Didn't there used to be a railroad line parelleling Sprague Avenue in the Valley area? (Spokane: house)

[Mopac1980]

Didn't there used to be a railroad line parelleling Sprague Avenue in the Valley area? If so who owned the railroad line and when did they abandon the railroad line?

[skinem]

Yeah, once upon a time. It think it was abandoned in the 80's by Burlington Northern.

[Mopac1980]

Originally Posted by skinem

Yeah, once upon a time. It think it was abandoned in the 80's by Burlington Northern.

I was never sure if it was owned by the Burlington Northern or the Milwaukee Road, I know the Union Pacific parellels along Sprague in the city and the Western part of the Spokane Valley before parelleling along Dishman-Mica Road.

[Robert W. "DJ" Cameron]

I was introduced to Spokane by hopping freights. My freight stopped in Hillyard (Hill's Railroad Yard) in the early 70's. This part of the rail system is not used as much if at all at this time. The railroad finished it's route into Spokane in 1888 near downtown where you see the clock tower, which was only a part of the railroad station. The trains that moved along the river have all moved north to an overhead system - both freight and passenger trains still travel through the downtown area but are far less noticeable than before the 1970's when all of the rails were near Riverfront Park with a huge system of raised tracks. This was a slum area and lots of the homeless were dispersed along here with the typical cheap bars and taverns which kept them serviced. There was a big switching yard in Hillyard with a round house and several tracks. This is gone now and may serve as a corridor for a north/south freeway now in (slow) progress. The railroad is still a viable entity in Spokane and Spokane Valley going through Spokane Valley very near Trent Avenue for the most part. Using the Spokane River as a guideline would be about as accurate. The UP parallels Sprague - Dishman-Mica; then to points South and east. The quickest route from the tri-cities (Pasco, Richland, Kennewick) is from the RR yards in Pasco to Spokane. Just wait near the ice house and the appropriate freight will come along. We used to ask the "car knockers" which train to catch but it has been a while for me so I can't tell you if the same parameters apply. I hope I have edified some of you. DJ
The reason the RR was bult rapidly into Spokane was to put down an Indian uprising. An effort was made to route the RR around the south end of Coeur D'Alene Lake but the right of way was full of to much swamp land so it was rerouted around the north end of the lake with more success. It may seem like it was a wilderness but it was the farmers already living in Idaho that directed the route through the proper passes. For more history of this area research the Cataldo Mission in N. Idaho Where Captain Mullan stayed while his crew was building the "Mullan Road" to Spokane to put down the Indian uprising. (which was already taken care of - in an inhumane manner - by the time he arrived).

[redhead]

wow robert thanks!!!! great info on the history of this area.....too bad i can't give you another rep; they only allow one at a time......another good source of local history is the museum here in town in browns addition. lots of great pics and artifacts and a complete history of how this area was founded.