlife management area, located at the west end of the prairie marked in green on the map, is comprised of over 3,100 acres and provides an outstanding area for viewing opportunities for more than just the camas lily. This is one or more of the class i railroads that the railroad became part of, if any. An extensive vintage photos collection as well as maps, postcards and information on the progress of my lewiston, idaho switching layout. Timber stringer bridge on railroad location lewis county, idaho status intact but closed to all traffic history built 1907, abandoned 2000 railroads camas prairie railroad csp northern pacific railroad np design timber stringer dimensions length of largest span. Dec 16, 2019 an online railroad bookstore featuring a curated selection of new and used railroad books.
While train travel in idaho is no more, towering trestles, scenic valleys, and a centurys worth of history make this abandoned spot an absolute treasure. Its 43 bridges and six tunnels crossed some of the sharpest curves and steepest grades in railroad construction history. Headquarters fed and housed potlatch and camas prairie railroad men making it a busy hub for logging. Cheyenne west, part 1 wesley fox, 1996, wesley fox. Known as the camas prairie railroad until 1998 and then camas prairie railnet, watco companies purchased the line in 2004 and renamed it the grnw the railroad runs from lewiston, idaho, west to riparia, washington, and interchanges with the burlington northern santa. Photo taken on october 5, 1996, after starting that morning with a great breakfast at a diner with the crew, and then switching industries in grangeville. It operated this passenger service into the mid1950s. The camas prairie railroad was known as the railroad on stilts due to the many wooden trestles. The camas prairie was owned jointly by the northern pacific later burlington northern and the union pacific, almost from its. Its size and design proclaimed the importance of the railroad to the community. Camas prairie railroad company reporting mark csp was a short line railroad in northern idaho jointly owned and operated by northern pacific railway and.
This gorgeous line stretches all the way from grangeville to lapwai. The camas prairie railroad part 3 reubens to highway 95. I have been working on a personal project to travel the entire length of the second subdivision and document the now abandoned line. Welcome to camas county in the early 1850s goodales cutoff was a heavily used emigrant route that ran the length of camas prairie. I cover some of the history of the camas prairie railroad in my earlier blog post, camas prairie railroad part 1. The railroad served the camas prairie for a period of seventy years. The camas prairie idahos railroad on stilts by hal riegger was published in 1986 by pacific fast mail. Dec 05, 2017 i found a great book that shares a lot of history and cool old pictures of the camas prairie railroad by hal riegger published in 1986. Hand wrought tools, clothing, household items and firefighting equipment document the struggle faced by the townspeople making a life on the edge of the.
Final op session on john mcbees joint line page 1 final op session on john mcbees joint line page 2 kansas city terminal railroad visit. This dreamy trainthemed road trip through idaho will make. Hundreds of titles available, most at discount prices. I found a great book that shares a lot of history and cool old pictures of the camas prairie railroad by hal riegger published in 1986. Books to read 1a brief history of camas prairie idaho by lucy m. Camas prairie rails a site dedicated to preserving the history of idahos shortline on stilts. List of camas county stakes and wards to about 1948 the following are local congregations wards which existed in camas county, idaho prior to 1950.
Find all the books, read about the author, and more. Railroads, the pioneers building americas transportation backbone, and more. The dismantling of the camas prairie railroad by jim reed i was fortunate to ride on the camas prairie railroad csp line out of cottonwood in the early 1950s when the steam locomotives were still pulling not only freight cars, but also daily passenger cars that. The trains posed a safety hazard as well as a problem of aesthetics. Early photographs on display show the craig mountain lumber company and the mill pond as well as unique pictures of the building of the camas prairie railroad with its tunnels and trestles. This is an alltrades list of northern pacific employees. A few more webshots of lewiston around the inland empire. Camas prairie railroad, second subdivision, from spalding in nez.
To ensure this is a reality, the staff at camas prairie is committed to highquality instruction to support your child in the classroom and all around the school. The best viewing opportunities are usually during the last ten days of the month. The camas prairie railroad was known as the railroad on stilts due to the many wooden trestles along its route. Author vince posted on february 5, 2017 february 18, 2017 categories local history tags breakheart pass, camas prairie railroad, central idaho, charles bronson, northern idaho, northern pacific railroad, railroad on stilts, union pacific railroad, wild wild west, wooden trestles leave a comment on railroad on stiltscamas valley railroad.
An online railroad bookstore featuring a curated selection of new and used railroad books. Masonite ripped into 2 wide sheets, primed and painted blue. Our talented teachers truly care for each and every student, so they work tirelessly to teach not only the entire class, but individual students as well. History of the camas prairie railroad, jointly owned by union pacific and northern pacific. Pioneer photographer of the camas prairie railroad page 20 by garry and roz miller union pacific postcard gallery page 30 my short career on the union pacific page 32 by doug auburg freight car profile. Carefully researched from railroad papers and interviews with employees, this book tells the full story of the camas prairie for the first time from founding through. Camas prairie railroad, second subdivision, from spalding.
A century ago in the northwest, the railroad depot was the focus of town life. Washington state department of transportation 2004. Great northern railway, northern pacific railway, chicago milwaukee st. Camas prairie railroad company reporting mark csp was a short line railroad in northern idaho jointly owned and operated by northern pacific railway and union pacific railroad.
Union pacific historical society dedicated to the preservation of. With a cool fall breeze coming in from the open door of a up gp382, the camas prairie lewiston local approaches the very neat elevator complex of cottonwood id on the railroads namesake. The camas prairie railroad company railroad history and. Oct 01, 2018 palouse rails tells the stories of seven major railroads serving these regions, from their origins to the present day, through the eyes of contemporary railroad photographers. The camas prairie railroad operated in northern idaho and was jointly owned by the union pacific and northern pacific railroads.
A remnant of this bygone era and many of the daily items from the pioneer days to the present still remain within the historic railroad depotmuseum building located in fairfield. The camas prairie railroad runs through some of the most rugged and beautiful landscape that idaho has to offer. Paul and pacific railroad, gilmore and pittsburgh railroad, burlington northern railroad, list of idaho railroads, oregon railroad and navigation company, utah and northern railway, oregon short line. Rails of the northwest through time by dale peterka america. The great northwest railroad grnw is located in north central idaho, and runs a mainline of approximately 77 miles 124 km. This site has many photos of nprelated equipment used on the camas prairie railroad, an operation jointly owned by the np and up until is was spun off as a short line cass gilbert np depots north yakima cass gilbert society. A 1939 photo of northern pacific class w mikado 1507 at the lewiston roundhouse. Lawyers canyon is the longest bridge on the camas prairie railroad. Idahos railroad on stilts by hal riegger 1986, hardcover at the best online prices at ebay. The oregon short line railroad is built and transforms idaho.
Sanborn fire insurance map from grangeville, idaho county, idaho. Track 12 selected short lines streamliner schedules. Lewiston, id largest city on the camas prairie railroad. On the other hand, local farmers desired competition to keep the rates down. Numerous books, however, have already been published that provide comprehensive histories of each of the railroad companies outlined by hillebrant e. The story of the northern pacific railways famous domeliner by w. Camas prairie railroad passenger service july, 1954 the chili line. The research materials for his book the camas prairie. You can get a copy of it from my link and i highly recommend it if you are interested in the history of this railroad.
Camas prairie rails a community site showcasing idahos. A breakheart pass was filmed on the camas prairie railroad, a short line in northern idaho. They both had ambitions to build a line connecting lewiston idaho to the camas prairie to carry grain, lumber products, and mail as well as passengers. Get the best deals on collectible railroad tools when you.
These countervailing forces, combined with local speculation, boosterism and barge competition, complicated matters considerably. The early summer of 1977, en route to a new duty station, found me in an area of the country i had never been in before. For up it held a major stake in the region when it took control of the oregon railroad. Grangeville idaho idaho county nez perce county spalding, 1968. It began with information from a collection of order of railroad telegraphers, northern pacific system seniority books 1931through 1968. With a cool fall breeze coming in from the open door of a up gp382, the camas prairie lewiston local approaches the very neat elevator complex of cottonwood id on the railroad s namesake. The railroad mail clerk who delivered may from her parents house in grangeville to her grandmothers house in lewiston was a vinnegarholtz and had a huge home in east lewiston where the families.
Thomas hillebrant grew up in spokane, washington, with a deep fascination in the history and operations of railroads serving the inland northwest. History of the camas prairie railroad, jointly owned by union pacific and. The camas prairie restoration project began with the reintroduction of fire. Idahos clearwater and snake river valleys and the surrounding hills and canyons contained the camas prairie railroad, originally built between 1898 and 1928 by the northern pa. Oct 01, 2018 numerous books, however, have already been published that provide comprehensive histories of each of the railroad companies outlined by hillebrant e. This was the second leg of motorcar operators wests pacific northwest tour 1999. Considered a feat of engineering in its time, the line was nicknamed the railroad on stilts. Preorder camas prairie member price uphs company store. In one fivemile section, there are more than a dozen wooden trestles. Camas prairie railnet journal by wayne parsons the camas prairie railroad, located in north central idaho at lewiston, hosted its first ever motorcar event may 2629, 1999.
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