A company formed by a Canby man, M. J. Lee, who had grand plans to build an electric railway line from Canby to Portland with branch lines from Canby to various river towns. Included in the plan was a massive tunnel underneath Council Crest leading to a subway under the Park Blocks. Like many of these grandiose schemes, nothing ever came of it—though the company’s franchise rights for a line from Canby to Molalla were taken over by the Portland, Eugene & Eastern Railway Company as they sought to rapidly expand their lines in the Willamette Valley. This line was never electrified, however.
It should be noted that when the PE&E line was opened in September 1913 Robert Strahorn, president of the company, gave credit to Mr. Lee for “assistance in gathering data, getting right of way and otherwise furthering the railroad project in its incipient stages,” strongly suggesting that he was acting as an agent for the company from the beginning.
| Years of Operation: | March 5, 1912–June 1912 |
|---|---|
| Preceded By: | None |
| Succeeded By: | Franchises and rights-of-way passed to the Portland, Eugene & Eastern Railway Company, though their Canby–Molalla branch line was never electrified. |