Ilwaco Railway and Navigation Company

The Ilwaco Railway and Navigation Company operated a 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."Hobbs, Nancy L., and Lucero, Donella J., The Long Beach Peninsula, at 15, 28-29, Arcadia Publishing 2005

Initial ownership and related companies

The initial owners of 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.Robertson, Donald B., Encyclopedia of Western Railroading - Volume III - Oregon and Washington, at 222, Caxton Printers, Caldwell, ID (1995) 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 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 the steamboat General Canby.Feagans, Raymond J., The Railroad that Ran by the Tide, at pages 8, 10 13, Howell-North Books, Berkeley, CA (1972)

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.Feagans, at 10, 14, and 17 From 1884 to 1888, the Oregon Railway and Navigation Company is reported to have put the on the run from Portland to Ilwaco.Affleck, at 7

For a number of years the company struggled to make 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 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.Feagans, at 10-17

Construction

The company could not locate a general contractor who would build 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 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 the first engines, came from the Utah & Northern Railway, which had been converted to 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 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 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 the originally estimated $100,000.Feagans, at 19-27

Operations on original line

Frugality of management

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 the train several hours to complete its run of only . No trains ran on Sunday, at least in April 1905.Feagans, at 37 and 46 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:Feagans, at 30, reprinting editorial from the Pacific Journal

Running by the tide

Because of the extreme shallow water at the railroad's dock in Ilwaco restricted steamboat access to times when it 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.Time schedule reprinted in Feagans, at 46. Mills imagined the scene as follows:

Steamboat connections

The line made connections with steamboats at both ends. At Ilwaco, steamboats meeting 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 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 the railroad claimed to be able to make the run in just an hour from south to north.Feagans, at 28, 31-35, 43, 46 and 49

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.Faber, Jim, Steamer's Wake, pages 82-83 (including large photograph of Shamrock), Enetai Press, Seattle, WA (1985) Newell, Gordon, and Williamson, Joe, Pacific Steamboats, page 192 (with photo of Reliable), Bonanza Books, New York, NY (1963) In 1896, another steamer employed on the Willapa Bay run was the Edgar.Feagans, at 34, reprinting advertisement from the Washington Magazine

Logging transport Large logs were hauled out to the Ilwaco dock chained down to flat cars, one log to a car. There, they were dumped in Baker's Bay to be made into rafts for water transport to sawmills.Feagans, at 51, with photo Feagans also reports that very large logs were hauled on disconnect logging trucks, and provides a photo, but gives no date or location.Feagans, at 50, with photo

Personnel on original line

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.Feagans, at 32, 37, and 43

Depots, stops and facilities on the original line

Stops on 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.Asay, Jeff S., Union Pacific Northwest -- The Oregon-Washington Railroad and Navigation Company, at 186-89, Pacific Fast Mail, Edmonds, WA 1991 (supplying a route map)

Ilwaco 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.Feagans, at 33 and 52, publishing photographs of early Ilwaco harbor, from collections of Pacific County Historical Society and Ilwaco Tribune

Holman Station A water tank was located at Holman Station, which was also known as the Willows.Weathers, Larry, "Place Names of Pacific County" , The Sou'wester, Vol. 24, page 34, Pacific County Historical Society, South Bend, WA (1989)

Black Lake The railroad kept a cranberry warehouse at Black Lake, a little north of Ilwaco.Feagans, at 15 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.Feagans, at 80 Black Lake itself was sometimes called Johnson Lake or Whealdon's Pond. B.A. Seaborg, one of 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.

Seaview

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 Depot Restaurant, Seaview, Washington

Long Beach

The railroad's major destination was Long Beach, an early tourist trap, and location of a number of popular hotels, including the Tinker's Hotel and the Hotel Portland.

Breakers Station

The stop at the Breakers Hotel north of Long Beach was called Breakers Station and had a hotel.

Cranberry Station Cranberry Station was the next stop north of The Breakers.

Loomis Station 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 the railroad ceased making stops at Loomis.Feagans, at 31, publishing photograph from Mrs. Wilson collection showing train passing Loomis, with mansion, outbuildings, and a tower structure, purpose uncertain. (The ghost station of Loomis Station should not be confused with the community of Loomis, Washington in Okanogan County.)

Oceanside Oceanside is reported to have been an unscheduled stop from 1908 to 1930.

Klipsan Beach Life Saving Station

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 a wreck site, and weekly excursions were made to take vacationers to watch the lifeboat rescue drills at the Klipsan Beach Station.Weathers, Larry, "The Lifesavers of Klipsan" , The Sou'wester, Vol. 37, No. 3, page 9, Pacific County Historical Society, South Bend, WA (Fall, 2001) Feagans, at 41

Ocean Park