A company formed to construct a extension of the Oregon City line south to Canemah on behalf of the Oregon City & Portland Railway Company. The franchises used by the company were originally granted in July 1899 to G. C. Fields, a freight agent for the East Side Railway Company. He became the president of the new company when it formed in January 1901 and transferred his franchises to it. Articles discussing Mr. Fields’ original franchises are included in this section.
Much controversy accompanied the building of this extension, with franchises being granted and then rescinded, frantic clandestine construction to beat deadlines, arrests for operating freight cars on city streets and a massive legal battle regarding crossing the lines of the Southern Pacific south of Canemah. Although the company eventually won the right to cross the SP tracks at grade (twice within half a mile!), nothing was ever constructed and the line ended just north of the SP tracks at Canemah Park. The commissioners who granted the right for the crossings did so with reservations, noting how much easier it would have been to just shift the SP tracks slightly to the east to avoid the need for any crossings at all. The OC&S oversaw the construction of the extension through to completion and operation of the line was passed on the Oregon City & Portland Railway Company.
It is also worth noting that at the same time there was also an Oregon City Southern Railway Company (missing the “&”) that was attempting to gain a franchise to build an electric trolley line from Silverton to Salem. Labbe conflates the two companies into one in his book, but a July 19, 1901 article in the Oregon City Enterprise specifically states: “The company should not be confused with the Oregon City & Southern Railway Company, which was recently reported to be planning the construction of an electric line from Oregon City to Salem. It will be noticed that the names are not identical.”
| Years of Operation: | January 11, 1901–1902 |
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| Preceded By: | None |
| Succeeded By: | ‣ |