The first long-distance electric interurban line in the United States, made possible by the hydroelectric plant on the Willamette Falls at Oregon City. The line originally ran along the route of what would later be the Sellwood city streetcar line within the city of Portland, before being rerouted along the waterfront Springwater Division in November 1904.
In September 1956, construction for new approaches for the third Morrison Bridge cut the interurban lines short of crossing the Willamette to the west side, with service thereafter terminating at SE First and Hawthorne. The new east side approaches for the Hawthorne Bridge did not have any provision for track, sealing the interurban’s fate.
The Oregon City line was one of the last passenger traction lines to be abandoned when the Portland Traction Company abruptly (and possibly illegally) ended service on January 25, 1958.
Diesel freight service on the branch was abandoned in favor of operations via the parallel Southern Pacific main line track on March 25, 1968. Track on Main Street in Oregon City was removed in July and August 1969, and paved over along Portland Avenue in Gladstone in March 1970. The old right-of-way from Milwaukie to Gladstone has been repurposed as the Trolley Trail today—look out for the bronze plaques embedded in the trail that mark the approximate location of the stations along the way!
| Important Dates: | November 2, 1891 – Line opens to the Brooklyn School. June 7, 1892 - Line opens to Sellwood. August 13, 1892 - Line opens to Milwaukie. February 16, 1893 - Line opens to Oregon City. May 6, 1902 - Line extended to Canemah. November 1, 1904 - Line rerouted via Sellwood cut-off; Sellwood line becomes a stand-alone city streetcar line. September 17, 1956 - West side service over the Hawthorne Bridge ends. January 25, 1958 - Final abandonment of passenger service. | | --- | --- | | Operating Companies: | ‣ ‣ ‣ ‣ ‣ ‣ | | Gauge: | Standard (4-feet, 8.5-inches) | | Headboard: | “Oregon City” | | Car Barns: | ‣ ‣ ‣ |