The following is a Chapter I have long wanted to put on paper. In addition to my happy memories of the Oregon Electric Railway, it is through the courtesy and generosity of the Burlington Northern Railroad Company and Mr. William V. Currie that research material and pictures were made available for my use, thereby making it possible for me to write this chapter. To them him I extend my sincere appreciation.
[signed] Zoe McCormick
While we were planning and building our new home on French Prairie in 1906, a great advancement was coming to the Willamette Valley with the advent of the Oregon Electric Railway making its way between Portland and Salem.
The Oregon Electric Railway trains of bright orange coaches had their beginning here as they whistled and clattered their way through this beautiful valley of prairie, forests, and productive farm lands—a valley 60 miles wide and 150 miles long. However, the distance between Portland and Salem covered but 50 miles of the valley.
The year was 1905. Under the date of December 11, Salem's Capital Journal newspaper carried a story headlined ”Dirt Throwing Days.” About 7:00 A. M. on that foggy morning, work had started on the new Portland Electric Railroad at the junction of the Fairgrounds Street car line with Cottage Street. As I write this, 77 years have passed into history since that memorable date [putting this recollection as c. 1982].
Backed by Eastern capital, the Oregon Electric Railway Company was incorporated May 15, 1906. Clearly, the backers, Moffat and White of New York, meant business. Very shortly engineers of W. S. Barstow and Company arrived in Portland to begin construction.
On August 20, 1906, a steam construction locomotive pulling two flat cars cautiously chugged. up High Street. In order to meet the deadline date for completion of the work, construction crews were making history to avoid a pending injunction suit. Record-making time had been made through Salem. A full construction crew distributed and laid railroad ties on High Street between State and Trade streets, a distance of two blocks, in 18 minutes.
The most difficult piece of construction would be the necessary bridge across the Willamette at Wilsonville. Graders and bridge-building crews set to work from both the Portland and the Salem ends of the survey.
Between August of 1906 and September of 1907, the Willamette River rose to flood seven times, once reaching 40 feet above normal at the bridge site. Since the river was navigable, the bridge had to be provided with a draw or be at least 45 feet above high water. It was then that the Oregon Electric decided on the high fixed-span type, consisting of three steel trusses each 810 feet long and tall wooden trestle approaches—resulting in a bridge nearly a mile long. The piers rested on rock far below the surface of the river. Construction was slow. Finally, on November 19, 1907, track crews working both from Portland and Salem brought the rails to a meeting near Tigard and drove the last spike without ceremony. Track men tossed their hats into the air; officials tossed down a few drinks; but there was no general celebration. Barstow and Company of New York had built the entire line through its full length of 50 miles at a cost of approximately two million dollars. From the fourth of October, crews in work trains shuttled timorously over the soft track.
An engineering triumph had indeed reached our valley when on January 1, 1908, an inspection trip was run by one of the new electric cars, the first electric car to operate over the line from Portland to Salem, a distance of 50.7 miles. The trip required three hours under low power, due to the soft wobbly road-bed, but the time would come when the grade would settle and faster speeds would be possible. Also on that January 1, 1908, the line was turned over to the Oregon Electric Railway Company. The first through passenger train from Portland arrived in Salem on January 20, 1908. Conductor Smith was in charge and the car was crowded for standing room. The round trip fare was $2.75.
Note: Interestingly, this narrative omits that electric passenger service was provided between Salem and Chemawa—five miles to the north—as early as September 10, 1906 in order to comply with the franchise granted by the City of Salem.
With the building of the Oregon Electric Railroad, the tracks cut across one corner of our farm, leaving a small tract of land, about two acres, on the opposite aide of the track. Since it all happened so long ago, it is not possible for me to remember what arrangements were made with the farmers regarding payment for the railroad right-of-way.
The railroad track crossed the public road a half-block from our home, but walking the track it was a mile either way to boarding stations at St. Louis on the North or Concomly on the South.
Note: This statement allows us to place Zoe’s home on Keene Road NE, which is situated almost exactly halfway between these two named stations. A small knot of houses still clusters along the road where the track crosses it today.
For a number of years, the Salem depot was at Mill and High streets. Completion of the Hubbard Building, at High and State streets, about 1911 saw the depot relocated there. The Hubbard Building is now known as the Oregon Building.
Stations north of State Street in Salem were Hood Street, Highland Avenue, and School for the Deaf. Continuing north were Quinaby, Chemawa, Waconda, Chemeketa (now known as Hopmere), Concomly, St. Louis, West Woodburn, and various other stops on into Portland.
Service opened with two daily runs each way between Portland and Salem. Therefore, in the beginning Oregon Electric equipment consisted of eight bright orange wooden coaches built by Jewett and fitted with baggage, smoking, and regular compartments. Soon, six new passenger coaches were added to the runs. Each coach was 57 feet, 8 inches long. Similar in design to the Jewett coaches, these six new coaches were built by Niles.
By 1909 the line had become a first-class railroad with a 3-cent-a-mile fare and $2.00 excursion rates between Portland and Salem round trip on week-ends. This was when city folk were off to visit relatives and friends. And in good weather others were on their way with family and picnic baskets in tow. Local trains traveled at the rate of 20 miles per hour, and the "Limited” averaged 33 miles per hour.