Northern Pacific Railway
Encyclopedia
The Northern Pacific Railway was a railway that operated in the west along the Canadian border of the United States
. Construction began in 1870 and the main line opened all the way from the Great Lakes to the Pacific when former president Ulysses S. Grant
drove in the final "golden spike" in central Montana on Sept. 8, 1883. The railroad served a large area, including extensive trackage in the states of Idaho
, Minnesota
, Montana
, North Dakota
, Oregon
, Washington and Wisconsin
. In addition the company had international lines to Winnipeg
, Manitoba
, and southeastern British Columbia
, Canada
. The company was headquartered first in Brainerd, Minnesota
, then in Saint Paul, Minnesota
. In 1970 it merged with other lines to form the Burlington Northern Railroad
.
The Northern Pacific Railway Company was chartered by Congress on July 2, 1864; it was formed with the goal of connecting the Great Lakes with Puget Sound on the Pacific, opening vast new lands for farming, ranching, lumbering and mining, and linking Washington and Oregon to the rest of the country. It was granted some 47 million acres (190,000 km2) of land in exchange for building rail transportation to an undeveloped territory. Josiah Perham (for whom Perham, Minnesota
, is named) was elected its first president on December 7, 1864.
. The backing and promotions of famed Civil War
financier Jay Cooke
in the summer of 1870 brought the first real momentum to the company.
Over the course of 1870, the Northern Pacific pushed westward from Minnesota into present-day North Dakota
. It also began reaching from Kalama, Washington
Territory, on the Columbia River
outside of Portland, Oregon
, towards Puget Sound
. Four small construction engines were purchased, the Minnetonka, Itaska, Ottertail and St. Cloud, the first of which was shipped to Kalama by ship
around Cape Horn
. In Minnesota, the Lake Superior and Mississippi Railroad
completed construction of its 155 miles (249.4 km) line stretching from Saint Paul
to Lake Superior
at Duluth in 1870. It was leased to the Northern Pacific the following year, and was eventually absorbed by the Northern Pacific.
In 1871, Northern Pacific completed some 230 miles (370.1 km) of railroad on the east end of its system, reaching out to Moorhead, Minnesota
, on the North Dakota border. In the west, the track extended 25 miles (40.2 km) north from Kalama. Surveys were carried out in North Dakota protected by 600 troops under General Winfield Scott Hancock
. Headquarters and shops were established in Brainerd, Minnesota
, a town named for the President John Gregory Smith's wife Anna Elizabeth Brainerd.
In 1872, the company put down 164 miles (263.9 km) of main line across North Dakota, with an additional 45 miles (72.4 km) in Washington. On November 1, General George Washington Cass
became the third president of the company. Cass had been a vice-president and director of the Pennsylvania Railroad
, and would lead the Northern Pacific through some of its most difficult times.
Attacks on survey parties and construction crews building in Native American homelands in North Dakota became so prevalent that the company appealed for Army protection from President
Ulysses S. Grant
.
In 1872 the Northern Pacific also opened colonization offices in Europe
, seeking to attract settlers to the sparsely populated and undeveloped region it served. Survey parties accompanied by federal troops, railroad construction, permanent settlement and development, along with the discovery of gold
in nearby South Dakota
, all served as a backdrop leading up to the Battle of the Little Bighorn
and the defeat of General George Armstrong Custer
in 1876.
on June 4. After several years of study, Tacoma, Washington
, was selected as the road's western terminus on July 14. However, for the past three years the financial house of Jay Cooke
and Company had been throwing money into the construction of the Northern Pacific. As with many western transcontinentals
, the staggering costs of building a railroad into a vast wilderness were drastically underestimated.
For a variety of reasons, led by the costs of constructing the railroad itself, Cooke and Company closed its doors on September 18. Soon, the Panic of 1873
engulfed the United States, ushering in a severe recession
which would drag on for several years.
The Northern Pacific, however, survived bankruptcy that year, due to austerity measures put in place by President Cass. In fact, working with last-minute loans from Director John C. Ainsworth
of Portland, the Northern Pacific completed the line from Kalama to Tacoma, 110 miles (177 km), before the end of the year. On December 16, the first steam train arrived in Tacoma. The year of 1874, however, found the company moribund.
Northern Pacific slipped into its first bankruptcy on June 30, 1875. Cass resigned to become receiver of the company, and Charles Barstow Wright became fourth president of the company. Frederick Billings, namesake of Billings, Montana
, formulated a reorganization plan which was put into effect. This same year George Custer was assigned to Fort Rice, Dakota Territory, and charged with protecting the railroad survey and construction crews.
and on to the coal fields around Wilkeson, Washington
. Much of the coal was destined for export through Tacoma to San Francisco, California
, where it would be thrown into the fireboxes of Central Pacific Railroad
steam engines.
This small amount of construction was one of the largest projects the company would undertake in the years between 1874 and 1880. That same year the company built a large shop complex at South Tacoma, Washington. For many years the shops at Brainerd and South Tacoma would carry out heavy repairs and build equipment for the railroad.
On May 24, 1879, Vermont
lawyer Frederick Billings became the president of the company. Billings' tenure would be short but ferocious. Reorganization, bond sales, and improvement in the U.S. economy allowed Northern Pacific to strike out across the Missouri River by letting a contract to build 100 miles (160.9 km) of railroad west of the river. The railroad's new-found strength, however, would be seen as a threat in certain quarters.
Ferdinand Heinrich Gustav Hilgard had been born in Bavaria
in 1835, emigrating to America in 1853, at the age of 18. Settling in Illinois
, the well-educated Hilgard became a journalist and editor, covering the Lincoln-Douglas debates, then the American Civil War for the larger New York
papers, changing his name to Henry Villard
along the way. He went back to his native Germany in 1871, where he came in contact with European financial interests speculating in American railroads.
When he returned to the United States after the Panic of 1873, he was the representative of these concerns. In the few short years prior to 1880, Villard intervened on the behalf of these interests in several transportation systems in Oregon. Through Villard's work, most of these lines wound up in the hands of the European creditors' holding company, the Oregon and Transcontinental Company
.
Of the lines held by the Oregon and Transcontinental, the most important was the Oregon Railway and Navigation Company, a line running east from Portland along the south bank of the Columbia River to a connection with the Union Pacific Railroad
's Oregon Short Line at the confluence of the Columbia River and the Snake River
near Wallula, Washington
.
Within a decade of his return, Henry Villard became the head of a transportation empire in the Pacific Northwest that had but one real competitor, the ever-expanding Northern Pacific. Northern Pacific's completion threatened the holdings of Villard in the Northwest, and especially in Portland. Portland would become a second-class city if the Puget Sound ports at Tacoma and Seattle, Washington
, were connected to the East by rail.
Villard, who had been building a monopoly of river and rail transportation in Oregon
for several years, now launched a daring raid. Using his European connections and a reputation for having "bested" Jay Gould
in a battle for control of the Kansas Pacific years before, Villard solicited — and raised — $
8 million from his associates. This was his famous "Blind Pool," Villard's associates were not told what the money would be used for. In this case, the funds were used to purchase control of the Northern Pacific.
Despite a tough fight, Billings and his backers were forced to capitulate; he resigned the presidency June 9. Ashabel H. Barney was brought in as an interim caretaker of the railroad from June 19 to September 15, when Villard was finally elected president by the stockholders. For the next two years, Villard and the Northern Pacific rode the whirlwind.
In 1882, 360 miles (579.4 km) of main line and 368 miles (592.2 km) of branch line
were completed, bringing totals to 1347 miles (2,167.8 km) and 731 miles (1,176.4 km), respectively. On October 10, 1882, the line from Wadena, Minnesota
, to Fergus Falls, Minnesota
, opened for service. The Missouri River was bridged with a million-dollar span on October 21, 1882. The Missouri had been handled by a ferry service most of the year. During winters, when ice was thick enough, the rails were laid across the river itself.
General Herman Haupt
, another veteran of the Civil War and the Pennsylvania Railroad, set up the Northern Pacific Beneficial Association in 1881. A forerunner of the modern health maintenance organization
, the NPBA ultimately established a series of four hospitals across the system in Saint Paul, Minnesota
, Glendive, Montana
, Missoula, Montana
, and Tacoma, Washington
, to care for employees, retirees, and their families.
Events reached their climax in 1883. On January 15 the first train reached Livingston, Montana
, at the eastern foot of Bozeman Pass
. Livingston, like Brainerd and South Tacoma before it, would grow to encompass a large backshop handling heavy repairs for the railroad. It would also mark the east-west dividing line on the Northern Pacific system.
Villard pushed hard for the completion of the Northern Pacific in 1883. During Villard's presidency, crews were averaging a mile and half (2.4 km) of track laying each day. Finally, in September, the line neared completion. To celebrate, Villard chartered four trains to carry visitors from the East to Gold Creek in central Montana. No expense was spared and the list of dignitaries included Frederick Billings, Ulysses S. Grant, and Villard's in-laws, the family of abolitionist William Lloyd Garrison
. On September 8, the Gold Spike was driven at Gold Creek
.
in January 1884.
Again, the presidency of the Northern Pacific was handed to a professional railroader, Robert Harris
, former head of the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad
. For the next four years, until the return of the Villard clique, Harris worked at improving the property and breaking away from its tangled relationship with the Oregon Railway and Navigation Company.
Throughout the middle 1880s, the Northern Pacific pushed to reach Puget Sound directly, rather than a roundabout route following the Columbia River. Surveys of the Cascade Mountains, carried out intermittently since the 1870s, now began anew. Virgil Bogue
, a veteran civil engineer
, was sent to explore the Cascades again. On March 19, 1881, he discovered Stampede Pass
. In 1883, John W. Sprague
, the head of the new Pacific Division, drove the Golden Spike to mark the beginning of the railroad from what would become Kalama, Washington
. However, due to impaired health, he was forced to resign a few months later.
In 1884, after the departure of Villard, the Northern Pacific began building toward Stampede Pass
from Wallula in the east and the area of Wilkeson in the west. By the end of the year, rails had reached Yakima, Washington
in the east. A 77 miles (123.9 km) gap remained in 1886.
In January of that year, Nelson Bennett was given a contract to construct a 9850 feet (3,002.3 m) tunnel under Stampede Pass. The contract specified a short amount of time for completion, and a large penalty if the deadline were missed. While crews worked on the tunnel, the railroad built a temporary switchback
route across the pass. With numerous timber trestles and grades which approached six percent, the temporary line required two M class 2-10-0
s — the two largest locomotives in the world (at that time) — to handle a tiny five-car train. On May 3, 1888, crews holed through
the tunnel, and on May 27 the first train direct to Puget Sound passed through.
, assumed the presidency on September 20, 1888.
In an effort to garner business, the Villard regime pursued an aggressive policy of branch line expansion. In addition, the Northern Pacific experienced the first competition in the form of James Jerome Hill and his Great Northern Railway. The Great Northern, like the Northern Pacific before it, was pushing west from the Twin Cities towards Puget Sound, and would be completed in 1893.
To combat the Great Northern, in a few instances Villard built branch line mileage simply to occupy a territory, regardless of whether the territory offered the railroad any business. Mismanagement, sparse traffic, and the Panic of 1893
sounded the death knell for the Northern Pacific and Villard's interest in railroading. The company slipped into its second bankruptcy on October 20, 1893. Oakes was named receiver and Brayton C. Ives
, a former chairman of the New York Stock Exchange
became president.
.
Ultimately, the task of straightening out the muddle of the Northern Pacific was turned over to John Pierpont Morgan. Morganization of the Northern Pacific, a process which befell many U.S. roads in the wake of the Panic of 1893, was handed to Morgan lieutenant Charles Henry Coster. The new president, beginning September 1, 1897, was Charles Sanger Mellen
.
Though James J. Hill had purchased an interest in the Northern Pacific during the troubled days of 1896, Coster and Mellen would advocate, and follow, a staunchly independent line for the Northern Pacific for the next four years. Only the early death of Coster from overwork, and the promotion of Mellen to head the Morgan-controlled New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad
in 1903, would bring the Northern Pacific closer to the orbit of James J. Hill.
Rather than build directly down to Chicago, perhaps following the Mississippi River as the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy
had done, Villard chose to lease the Wisconsin Central. Some backers of the Wisconsin Central had long associations with Villard, and an expensive lease was worked out between the two companies which was only undone by the Northern Pacific's second bankruptcy.
The ultimate result was that the Northern Pacific was left without a direct connection to Chicago, the primary interchange point for most of the large U.S. railroads. Fortunately, the Northern Pacific was not alone. James J. Hill, controller of the Great Northern, which was completed between the Twin Cities and Puget Sound in 1893, also lacked a direct connection to Chicago. Hill went looking for a road with an existing route between the Twin Cities and Chicago which could be rolled into his holdings and give him a stable path to that important interchange. At the same time, Edward Henry Harriman, head of the Union Pacific Railroad
, was also looking for a road which could connect his company to Chicago.
The road both Harriman and Hill looked at was the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy. To Harriman, the Burlington was a road which paralleled much of his own, and offered tantalizing direct access to Chicago. For Hill as well there was the possibility of a high-speed link directly with Chicago. Though the Burlington did not parallel the Great Northern or the Northern Pacific, it would give them a powerful railroad in the central West. Harriman was the first to approach the Burlington's aging chieftain, the irascible Charles Elliott Perkins
. The price for control of the Burlington, as set by Perkins, was $200 a share, more than Harriman was willing to pay. Hill, however, met the price, and control of the Burlington was divided equally at about 48.5 percent each between the Great Northern and the Northern Pacific.
Not to be outdone, Harriman now came up with a crafty plan: Buy a controlling interest in the Northern Pacific and use its power on the Burlington to place friendly directors upon its board. On May 3, 1901, Harriman began his stock raid which would become known as the Northern Pacific Corner. By the end of the day he was short just 40,000 shares of common stock. Harriman placed an order to cover this, but was overridden by his broker, Jacob Schiff
, of Kuhn, Loeb & Co.
Hill, on the other hand, reached the vacationing Morgan in Italy
and managed to place an order for 150,000 shares of common stock. Though Harriman might be able to control the preferred stock, Hill knew the company bylaws allowed for the holders of the common stock to vote to retire the preferred.
In three days, however, the Harriman-Hill imbroglio managed to wreak havoc on the stock market. Northern Pacific stock was quoted at $150 a share on May 6, and is reported to have traded as much as $1,000 a share behind the scenes. Harriman and Hill now worked to settle the issue for brokers to avoid panic. Hill, for his part, attempted to avoid future stock raids by placing his holdings in the Northern Securities Company
, a move which would be undone by the Supreme Court
in 1904 under the auspices of the Sherman Anti-Trust Act. Harriman was not immune either; he was forced to break up his holdings in the Union Pacific and the Southern Pacific Railroad
a few years later.
, another veteran of the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy, became president of the Northern Pacific on October 23. Elliott was a relative of the Burlington's crusty chieftain Charles Elliott Perkins, and more distantly the Burlington's great backer, John Murray Forbes
. He had spent 20 years in the trenches of Midwest railroading, where rebates, pooling, expansion and rate wars had brought ruinous competition. Having seen the effects of having multiple railroads attempt to serve the same destination, he was very much in tune with James J. Hill's philosophy of "community of interest," a loose affiliation or collusion among roads in an attempt to avoid duplicating routes, rate wars, weak finances and ultimately bankruptcies and reorganizations. Elliott would be left to make peace with the Hill-controlled Great Northern; the Harriman-controlled Union Pacific; and, between 1907 and 1909, the last of the northern transcontinentals, the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad
, more commonly known as the Milwaukee Road.
, as well as the Spokane, Portland and Seattle Railway
, an important route through eastern and southern Washington. Its physical plant was upgraded continuously, with double tracking in key areas, and automatic block signaling along its entire main line. This in turn gave way to centralized traffic control, microwave and radio communications as time progressed.
The Northern Pacific maintained and continuously upgraded its equipment and service. The road helped pioneer the 4-8-4
Northern type steam engine, the 2-8-8-4
Yellowstone, and was among the first railroads in the country to adopt the widespread use of diesel power beginning with General Motors’ FTs
in 1944.
The Northern Pacific's premier passenger train, the North Coast Limited
was among the safest and finest in the nation, suffering only one passenger fatality in nearly 70 years of operation.
, the Great Northern Railway and the Spokane, Portland and Seattle Railway
on March 2, 1970, to form the Burlington Northern Railroad
. Ironically, the merger was allowed despite a challenge in the Supreme Court, essentially reversing the outcome of the 1904 Northern Securities ruling.
, the Lake Superior Division's main routes were from Duluth to Ashland, Wisconsin
, Duluth to Staples, Minnesota
, and Duluth to White Bear Lake, Minnesota
.
The division encompassed 631 route miles; 356 in main line and 274 in branches.
, the St. Paul Division's main routes were from Saint Paul to Staples, Saint Paul to White Bear Lake, and Staples to Dilworth, Minnesota
. The division encompassed 909 route miles; 310 in main line and 599 in branches.
, the Fargo Division's main routes were from Dilworth to Mandan, North Dakota
. The division encompassed 1,167 route miles; 216 in main line and 951 in branches.
, the Yellowstone Division's main routes were from Mandan, North Dakota
, to Billings, Montana
, and from Billings to Livingston, Montana
. The division encompassed 875 route miles; 546 in main line and 328 in branches.
, the Rocky Mountain Division's main routes were from Livingston to Paradise, Montana
via Helena, Montana
and Mullan Pass
, and from Logan, Montana
, to Garrison, Montana
, via Butte, Montana
, and Homestake Pass
. The division encompassed 892 route miles; 563 in main line and 330 in branches. It was home to the principal central district repair facility at Livingston, Montana.
, the Idaho Division's main routes were from Paradise, Mont., to Yakima, Washington
, via Pasco, Washington
. The division encompassed 1,123 route miles; 466 in main line and 657 in branches.
, the Tacoma Division's main routes were from Yakima to Stuck Junction, near future Auburn, Washington
, Seattle, Washington
to Sumas, Washington, on the border with British Columbia
, Canada
, and from Seattle to Portland, Oregon
. The division encompassed 1,034 route miles; 373 in main line and 661 in branches. It was home to the principal west end repair facility at South Tacoma, Washington.
was a famous passenger train operated by the Northern Pacific Railway between Chicago and Seattle via Butte, Montana
and Homestake Pass
. It commenced service on April 29, 1900, served briefly as a Burlington Northern train after the merger on March 2, 1970, and ceased operation the day before Amtrak began service (April 30, 1971). The Chicago Union Station to Saint Paul leg of the train's route was operated by the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad
along its Mississippi River mainline through Wisconsin. The North Coast Limited was the Northern Pacific's flagship train and the Northern Pacific itself was built along the trail first blazed by Lewis and Clark.
The Northern Pacific’s secondary transcontinental passenger train was the Alaskan, until it was replaced by the Mainstreeter on November 16, 1952. The Mainstreeter, which operated via Helena, Montana
and Mullan Pass
, continued in service through the Burlington Northern merger until Amtrak
Day (May 1, 1971). However, it had been reduced to a Saint Paul
to Seattle train after the last run of the former Burlington Route
Black Hawk
on April 12–13, 1970.
The Northern Pacific also participated in the Coast Pool Train service between Portland
and Seattle
with the Great Northern Railway and the Union Pacific Railroad
. NP and GN Coast Pool Trains lasted until Amtrak.
There several other passenger trains which were discontinued before the Burlington Northern merger. These included:
locomotives in the United States.
The NP's desire to burn low grade semi-bituminous coal
from company-owned mines at Rosebud, Montana, played a part in the development of the 4-8-4
wheel arrangement for steam locomotives. With a BTU
fifty percent lower than anthracite coal, the NP's locomotive design called for a much larger firebox, and thus an additional axle on the trailing truck. This led locomotive designers from the 4-8-2
Mountain to the 4-8-4
Northern, first produced by Alco for the NP in 1926 and designated the Class A by the railway.
The 2-8-8-4
, called the Yellowstone, was first built for the NP by Alco
in 1928 and numbered 5000, Class Z-5, with more built by Baldwin Locomotive Works
in 1930. The large locomotives were designed to handle higher tonnage on freight trains while simultaneously eliminating the need to use more 2-8-2
Mikados and crews. They originally served in the western North Dakota
/eastern Montana
territory.
The Northern Pacific purchased Timken 1111
called the Four Aces, the first locomotive built with roller bearings, in 1933. The Northern Pacific renumbered it 2626 and classified it as the sole member of locomotive Class A-1. It was used in passenger service in Washington, Oregon
, Idaho
and Montana
until 1957 when it was retired from active service and scrapped at South Tacoma, despite attempts to preserve the locomotive. After Timken 1111, the NP bought only roller bearing equipped steam locomotives, with the exception of four 4-6-6-4 Class Z-6 locomotives that were later changed to roller bearings.
In addition, preserved Spokane, Portland and Seattle 700
, a 4-8-4, was derived from Northern Pacific designs.
Many NP passenger cars remain in private collections.
Numerous NP cabooses remain in private collections.
Mr. E. H. McHenry and Mr. Chas. S. Fee, then, as now, the Chief Engineer and General Passenger and Ticket Agent of the Company, respectively, are principally to be credited with its discovery and adoption. The Northern Pacific was in search of a trademark. Many designs had been considered and rejected. Mr. McHenry, while visiting the Korea
n exhibit at the Chicago World's Fair
, was struck with a geometric design, a Taijitu
, that appeared on the Korean flag. It was simple, yet effective — plain, yet striking. At once the idea came to him that it was just the symbol for the long-sought-for trademark. With but 'slight' modification it lent itself readily to the purpose. When rendered in red and black the symbol becomes a monad, similar to the monad symbol used by the Technocracy Movement
. Though, this appears to be a coincidence.
After Mr. McHenry returned to St. Paul
, Mr. Fee sent to him several designs bearing on the trademark idea, for elaboration in his drafting-room. Mr. McHenry added to them the Korean figure. Mr. Fee was at once impressed with this, added the words, "Yellowstone Park Line," and sent the trademark forth into the world emblazoned upon the company's folders. The symbol impressed every one favorably, and has, from the first, attracted universal attention. Upon the organization of the Northern Pacific Railway— the old company having previously been under a receivership — the design was formally adopted as a trademark. Mr. Edward D. Adams, chairman of the Board of Directors, adopted it for the corporate seal of the new company, and had it engraved upon the company's securities.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Construction began in 1870 and the main line opened all the way from the Great Lakes to the Pacific when former president Ulysses S. Grant
Ulysses S. Grant
Ulysses S. Grant was the 18th President of the United States as well as military commander during the Civil War and post-war Reconstruction periods. Under Grant's command, the Union Army defeated the Confederate military and ended the Confederate States of America...
drove in the final "golden spike" in central Montana on Sept. 8, 1883. The railroad served a large area, including extensive trackage in the states of Idaho
Idaho
Idaho is a state in the Rocky Mountain area of the United States. The state's largest city and capital is Boise. Residents are called "Idahoans". Idaho was admitted to the Union on July 3, 1890, as the 43rd state....
, Minnesota
Minnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
, Montana
Montana
Montana is a state in the Western United States. The western third of Montana contains numerous mountain ranges. Smaller, "island ranges" are found in the central third of the state, for a total of 77 named ranges of the Rocky Mountains. This geographical fact is reflected in the state's name,...
, North Dakota
North Dakota
North Dakota is a state located in the Midwestern region of the United States of America, along the Canadian border. The state is bordered by Canada to the north, Minnesota to the east, South Dakota to the south and Montana to the west. North Dakota is the 19th-largest state by area in the U.S....
, Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
, Washington and Wisconsin
Wisconsin
Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...
. In addition the company had international lines to Winnipeg
Winnipeg
Winnipeg is the capital and largest city of Manitoba, Canada, and is the primary municipality of the Winnipeg Capital Region, with more than half of Manitoba's population. It is located near the longitudinal centre of North America, at the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine Rivers .The name...
, Manitoba
Manitoba
Manitoba is a Canadian prairie province with an area of . The province has over 110,000 lakes and has a largely continental climate because of its flat topography. Agriculture, mostly concentrated in the fertile southern and western parts of the province, is vital to the province's economy; other...
, and southeastern British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. The company was headquartered first in Brainerd, Minnesota
Brainerd, Minnesota
Brainerd is a city in Crow Wing County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 13,590 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Crow Wing County and one of the largest cities in Central Minnesota...
, then in Saint Paul, Minnesota
Saint Paul, Minnesota
Saint Paul is the capital and second-most populous city of the U.S. state of Minnesota. The city lies mostly on the east bank of the Mississippi River in the area surrounding its point of confluence with the Minnesota River, and adjoins Minneapolis, the state's largest city...
. In 1970 it merged with other lines to form the Burlington Northern Railroad
Burlington Northern Railroad
The Burlington Northern Railroad was a United States-based railroad company formed from a merger of four major U.S. railroads. Burlington Northern operated between 1970 and 1996....
.
Organization and first rail
Perham, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 2,559 people, 1,104 households, and 642 families residing in the city. The population density was 976.2 people per square mile . There were 1,167 housing units at an average density of 445.2 per square mile...
, is named) was elected its first president on December 7, 1864.
Jay Cooke appears
For the next six years, backers of the road struggled to find financing. Though John Gregory Smith succeeded Perham as president on January 5, 1866, groundbreaking did not take place until February 15, 1870, at Thompson Junction, Minnesota, 25 miles (40.2 km) west of Duluth, MinnesotaDuluth, Minnesota
Duluth is a port city in the U.S. state of Minnesota and is the county seat of Saint Louis County. The fourth largest city in Minnesota, Duluth had a total population of 86,265 in the 2010 census. Duluth is also the second largest city that is located on Lake Superior after Thunder Bay, Ontario,...
. The backing and promotions of famed Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
financier Jay Cooke
Jay Cooke
Jay Cooke was an American financier. Cooke and his firm Jay Cooke & Company were most notable for their role in financing the Union's war effort during the American Civil War...
in the summer of 1870 brought the first real momentum to the company.
Over the course of 1870, the Northern Pacific pushed westward from Minnesota into present-day North Dakota
North Dakota
North Dakota is a state located in the Midwestern region of the United States of America, along the Canadian border. The state is bordered by Canada to the north, Minnesota to the east, South Dakota to the south and Montana to the west. North Dakota is the 19th-largest state by area in the U.S....
. It also began reaching from Kalama, Washington
Kalama, Washington
Kalama is a city in Cowlitz County, Washington, United States. It is part of the 'Longview, Washington Metropolitan Statistical Area'. The population was 2,344 at the 2010 census.-History:...
Territory, on the Columbia River
Columbia River
The Columbia River is the largest river in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. The river rises in the Rocky Mountains of British Columbia, Canada, flows northwest and then south into the U.S. state of Washington, then turns west to form most of the border between Washington and the state...
outside of Portland, Oregon
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
, towards Puget Sound
Puget Sound
Puget Sound is a sound in the U.S. state of Washington. It is a complex estuarine system of interconnected marine waterways and basins, with one major and one minor connection to the Strait of Juan de Fuca and the Pacific Ocean — Admiralty Inlet being the major connection and...
. Four small construction engines were purchased, the Minnetonka, Itaska, Ottertail and St. Cloud, the first of which was shipped to Kalama by ship
Ship
Since the end of the age of sail a ship has been any large buoyant marine vessel. Ships are generally distinguished from boats based on size and cargo or passenger capacity. Ships are used on lakes, seas, and rivers for a variety of activities, such as the transport of people or goods, fishing,...
around Cape Horn
Cape Horn
Cape Horn is the southernmost headland of the Tierra del Fuego archipelago of southern Chile, and is located on the small Hornos Island...
. In Minnesota, the Lake Superior and Mississippi Railroad
Lake Superior and Mississippi Railroad
The Lake Superior and Mississippi Railroad is the name for two different railroads in Minnesota.-Historic railroad:The Lake Superior and Mississippi Railroad was the first rail link between the Twin Cities and Duluth and came into existence in 1863 when financier Jay Cooke selected Duluth as the...
completed construction of its 155 miles (249.4 km) line stretching from Saint Paul
Saint Paul, Minnesota
Saint Paul is the capital and second-most populous city of the U.S. state of Minnesota. The city lies mostly on the east bank of the Mississippi River in the area surrounding its point of confluence with the Minnesota River, and adjoins Minneapolis, the state's largest city...
to Lake Superior
Lake Superior
Lake Superior is the largest of the five traditionally-demarcated Great Lakes of North America. It is bounded to the north by the Canadian province of Ontario and the U.S. state of Minnesota, and to the south by the U.S. states of Wisconsin and Michigan. It is the largest freshwater lake in the...
at Duluth in 1870. It was leased to the Northern Pacific the following year, and was eventually absorbed by the Northern Pacific.
In 1871, Northern Pacific completed some 230 miles (370.1 km) of railroad on the east end of its system, reaching out to Moorhead, Minnesota
Moorhead, Minnesota
Moorhead is a city in Clay County, Minnesota, United States, and the largest city in northwest Minnesota. The population was 38,065 at the 2010 Census. It is the county seat of Clay County....
, on the North Dakota border. In the west, the track extended 25 miles (40.2 km) north from Kalama. Surveys were carried out in North Dakota protected by 600 troops under General Winfield Scott Hancock
Winfield Scott Hancock
Winfield Scott Hancock was a career U.S. Army officer and the Democratic nominee for President of the United States in 1880. He served with distinction in the Army for four decades, including service in the Mexican-American War and as a Union general in the American Civil War...
. Headquarters and shops were established in Brainerd, Minnesota
Brainerd, Minnesota
Brainerd is a city in Crow Wing County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 13,590 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Crow Wing County and one of the largest cities in Central Minnesota...
, a town named for the President John Gregory Smith's wife Anna Elizabeth Brainerd.
In 1872, the company put down 164 miles (263.9 km) of main line across North Dakota, with an additional 45 miles (72.4 km) in Washington. On November 1, General George Washington Cass
George Washington Cass
George Washington Cass was an American industrialist and president of the Northern Pacific Railway.- Family :George Washington Cass was born near Dresden, Ohio, March 12, 1810, to George W. and Sophia Cass...
became the third president of the company. Cass had been a vice-president and director of the Pennsylvania Railroad
Pennsylvania Railroad
The Pennsylvania Railroad was an American Class I railroad, founded in 1846. Commonly referred to as the "Pennsy", the PRR was headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania....
, and would lead the Northern Pacific through some of its most difficult times.
Attacks on survey parties and construction crews building in Native American homelands in North Dakota became so prevalent that the company appealed for Army protection from President
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
Ulysses S. Grant
Ulysses S. Grant
Ulysses S. Grant was the 18th President of the United States as well as military commander during the Civil War and post-war Reconstruction periods. Under Grant's command, the Union Army defeated the Confederate military and ended the Confederate States of America...
.
In 1872 the Northern Pacific also opened colonization offices in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, seeking to attract settlers to the sparsely populated and undeveloped region it served. Survey parties accompanied by federal troops, railroad construction, permanent settlement and development, along with the discovery of gold
Gold
Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au and an atomic number of 79. Gold is a dense, soft, shiny, malleable and ductile metal. Pure gold has a bright yellow color and luster traditionally considered attractive, which it maintains without oxidizing in air or water. Chemically, gold is a...
in nearby South Dakota
South Dakota
South Dakota is a state located in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is named after the Lakota and Dakota Sioux American Indian tribes. Once a part of Dakota Territory, South Dakota became a state on November 2, 1889. The state has an area of and an estimated population of just over...
, all served as a backdrop leading up to the Battle of the Little Bighorn
Little Bighorn
Little Bighorn may refer to:* Little Bighorn River, a tributary of the Bighorn River in Wyoming and Montana* Battle of the Little Bighorn, took place near the river in 1876...
and the defeat of General George Armstrong Custer
George Armstrong Custer
George Armstrong Custer was a United States Army officer and cavalry commander in the American Civil War and the Indian Wars. Raised in Michigan and Ohio, Custer was admitted to West Point in 1858, where he graduated last in his class...
in 1876.
Panic of 1873 and first bankruptcy
In 1873, Northern Pacific made impressive strides before a terrible stumble. Rails from the east reached the Missouri RiverMissouri River
The Missouri River flows through the central United States, and is a tributary of the Mississippi River. It is the longest river in North America and drains the third largest area, though only the thirteenth largest by discharge. The Missouri's watershed encompasses most of the American Great...
on June 4. After several years of study, Tacoma, Washington
Tacoma, Washington
Tacoma is a mid-sized urban port city and the county seat of Pierce County, Washington, United States. The city is on Washington's Puget Sound, southwest of Seattle, northeast of the state capital, Olympia, and northwest of Mount Rainier National Park. The population was 198,397, according to...
, was selected as the road's western terminus on July 14. However, for the past three years the financial house of Jay Cooke
Jay Cooke
Jay Cooke was an American financier. Cooke and his firm Jay Cooke & Company were most notable for their role in financing the Union's war effort during the American Civil War...
and Company had been throwing money into the construction of the Northern Pacific. As with many western transcontinentals
Transcontinental railroad
A transcontinental railroad is a contiguous network of railroad trackage that crosses a continental land mass with terminals at different oceans or continental borders. Such networks can be via the tracks of either a single railroad, or over those owned or controlled by multiple railway companies...
, the staggering costs of building a railroad into a vast wilderness were drastically underestimated.
For a variety of reasons, led by the costs of constructing the railroad itself, Cooke and Company closed its doors on September 18. Soon, the Panic of 1873
Panic of 1873
The Panic of 1873 triggered a severe international economic depression in both Europe and the United States that lasted until 1879, and even longer in some countries. The depression was known as the Great Depression until the 1930s, but is now known as the Long Depression...
engulfed the United States, ushering in a severe recession
Recession
In economics, a recession is a business cycle contraction, a general slowdown in economic activity. During recessions, many macroeconomic indicators vary in a similar way...
which would drag on for several years.
The Northern Pacific, however, survived bankruptcy that year, due to austerity measures put in place by President Cass. In fact, working with last-minute loans from Director John C. Ainsworth
John C. Ainsworth
John Commingers Ainsworth was an American pioneer businessman and steamboat owner in Oregon. A native of Ohio, he moved west to mine gold in California before immigrating to Oregon where he piloted steamships and became a founder of the Oregon Steam Navigation Company and several banks.-Early...
of Portland, the Northern Pacific completed the line from Kalama to Tacoma, 110 miles (177 km), before the end of the year. On December 16, the first steam train arrived in Tacoma. The year of 1874, however, found the company moribund.
Northern Pacific slipped into its first bankruptcy on June 30, 1875. Cass resigned to become receiver of the company, and Charles Barstow Wright became fourth president of the company. Frederick Billings, namesake of Billings, Montana
Billings, Montana
Billings is the largest city in the U.S. state of Montana, and is the principal city of the Billings Metropolitan Area, the largest metropolitan area in over...
, formulated a reorganization plan which was put into effect. This same year George Custer was assigned to Fort Rice, Dakota Territory, and charged with protecting the railroad survey and construction crews.
Frederick Billings and first reorganization
In 1877, construction resumed in a small way. Northern Pacific pushed a branch line southeast from Tacoma to Puyallup, WashingtonPuyallup, Washington
Puyallup, Washington is a city in Pierce County, Washington about five miles east of Tacoma. The population was 37,022 at the 2010 Census. Named after the Puyallup Tribe of Native Americans, Puyallup means "the generous people."-History:...
and on to the coal fields around Wilkeson, Washington
Wilkeson, Washington
Wilkeson is a town in Pierce County, Washington, United States. The population was 477 at the 2010 census.-History:Wilkeson was officially incorporated on July 24, 1909 and boasts the oldest operating in Washington state....
. Much of the coal was destined for export through Tacoma to San Francisco, California
San Francisco, California
San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...
, where it would be thrown into the fireboxes of Central Pacific Railroad
Central Pacific Railroad
The Central Pacific Railroad is the former name of the railroad network built between California and Utah, USA that formed part of the "First Transcontinental Railroad" in North America. It is now part of the Union Pacific Railroad. Many 19th century national proposals to build a transcontinental...
steam engines.
This small amount of construction was one of the largest projects the company would undertake in the years between 1874 and 1880. That same year the company built a large shop complex at South Tacoma, Washington. For many years the shops at Brainerd and South Tacoma would carry out heavy repairs and build equipment for the railroad.
On May 24, 1879, Vermont
Vermont
Vermont is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state ranks 43rd in land area, , and 45th in total area. Its population according to the 2010 census, 630,337, is the second smallest in the country, larger only than Wyoming. It is the only New England...
lawyer Frederick Billings became the president of the company. Billings' tenure would be short but ferocious. Reorganization, bond sales, and improvement in the U.S. economy allowed Northern Pacific to strike out across the Missouri River by letting a contract to build 100 miles (160.9 km) of railroad west of the river. The railroad's new-found strength, however, would be seen as a threat in certain quarters.
Henry Villard, Gold Creek, Gold Spike
Bavaria
Bavaria, formally the Free State of Bavaria is a state of Germany, located in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the largest state by area, forming almost 20% of the total land area of Germany...
in 1835, emigrating to America in 1853, at the age of 18. Settling in Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
, the well-educated Hilgard became a journalist and editor, covering the Lincoln-Douglas debates, then the American Civil War for the larger New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
papers, changing his name to Henry Villard
Henry Villard
Henry Villard was an American journalist and financier who was an early president of the Northern Pacific Railway....
along the way. He went back to his native Germany in 1871, where he came in contact with European financial interests speculating in American railroads.
When he returned to the United States after the Panic of 1873, he was the representative of these concerns. In the few short years prior to 1880, Villard intervened on the behalf of these interests in several transportation systems in Oregon. Through Villard's work, most of these lines wound up in the hands of the European creditors' holding company, the Oregon and Transcontinental Company
Oregon and Transcontinental Company
The Oregon and Transcontinental Company was a 19th-century holding company in the United States, organized by Henry Villard in 1881 to control the Northern Pacific Railroad and Oregon Railway and Navigation Company. In 1890, it became the North American Company, which was incorporated in New Jersey...
.
Of the lines held by the Oregon and Transcontinental, the most important was the Oregon Railway and Navigation Company, a line running east from Portland along the south bank of the Columbia River to a connection with the Union Pacific Railroad
Union Pacific Railroad
The Union Pacific Railroad , headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska, is the largest railroad network in the United States. James R. Young is president, CEO and Chairman....
's Oregon Short Line at the confluence of the Columbia River and the Snake River
Snake River
The Snake is a major river of the greater Pacific Northwest in the United States. At long, it is the largest tributary of the Columbia River, the largest North American river that empties into the Pacific Ocean...
near Wallula, Washington
Wallula, Washington
Wallula is a census-designated place in Walla Walla County, Washington, United States. The population was 179 at the 2010 census.-History:Lewis and Clark reached the area April 27, 1806, on their return journey from the Pacific...
.
Within a decade of his return, Henry Villard became the head of a transportation empire in the Pacific Northwest that had but one real competitor, the ever-expanding Northern Pacific. Northern Pacific's completion threatened the holdings of Villard in the Northwest, and especially in Portland. Portland would become a second-class city if the Puget Sound ports at Tacoma and Seattle, Washington
Seattle, Washington
Seattle is the county seat of King County, Washington. With 608,660 residents as of the 2010 Census, Seattle is the largest city in the Northwestern United States. The Seattle metropolitan area of about 3.4 million inhabitants is the 15th largest metropolitan area in the country...
, were connected to the East by rail.
Villard, who had been building a monopoly of river and rail transportation in Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
for several years, now launched a daring raid. Using his European connections and a reputation for having "bested" Jay Gould
Jay Gould
Jason "Jay" Gould was a leading American railroad developer and speculator. He has long been vilified as an archetypal robber baron, whose successes made him the ninth richest American in history. Condé Nast Portfolio ranked Gould as the 8th worst American CEO of all time...
in a battle for control of the Kansas Pacific years before, Villard solicited — and raised — $
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
8 million from his associates. This was his famous "Blind Pool," Villard's associates were not told what the money would be used for. In this case, the funds were used to purchase control of the Northern Pacific.
Despite a tough fight, Billings and his backers were forced to capitulate; he resigned the presidency June 9. Ashabel H. Barney was brought in as an interim caretaker of the railroad from June 19 to September 15, when Villard was finally elected president by the stockholders. For the next two years, Villard and the Northern Pacific rode the whirlwind.
In 1882, 360 miles (579.4 km) of main line and 368 miles (592.2 km) of branch line
Branch line
A branch line is a secondary railway line which branches off a more important through route, usually a main line. A very short branch line may be called a spur line...
were completed, bringing totals to 1347 miles (2,167.8 km) and 731 miles (1,176.4 km), respectively. On October 10, 1882, the line from Wadena, Minnesota
Wadena, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 4,294 people, 1,871 households, and 1,062 families residing in the city. The population density was 818.4 people per square mile . There were 1,964 housing units at an average density of 374.3 per square mile...
, to Fergus Falls, Minnesota
Fergus Falls, Minnesota
Fergus Falls is a city in and the county seat of Otter Tail County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 13,138 at the 2010 census.-Today:...
, opened for service. The Missouri River was bridged with a million-dollar span on October 21, 1882. The Missouri had been handled by a ferry service most of the year. During winters, when ice was thick enough, the rails were laid across the river itself.
General Herman Haupt
Herman Haupt
Herman Haupt was an American civil engineer and railroad construction engineer and executive. As a Union Army General in the American Civil War, he revolutionized military transportation in the United States and was one of the unsung heroes of the war.-Early life:Haupt, whose first name was...
, another veteran of the Civil War and the Pennsylvania Railroad, set up the Northern Pacific Beneficial Association in 1881. A forerunner of the modern health maintenance organization
Health maintenance organization
A health maintenance organization is an organization that provides managed care for health insurance contracts in the United States as a liaison with health care providers...
, the NPBA ultimately established a series of four hospitals across the system in Saint Paul, Minnesota
Saint Paul, Minnesota
Saint Paul is the capital and second-most populous city of the U.S. state of Minnesota. The city lies mostly on the east bank of the Mississippi River in the area surrounding its point of confluence with the Minnesota River, and adjoins Minneapolis, the state's largest city...
, Glendive, Montana
Glendive, Montana
Glendive is a city in and the county seat of Dawson County, Montana, United States. The population was 4,935 at the 2010 census.The town of Glendive is located in South Eastern Montana and is considered by many as an agricultural hub of Eastern Montana...
, Missoula, Montana
Missoula, Montana
Missoula is a city located in western Montana and is the county seat of Missoula County. The 2010 Census put the population of Missoula at 66,788 and the population of Missoula County at 109,299. Missoula is the principal city of the Missoula Metropolitan Area...
, and Tacoma, Washington
Tacoma, Washington
Tacoma is a mid-sized urban port city and the county seat of Pierce County, Washington, United States. The city is on Washington's Puget Sound, southwest of Seattle, northeast of the state capital, Olympia, and northwest of Mount Rainier National Park. The population was 198,397, according to...
, to care for employees, retirees, and their families.
Events reached their climax in 1883. On January 15 the first train reached Livingston, Montana
Livingston, Montana
-Geography:Livingston is located at , at an altitude of 4.501 feet .According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of which, of it is land and 0.38% is waters.-Climate:-Demographics:...
, at the eastern foot of Bozeman Pass
Bozeman Pass
Bozeman Pass is a mountain pass situated approximately 13 miles east of the town of Bozeman, Montana and approximately 15 miles west of the town of Livingston, Montana, and between the Bridger and Gallatin mountain ranges....
. Livingston, like Brainerd and South Tacoma before it, would grow to encompass a large backshop handling heavy repairs for the railroad. It would also mark the east-west dividing line on the Northern Pacific system.
Villard pushed hard for the completion of the Northern Pacific in 1883. During Villard's presidency, crews were averaging a mile and half (2.4 km) of track laying each day. Finally, in September, the line neared completion. To celebrate, Villard chartered four trains to carry visitors from the East to Gold Creek in central Montana. No expense was spared and the list of dignitaries included Frederick Billings, Ulysses S. Grant, and Villard's in-laws, the family of abolitionist William Lloyd Garrison
William Lloyd Garrison
William Lloyd Garrison was a prominent American abolitionist, journalist, and social reformer. He is best known as the editor of the abolitionist newspaper The Liberator, and as one of the founders of the American Anti-Slavery Society, he promoted "immediate emancipation" of slaves in the United...
. On September 8, the Gold Spike was driven at Gold Creek
Gold Creek (Montana)
Gold Creek is a creek in southwestern Montana, United States, on Interstate 90 northwest of Garrison, between Butte and Missoula. It flows through parts of Granite County and Powell County and empties into the Clark Fork at the ghost town of Goldcreek , northwest of the town of Garrison.In 1852,...
.
Direct to Puget Sound
However, Villard's fall turned out to be even swifter than his ascendancy. Like Jay Cooke, he was now consumed by the enormous costs of constructing the railroad. Wall Street bears attacked the stock shortly after the Gold Spike, after the realization that the Northern Pacific was a very long road with very little business. Villard himself is said to have suffered a nervous breakdown in the days following the Gold Spike, and he left the presidency of the Northern Pacific and the United States to convalesce in GermanyGermany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
in January 1884.
Again, the presidency of the Northern Pacific was handed to a professional railroader, Robert Harris
Robert Harris (NP)
Robert Harris was a civil engineer and railroad executive who became president of the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad and Northern Pacific Railway.-Life:Robert Harris was born on July 29, 1830, in Portsmouth, New Hampshire...
, former head of the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad
Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad
The Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad was a railroad that operated in the Midwestern United States. Commonly referred to as the Burlington or as the Q, the Burlington Route served a large area, including extensive trackage in the states of Colorado, Illinois, Iowa, Kentucky, Missouri,...
. For the next four years, until the return of the Villard clique, Harris worked at improving the property and breaking away from its tangled relationship with the Oregon Railway and Navigation Company.
Throughout the middle 1880s, the Northern Pacific pushed to reach Puget Sound directly, rather than a roundabout route following the Columbia River. Surveys of the Cascade Mountains, carried out intermittently since the 1870s, now began anew. Virgil Bogue
Virgil Bogue
Virgil Gay Bogue was born in Norfolk, New York, on July 20, 1846. He received a degree in civil engineering from the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, New York, in 1868. Bogue worked consecutively on Oroya Railway in Peru to 1879, the Northern Pacific Railway to 1886...
, a veteran civil engineer
Civil engineer
A civil engineer is a person who practices civil engineering; the application of planning, designing, constructing, maintaining, and operating infrastructures while protecting the public and environmental health, as well as improving existing infrastructures that have been neglected.Originally, a...
, was sent to explore the Cascades again. On March 19, 1881, he discovered Stampede Pass
Stampede Pass
Stampede Pass is a mountain pass through the Cascade Range just south of Snoqualmie Pass in Washington.-Discovery of the Pass:The pass was discovered by Virgil Bogue, a civil engineer working for the Northern Pacific Railway...
. In 1883, John W. Sprague
John W. Sprague
John Wilson Sprague was an American soldier and railroad executive. He served as a general in the Union Army in the Western Theater of operations during the American Civil War. He received the Medal of Honor for gallantry at the Battle of Decatur during the Atlanta Campaign...
, the head of the new Pacific Division, drove the Golden Spike to mark the beginning of the railroad from what would become Kalama, Washington
Kalama, Washington
Kalama is a city in Cowlitz County, Washington, United States. It is part of the 'Longview, Washington Metropolitan Statistical Area'. The population was 2,344 at the 2010 census.-History:...
. However, due to impaired health, he was forced to resign a few months later.
In 1884, after the departure of Villard, the Northern Pacific began building toward Stampede Pass
Stampede Pass
Stampede Pass is a mountain pass through the Cascade Range just south of Snoqualmie Pass in Washington.-Discovery of the Pass:The pass was discovered by Virgil Bogue, a civil engineer working for the Northern Pacific Railway...
from Wallula in the east and the area of Wilkeson in the west. By the end of the year, rails had reached Yakima, Washington
Yakima, Washington
Yakima is an American city southeast of Mount Rainier National Park and the county seat of Yakima County, Washington, United States, and the eighth largest city by population in the state itself. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 91,196 and a metropolitan population of...
in the east. A 77 miles (123.9 km) gap remained in 1886.
In January of that year, Nelson Bennett was given a contract to construct a 9850 feet (3,002.3 m) tunnel under Stampede Pass. The contract specified a short amount of time for completion, and a large penalty if the deadline were missed. While crews worked on the tunnel, the railroad built a temporary switchback
Zig Zag (railway)
A railway zig zag, also called a switchback, is a way of climbing hills in difficult country with a minimal need for tunnels and heavy earthworks. For a short distance , the direction of travel is reversed, before the original direction is resumed.A location on railways constructed e.g...
route across the pass. With numerous timber trestles and grades which approached six percent, the temporary line required two M class 2-10-0
2-10-0
Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 2-10-0 represents the wheel arrangement of two leading wheels on one axle, ten powered and coupled driving wheels on five axles, and no trailing wheels...
s — the two largest locomotives in the world (at that time) — to handle a tiny five-car train. On May 3, 1888, crews holed through
Tunnel hole-through
Tunnel hole-through, also called breakthrough, is the time, during the construction of a tunnel built from both ends, when the ends meet, and the accuracy of the survey work becomes evident. Many tunnels report breakthroughs with an error of only a few inches.- See also :* Cascade Tunnel* Blue...
the tunnel, and on May 27 the first train direct to Puget Sound passed through.
Villard and the Panic of 1893
Despite this success, the Northern Pacific, like many U.S. roads, was living on borrowed time. From 1887 until 1893 Henry Villard returned to the board of directors. Though offered the presidency, he refused. However, an associate of Villard dating back to his time on the Kansas Pacific, Thomas Fletcher OakesThomas Fletcher Oakes
Thomas Fletcher Oakes was president of Northern Pacific Railway from 1888 to 1893.He was born in Boston, Massachusetts, July 15, 1843 and died in Seattle, Washington, in 1919....
, assumed the presidency on September 20, 1888.
In an effort to garner business, the Villard regime pursued an aggressive policy of branch line expansion. In addition, the Northern Pacific experienced the first competition in the form of James Jerome Hill and his Great Northern Railway. The Great Northern, like the Northern Pacific before it, was pushing west from the Twin Cities towards Puget Sound, and would be completed in 1893.
To combat the Great Northern, in a few instances Villard built branch line mileage simply to occupy a territory, regardless of whether the territory offered the railroad any business. Mismanagement, sparse traffic, and the Panic of 1893
Panic of 1893
The Panic of 1893 was a serious economic depression in the United States that began in 1893. Similar to the Panic of 1873, this panic was marked by the collapse of railroad overbuilding and shaky railroad financing which set off a series of bank failures...
sounded the death knell for the Northern Pacific and Villard's interest in railroading. The company slipped into its second bankruptcy on October 20, 1893. Oakes was named receiver and Brayton C. Ives
Brayton C. Ives
Brayton C. Ives was president of Northern Pacific Railway from 1893 to 1896 and was president of the New York Stock Exchange and the Western National Bank of New York....
, a former chairman of the New York Stock Exchange
New York Stock Exchange
The New York Stock Exchange is a stock exchange located at 11 Wall Street in Lower Manhattan, New York City, USA. It is by far the world's largest stock exchange by market capitalization of its listed companies at 13.39 trillion as of Dec 2010...
became president.
From Villard to Morganization
For the next three years, the Villard-Oakes interests and the Ives interest feuded for control of the Northern Pacific. Oakes was eventually forced out as receiver, but not before three separate courts were claiming jurisdiction over the Northern Pacific's bankruptcy. Things came to a head in 1896, when first Edward D. Adams was appointed president, then less than two months later, Edwin WinterEdwin Winter
Edwin Winter was president of Northern Pacific Railway in 1896 then president of Brooklyn Rapid Transit Company, Brooklyn Heights Railroad and allied companies.He was born November 18, 1845, in Vermont.- Career :...
.
Ultimately, the task of straightening out the muddle of the Northern Pacific was turned over to John Pierpont Morgan. Morganization of the Northern Pacific, a process which befell many U.S. roads in the wake of the Panic of 1893, was handed to Morgan lieutenant Charles Henry Coster. The new president, beginning September 1, 1897, was Charles Sanger Mellen
Charles Sanger Mellen
Charles Sanger Mellen was an American railroad man whose career culminated in the presidencies of the Northern Pacific Railway 1897-1903 and the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad 1903-1913.- Railroad Man :...
.
Though James J. Hill had purchased an interest in the Northern Pacific during the troubled days of 1896, Coster and Mellen would advocate, and follow, a staunchly independent line for the Northern Pacific for the next four years. Only the early death of Coster from overwork, and the promotion of Mellen to head the Morgan-controlled New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad
New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad
The New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad , was a railroad that operated in the northeast United States from 1872 to 1968 which served the states of Connecticut, New York, Rhode Island, and Massachusetts...
in 1903, would bring the Northern Pacific closer to the orbit of James J. Hill.
Hill, Harriman and the Northern Pacific Corner
In the late 1880s, the Villard regime, in another one of its costly missteps, attempted to stretch the Northern Pacific from the Twin Cities to the all-important rail hub of Chicago, Illinois. A costly project was begun in creating a union station and terminal facilities for a Northern Pacific which had yet to arrive.Rather than build directly down to Chicago, perhaps following the Mississippi River as the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy
Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad
The Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad was a railroad that operated in the Midwestern United States. Commonly referred to as the Burlington or as the Q, the Burlington Route served a large area, including extensive trackage in the states of Colorado, Illinois, Iowa, Kentucky, Missouri,...
had done, Villard chose to lease the Wisconsin Central. Some backers of the Wisconsin Central had long associations with Villard, and an expensive lease was worked out between the two companies which was only undone by the Northern Pacific's second bankruptcy.
The ultimate result was that the Northern Pacific was left without a direct connection to Chicago, the primary interchange point for most of the large U.S. railroads. Fortunately, the Northern Pacific was not alone. James J. Hill, controller of the Great Northern, which was completed between the Twin Cities and Puget Sound in 1893, also lacked a direct connection to Chicago. Hill went looking for a road with an existing route between the Twin Cities and Chicago which could be rolled into his holdings and give him a stable path to that important interchange. At the same time, Edward Henry Harriman, head of the Union Pacific Railroad
Union Pacific Railroad
The Union Pacific Railroad , headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska, is the largest railroad network in the United States. James R. Young is president, CEO and Chairman....
, was also looking for a road which could connect his company to Chicago.
The road both Harriman and Hill looked at was the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy. To Harriman, the Burlington was a road which paralleled much of his own, and offered tantalizing direct access to Chicago. For Hill as well there was the possibility of a high-speed link directly with Chicago. Though the Burlington did not parallel the Great Northern or the Northern Pacific, it would give them a powerful railroad in the central West. Harriman was the first to approach the Burlington's aging chieftain, the irascible Charles Elliott Perkins
Charles Elliott Perkins
Charles Elliott Perkins was an American businessman and president of the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad. He was so well respected that historian Richard Overton wrote, "From the time that Charles Elliott Perkins became vice president of the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy [1876] .....
. The price for control of the Burlington, as set by Perkins, was $200 a share, more than Harriman was willing to pay. Hill, however, met the price, and control of the Burlington was divided equally at about 48.5 percent each between the Great Northern and the Northern Pacific.
Not to be outdone, Harriman now came up with a crafty plan: Buy a controlling interest in the Northern Pacific and use its power on the Burlington to place friendly directors upon its board. On May 3, 1901, Harriman began his stock raid which would become known as the Northern Pacific Corner. By the end of the day he was short just 40,000 shares of common stock. Harriman placed an order to cover this, but was overridden by his broker, Jacob Schiff
Jacob Schiff
Jacob Henry Schiff, born Jakob Heinrich Schiff was a German-born Jewish American banker and philanthropist, who helped finance, among many other things, the Japanese military efforts against Tsarist Russia in the Russo-Japanese War.From his base on Wall Street, he was the foremost Jewish leader...
, of Kuhn, Loeb & Co.
Kuhn, Loeb & Co.
Kuhn, Loeb & Co. was a bulge bracket, investment bank founded in 1867 by Abraham Kuhn and Solomon Loeb. Under the leadership of Jacob H. Schiff, it grew to be one of the most influential investment banks in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, financing America's expanding railways and growth...
Hill, on the other hand, reached the vacationing Morgan in Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
and managed to place an order for 150,000 shares of common stock. Though Harriman might be able to control the preferred stock, Hill knew the company bylaws allowed for the holders of the common stock to vote to retire the preferred.
In three days, however, the Harriman-Hill imbroglio managed to wreak havoc on the stock market. Northern Pacific stock was quoted at $150 a share on May 6, and is reported to have traded as much as $1,000 a share behind the scenes. Harriman and Hill now worked to settle the issue for brokers to avoid panic. Hill, for his part, attempted to avoid future stock raids by placing his holdings in the Northern Securities Company
Northern Securities Company
The Northern Securities Company was an important United States railroad trust formed in 1902 by E. H. Harriman, James J. Hill, J.P. Morgan, J. D. Rockefeller, and their associates. The company controlled the Northern Pacific Railway, Great Northern Railway, Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad,...
, a move which would be undone by the Supreme Court
Supreme Court of the United States
The Supreme Court of the United States is the highest court in the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all state and federal courts, and original jurisdiction over a small range of cases...
in 1904 under the auspices of the Sherman Anti-Trust Act. Harriman was not immune either; he was forced to break up his holdings in the Union Pacific and the Southern Pacific Railroad
Southern Pacific Railroad
The Southern Pacific Transportation Company , earlier Southern Pacific Railroad and Southern Pacific Company, and usually simply called the Southern Pacific or Espee, was an American railroad....
a few years later.
From Hill to Howard Elliott
In 1903, Hill finally got his way with the House of Morgan. Howard ElliottHoward Elliott
Howard Elliott was president of Northern Pacific Railway 1903-1913, and president of New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad beginning in 1913.-Biography:...
, another veteran of the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy, became president of the Northern Pacific on October 23. Elliott was a relative of the Burlington's crusty chieftain Charles Elliott Perkins, and more distantly the Burlington's great backer, John Murray Forbes
John Murray Forbes
John Murray Forbes was an American railroad magnate, merchant, philanthropist and abolitionist. He was president of both the Michigan Central railroad and the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad in the 1850s....
. He had spent 20 years in the trenches of Midwest railroading, where rebates, pooling, expansion and rate wars had brought ruinous competition. Having seen the effects of having multiple railroads attempt to serve the same destination, he was very much in tune with James J. Hill's philosophy of "community of interest," a loose affiliation or collusion among roads in an attempt to avoid duplicating routes, rate wars, weak finances and ultimately bankruptcies and reorganizations. Elliott would be left to make peace with the Hill-controlled Great Northern; the Harriman-controlled Union Pacific; and, between 1907 and 1909, the last of the northern transcontinentals, the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad
Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad
The Milwaukee Road, officially the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad , was a Class I railroad that operated in the Midwest and Northwest of the United States from 1847 until its merger into the Soo Line Railroad on January 1, 1986. The company went through several official names...
, more commonly known as the Milwaukee Road.
Into the Twentieth Century
After the turn of the century the Northern Pacific had a record of steady improvement. Together with the Great Northern, the Northern Pacific also gained control of the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad, gaining important access to Chicago, the central Middle West and TexasTexas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
, as well as the Spokane, Portland and Seattle Railway
Spokane, Portland and Seattle Railway
The Spokane, Portland and Seattle Railway was a United States-based railroad incorporated in 1905. It was a joint venture by the Great Northern Railway and the Northern Pacific Railway to build a railroad along the north bank of the Columbia River....
, an important route through eastern and southern Washington. Its physical plant was upgraded continuously, with double tracking in key areas, and automatic block signaling along its entire main line. This in turn gave way to centralized traffic control, microwave and radio communications as time progressed.
The Northern Pacific maintained and continuously upgraded its equipment and service. The road helped pioneer the 4-8-4
4-8-4
Under the Whyte notation classification of steam locomotives, 4-8-4 represents the wheel arrangement of four leading wheels on two axles , eight powered and coupled driving wheels on four axles, and four trailing wheels on two axles .Other equivalent classifications are:UIC classification: 2D2...
Northern type steam engine, the 2-8-8-4
2-8-8-4
Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, a 2-8-8-4 is a steam locomotive with two leading wheels, two sets of eight driving wheels, and a four-wheel trailing truck.Other equivalent classifications are:...
Yellowstone, and was among the first railroads in the country to adopt the widespread use of diesel power beginning with General Motors’ FTs
EMD FT
The EMD FT was a diesel-electric locomotive produced between November 1939, and November 1945, by General Motors' Electro-Motive Division . All told 555 cab-equipped A units were built, along with 541 cabless booster B units, for a grand total of 1,096 units. The locomotives were all sold to...
in 1944.
The Northern Pacific's premier passenger train, the North Coast Limited
North Coast Limited
The North Coast Limited was a named passenger train operated by the Northern Pacific Railway between Chicago and Seattle via Bismarck, North Dakota...
was among the safest and finest in the nation, suffering only one passenger fatality in nearly 70 years of operation.
Unification of the Hill Lines
In later years, consolidation in American railroading brought the Northern Pacific together with the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy RailroadChicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad
The Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad was a railroad that operated in the Midwestern United States. Commonly referred to as the Burlington or as the Q, the Burlington Route served a large area, including extensive trackage in the states of Colorado, Illinois, Iowa, Kentucky, Missouri,...
, the Great Northern Railway and the Spokane, Portland and Seattle Railway
Spokane, Portland and Seattle Railway
The Spokane, Portland and Seattle Railway was a United States-based railroad incorporated in 1905. It was a joint venture by the Great Northern Railway and the Northern Pacific Railway to build a railroad along the north bank of the Columbia River....
on March 2, 1970, to form the Burlington Northern Railroad
Burlington Northern Railroad
The Burlington Northern Railroad was a United States-based railroad company formed from a merger of four major U.S. railroads. Burlington Northern operated between 1970 and 1996....
. Ironically, the merger was allowed despite a challenge in the Supreme Court, essentially reversing the outcome of the 1904 Northern Securities ruling.
Divisions
In 1949, the Northern Pacific's headquarters in Saint Paul presided over a system of 6889 miles (11,086.7 km), which 2831 miles (4,556 km) of main line, 4057 miles (6,529.1 km) of branch line under seven operating divisions.Lake Superior
Headquartered in Duluth, MinnesotaDuluth, Minnesota
Duluth is a port city in the U.S. state of Minnesota and is the county seat of Saint Louis County. The fourth largest city in Minnesota, Duluth had a total population of 86,265 in the 2010 census. Duluth is also the second largest city that is located on Lake Superior after Thunder Bay, Ontario,...
, the Lake Superior Division's main routes were from Duluth to Ashland, Wisconsin
Ashland, Wisconsin
Ashland is a city in Ashland and Bayfield counties in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. The city is a port on Lake Superior, near the head of Chequamegon Bay. The population was 8,695 at the 2010 census....
, Duluth to Staples, Minnesota
Staples, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 3,104 people, 1,278 households, and 732 families residing in the city. The population density was 684.5 people per square mile . There were 1,436 housing units at an average density of 316.7 per square mile...
, and Duluth to White Bear Lake, Minnesota
White Bear Lake, Minnesota
White Bear Lake is a city in Ramsey and Washington counties in the U.S. state of Minnesota. The population was 23,797 at the 2010 census. The city is located on White Bear Lake, one of the largest lakes in the Minneapolis-St...
.
The division encompassed 631 route miles; 356 in main line and 274 in branches.
St. Paul
Headquartered in Minneapolis, MinnesotaMinneapolis, Minnesota
Minneapolis , nicknamed "City of Lakes" and the "Mill City," is the county seat of Hennepin County, the largest city in the U.S. state of Minnesota, and the 48th largest in the United States...
, the St. Paul Division's main routes were from Saint Paul to Staples, Saint Paul to White Bear Lake, and Staples to Dilworth, Minnesota
Dilworth, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 3,001 people, 1,160 households, and 787 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,510.6 people per square mile . There were 1,238 housing units at an average density of 623.2 per square mile...
. The division encompassed 909 route miles; 310 in main line and 599 in branches.
Fargo
Headquartered in Fargo, North DakotaFargo, North Dakota
Fargo is the largest city in the U.S. state of North Dakota and the county seat of Cass County. In 2010, its population was 105,549, and it had an estimated metropolitan population of 208,777...
, the Fargo Division's main routes were from Dilworth to Mandan, North Dakota
Mandan, North Dakota
As of the census of 2000, there were 16,718 people, 6,647 households, and 4,553 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,642.8 per square mile . There were 6,958 housing units at an average density of 683.7 per square mile...
. The division encompassed 1,167 route miles; 216 in main line and 951 in branches.
Yellowstone
Headquartered in Glendive, MontanaGlendive, Montana
Glendive is a city in and the county seat of Dawson County, Montana, United States. The population was 4,935 at the 2010 census.The town of Glendive is located in South Eastern Montana and is considered by many as an agricultural hub of Eastern Montana...
, the Yellowstone Division's main routes were from Mandan, North Dakota
Mandan, North Dakota
As of the census of 2000, there were 16,718 people, 6,647 households, and 4,553 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,642.8 per square mile . There were 6,958 housing units at an average density of 683.7 per square mile...
, to Billings, Montana
Billings, Montana
Billings is the largest city in the U.S. state of Montana, and is the principal city of the Billings Metropolitan Area, the largest metropolitan area in over...
, and from Billings to Livingston, Montana
Livingston, Montana
-Geography:Livingston is located at , at an altitude of 4.501 feet .According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of which, of it is land and 0.38% is waters.-Climate:-Demographics:...
. The division encompassed 875 route miles; 546 in main line and 328 in branches.
Rocky Mountain
Headquartered in Missoula, MontanaMissoula, Montana
Missoula is a city located in western Montana and is the county seat of Missoula County. The 2010 Census put the population of Missoula at 66,788 and the population of Missoula County at 109,299. Missoula is the principal city of the Missoula Metropolitan Area...
, the Rocky Mountain Division's main routes were from Livingston to Paradise, Montana
Paradise, Montana
Paradise is a census-designated place in Sanders County, Montana, United States. The population was 184 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Paradise is located at ....
via Helena, Montana
Helena, Montana
Helena is the capital city of the U.S. state of Montana and the county seat of Lewis and Clark County. The 2010 census put the population at 28,180. The local daily newspaper is the Independent Record. The Helena Brewers minor league baseball and Helena Bighorns minor league hockey team call the...
and Mullan Pass
Mullan Pass
The Mullan Pass is a mountain pass in the Rocky Mountains of Montana in the United States. It sits on the continental divide on the border between Powell County, Montana and Lewis and Clark County, Montana, west of Helena, Montana in Helena National Forest at a height of .The Northern Pacific...
, and from Logan, Montana
Logan, Montana
Logan is an unincorporated community in Gallatin County, Montana, United States.-History:Logan is situated on the Gallatin River and was established in 1889 as a railroad station on the Northern Pacific and Montana...
, to Garrison, Montana
Garrison, Montana
Garrison is a census-designated place in Powell County, Montana, United States. The population was 112 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Garrison is located at ....
, via Butte, Montana
Butte, Montana
Butte is a city in Montana and the county seat of Silver Bow County, United States. In 1977, the city and county governments consolidated to form the sole entity of Butte-Silver Bow. As of the 2010 census, Butte's population was 34,200...
, and Homestake Pass
Homestake Pass
Homestake Pass is a mountain pass in the Rocky Mountains of Montana in the United States. It sits on the Continental Divide of the Americas on the border between Jefferson County, Montana and Silver Bow County, Montana, six miles south-southeast of Butte, Montana in Beaverhead-Deerlodge National...
. The division encompassed 892 route miles; 563 in main line and 330 in branches. It was home to the principal central district repair facility at Livingston, Montana.
Idaho
Headquartered in Spokane, WashingtonSpokane, Washington
Spokane is a city located in the Northwestern United States in the state of Washington. It is the largest city of Spokane County of which it is also the county seat, and the metropolitan center of the Inland Northwest region...
, the Idaho Division's main routes were from Paradise, Mont., to Yakima, Washington
Yakima, Washington
Yakima is an American city southeast of Mount Rainier National Park and the county seat of Yakima County, Washington, United States, and the eighth largest city by population in the state itself. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 91,196 and a metropolitan population of...
, via Pasco, Washington
Pasco, Washington
Pasco is a city in and the county seat of Franklin County, Washington, United States.Pasco is one of three cities that make up the Tri-Cities region of the state of Washington...
. The division encompassed 1,123 route miles; 466 in main line and 657 in branches.
Tacoma
Headquartered in Tacoma, WashingtonTacoma, Washington
Tacoma is a mid-sized urban port city and the county seat of Pierce County, Washington, United States. The city is on Washington's Puget Sound, southwest of Seattle, northeast of the state capital, Olympia, and northwest of Mount Rainier National Park. The population was 198,397, according to...
, the Tacoma Division's main routes were from Yakima to Stuck Junction, near future Auburn, Washington
Auburn, Washington
-Parks:Auburn has an extensive system of parks, open space and urban trails comprising 29 developed parks, 5 undeveloped sites under planning, 2 skate parks, 2 water roatary parks, and over of trails , and almost of open space for passive and active recreation.-Environmental Park:The Auburn...
, Seattle, Washington
Seattle, Washington
Seattle is the county seat of King County, Washington. With 608,660 residents as of the 2010 Census, Seattle is the largest city in the Northwestern United States. The Seattle metropolitan area of about 3.4 million inhabitants is the 15th largest metropolitan area in the country...
to Sumas, Washington, on the border with British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, and from Seattle to Portland, Oregon
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
. The division encompassed 1,034 route miles; 373 in main line and 661 in branches. It was home to the principal west end repair facility at South Tacoma, Washington.
Passenger Service
The North Coast LimitedNorth Coast Limited
The North Coast Limited was a named passenger train operated by the Northern Pacific Railway between Chicago and Seattle via Bismarck, North Dakota...
was a famous passenger train operated by the Northern Pacific Railway between Chicago and Seattle via Butte, Montana
Butte, Montana
Butte is a city in Montana and the county seat of Silver Bow County, United States. In 1977, the city and county governments consolidated to form the sole entity of Butte-Silver Bow. As of the 2010 census, Butte's population was 34,200...
and Homestake Pass
Homestake Pass
Homestake Pass is a mountain pass in the Rocky Mountains of Montana in the United States. It sits on the Continental Divide of the Americas on the border between Jefferson County, Montana and Silver Bow County, Montana, six miles south-southeast of Butte, Montana in Beaverhead-Deerlodge National...
. It commenced service on April 29, 1900, served briefly as a Burlington Northern train after the merger on March 2, 1970, and ceased operation the day before Amtrak began service (April 30, 1971). The Chicago Union Station to Saint Paul leg of the train's route was operated by the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad
Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad
The Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad was a railroad that operated in the Midwestern United States. Commonly referred to as the Burlington or as the Q, the Burlington Route served a large area, including extensive trackage in the states of Colorado, Illinois, Iowa, Kentucky, Missouri,...
along its Mississippi River mainline through Wisconsin. The North Coast Limited was the Northern Pacific's flagship train and the Northern Pacific itself was built along the trail first blazed by Lewis and Clark.
The Northern Pacific’s secondary transcontinental passenger train was the Alaskan, until it was replaced by the Mainstreeter on November 16, 1952. The Mainstreeter, which operated via Helena, Montana
Helena, Montana
Helena is the capital city of the U.S. state of Montana and the county seat of Lewis and Clark County. The 2010 census put the population at 28,180. The local daily newspaper is the Independent Record. The Helena Brewers minor league baseball and Helena Bighorns minor league hockey team call the...
and Mullan Pass
Mullan Pass
The Mullan Pass is a mountain pass in the Rocky Mountains of Montana in the United States. It sits on the continental divide on the border between Powell County, Montana and Lewis and Clark County, Montana, west of Helena, Montana in Helena National Forest at a height of .The Northern Pacific...
, continued in service through the Burlington Northern merger until Amtrak
Amtrak
The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak , is a government-owned corporation that was organized on May 1, 1971, to provide intercity passenger train service in the United States. "Amtrak" is a portmanteau of the words "America" and "track". It is headquartered at Union...
Day (May 1, 1971). However, it had been reduced to a Saint Paul
Saint Paul, Minnesota
Saint Paul is the capital and second-most populous city of the U.S. state of Minnesota. The city lies mostly on the east bank of the Mississippi River in the area surrounding its point of confluence with the Minnesota River, and adjoins Minneapolis, the state's largest city...
to Seattle train after the last run of the former Burlington Route
Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad
The Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad was a railroad that operated in the Midwestern United States. Commonly referred to as the Burlington or as the Q, the Burlington Route served a large area, including extensive trackage in the states of Colorado, Illinois, Iowa, Kentucky, Missouri,...
Black Hawk
Black Hawk (passenger train)
The Black Hawk was a named passenger train operated by the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad between Chicago, Illinois, and Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota. The train operated on an overnight schedule, being the nighttime counterpart to the Twin Zephyrs...
on April 12–13, 1970.
The Northern Pacific also participated in the Coast Pool Train service between Portland
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
and Seattle
Seattle, Washington
Seattle is the county seat of King County, Washington. With 608,660 residents as of the 2010 Census, Seattle is the largest city in the Northwestern United States. The Seattle metropolitan area of about 3.4 million inhabitants is the 15th largest metropolitan area in the country...
with the Great Northern Railway and the Union Pacific Railroad
Union Pacific Railroad
The Union Pacific Railroad , headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska, is the largest railroad network in the United States. James R. Young is president, CEO and Chairman....
. NP and GN Coast Pool Trains lasted until Amtrak.
There several other passenger trains which were discontinued before the Burlington Northern merger. These included:
- Saint Paul to International Falls, MinnesotaInternational Falls, MinnesotaInternational Falls is a city in and the county seat of Koochiching County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 6,424 at the 2010 census....
; - Saint Paul to Duluth, MinnesotaDuluth, MinnesotaDuluth is a port city in the U.S. state of Minnesota and is the county seat of Saint Louis County. The fourth largest city in Minnesota, Duluth had a total population of 86,265 in the 2010 census. Duluth is also the second largest city that is located on Lake Superior after Thunder Bay, Ontario,...
(which at one time was also a pool operation, with Great Northern Railway and the Soo LineSoo Line RailroadThe Soo Line Railroad is the primary United States railroad subsidiary of the Canadian Pacific Railway , controlled through the Soo Line Corporation, and one of seven U.S. Class I railroads. Although it is named for the Minneapolis, St. Paul and Sault Ste...
); - Duluth to Staples, MinnesotaStaples, MinnesotaAs of the census of 2000, there were 3,104 people, 1,278 households, and 732 families residing in the city. The population density was 684.5 people per square mile . There were 1,436 housing units at an average density of 316.7 per square mile...
; - Saint Paul to Jamestown, North DakotaJamestown, North DakotaAs of the census of 2000, there were 15,527 people, 6,505 households, and 3,798 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,246.7 per square mile . There were 6,970 housing units at an average density of 559.6 per square mile...
; - Fargo, North DakotaFargo, North DakotaFargo is the largest city in the U.S. state of North Dakota and the county seat of Cass County. In 2010, its population was 105,549, and it had an estimated metropolitan population of 208,777...
to Winnipeg, Manitoba;
Presidents
Presidents of Northern Pacific Railway were:- Josiah Perham, 1864–1866.
- John Gregory Smith, 1866–1872.
- George Washington CassGeorge Washington CassGeorge Washington Cass was an American industrialist and president of the Northern Pacific Railway.- Family :George Washington Cass was born near Dresden, Ohio, March 12, 1810, to George W. and Sophia Cass...
, 1872–1875. - Charles Barstow Wright, 1875–1879.
- Frederick Billings, 1879–1881.
- Henry VillardHenry VillardHenry Villard was an American journalist and financier who was an early president of the Northern Pacific Railway....
, 1881–1884. - Robert HarrisRobert Harris (NP)Robert Harris was a civil engineer and railroad executive who became president of the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad and Northern Pacific Railway.-Life:Robert Harris was born on July 29, 1830, in Portsmouth, New Hampshire...
, 1884–1888. - Thomas Fletcher OakesThomas Fletcher OakesThomas Fletcher Oakes was president of Northern Pacific Railway from 1888 to 1893.He was born in Boston, Massachusetts, July 15, 1843 and died in Seattle, Washington, in 1919....
, 1888–1893. - Brayton C. IvesBrayton C. IvesBrayton C. Ives was president of Northern Pacific Railway from 1893 to 1896 and was president of the New York Stock Exchange and the Western National Bank of New York....
, 1893–1896. - Edward Dean Adams, 1896.
- Edwin WinterEdwin WinterEdwin Winter was president of Northern Pacific Railway in 1896 then president of Brooklyn Rapid Transit Company, Brooklyn Heights Railroad and allied companies.He was born November 18, 1845, in Vermont.- Career :...
, 1896. - Charles Sanger MellenCharles Sanger MellenCharles Sanger Mellen was an American railroad man whose career culminated in the presidencies of the Northern Pacific Railway 1897-1903 and the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad 1903-1913.- Railroad Man :...
, 1897–1903. - Howard ElliottHoward ElliottHoward Elliott was president of Northern Pacific Railway 1903-1913, and president of New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad beginning in 1913.-Biography:...
, 1903–1913. - Jule Murat HannafordJule Murat HannafordJule Murat Hannaford was president of Northern Pacific Railway 1913-1920.-Biography:He was born November 19, 1850, at Claremont, New Hampshire....
, 1913–1920. - Charles Donnelly, 1920–1939.
- Charles Eugene DenneyCharles Eugene DenneyCharles Eugene Denney, Sr. was president of Northern Pacific Railway from 1939 through 1950.-Biography:He was born in Washington, D.C., on October 18, 1879, the son of William H. Denney and Sarah E...
, 1939–1950. - Robert Stetson MacfarlaneRobert Stetson MacfarlaneRobert Stetson Macfarlane was president of Northern Pacific Railway 1951-1966.He was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on January 15, 1899, the son of Walker K. and Blanche Macfarlane. He married Vivian Clemans on February 21, 1925; together they had Anne , Mary , Robert, Jr., and Vivian Robert...
, 1951–1966. - Louis W. MenkLouis W. MenkLouis Wilson Menk was an American railway worker and executive. He served as the last president of Northern Pacific Railway 1966-1970, before the railroad was merged into Burlington Northern Railroad...
, 1966–1970.
Chief engineers
- Edwin Ferry Johnson (1803–1872), Engineer-in-Chief, 1867. Wrote The Railroad To the Pacific, Northern Route, Its General Characteristics, Relative Merits, Etc. in 1854.
- William Milnor RobertsWilliam Milnor RobertsWilliam Milnor Roberts was an American civil engineer...
(1810–1881), Engineer-in-Chief, 1869 to 1879. Proposed the general route of the Northern Pacific from Bismarck to Portland. Also, Vice President, American Society of Civil Engineers, 1873 to 1878, and then President, 1878.
- General Adna AndersonGeneral Adna AndersonGeneral Adna Anderson was Engineer-in-Chief of the Northern Pacific Railroad from 1880 to 1888. He was born in Ridgeway, New York, July 25, 1827, and died May 15, 1889, in Philadelphia.-Early career:...
(1827–1889), Engineer-in-Chief, February 18, 1880, to January 1888. In October 1886, he was also named second vice-president of the Northern Pacific. He completed the line between Saint Paul, Minnesota, and Wallula (where it connected with the Oregon Railway and Navigation Company’s line to Portland), witnessing the driving of the last spike on September 8, 1883. Thereafter, he evaluated possible routes for the Cascade Division, intended to connect the NP at some point near the mouth of the Snake River with Tacoma, WashingtonTacoma, WashingtonTacoma is a mid-sized urban port city and the county seat of Pierce County, Washington, United States. The city is on Washington's Puget Sound, southwest of Seattle, northeast of the state capital, Olympia, and northwest of Mount Rainier National Park. The population was 198,397, according to...
on Puget SoundPuget SoundPuget Sound is a sound in the U.S. state of Washington. It is a complex estuarine system of interconnected marine waterways and basins, with one major and one minor connection to the Strait of Juan de Fuca and the Pacific Ocean — Admiralty Inlet being the major connection and...
. Preliminary reconnaissance and surveys began in March 1880, and in autumn, 1883, Anderson concluded that the line should be built through Stampede PassStampede PassStampede Pass is a mountain pass through the Cascade Range just south of Snoqualmie Pass in Washington.-Discovery of the Pass:The pass was discovered by Virgil Bogue, a civil engineer working for the Northern Pacific Railway...
.
- John William KendrickJohn William KendrickJohn William Kendrick was chief engineer, general manager and vice-president of the Northern Pacific Railway and later vice-chairman of the board of the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway.-Biography:...
(1853–1924), Chief Engineer, January 1888, to July 1893. From July 1893, to February 1, 1899, he was general manager of the reorganized Northern Pacific Railway.
- Edwin Harrison McHenryEdwin Harrison McHenryEdwin Harrison McHenry was the fourth vice-president of the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad and first vice-president of the Consolidated Railway of Hartford, Connecticut...
(1859 – August 21, 1931), Chief Engineer, July 1893, to September 1, 1901. Subsequently he was chief engineer for the Canadian Pacific RailwayCanadian Pacific RailwayThe Canadian Pacific Railway , formerly also known as CP Rail between 1968 and 1996, is a historic Canadian Class I railway founded in 1881 and now operated by Canadian Pacific Railway Limited, which began operations as legal owner in a corporate restructuring in 2001...
and then fourth vice-president of the New York, New Haven and Hartford RailroadNew York, New Haven and Hartford RailroadThe New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad , was a railroad that operated in the northeast United States from 1872 to 1968 which served the states of Connecticut, New York, Rhode Island, and Massachusetts...
.
- William Lafayette DarlingWilliam Lafayette DarlingDarling, William Lafayette .-Biography:Consulting Engineer.Office: 2100 Iglehart Avenue, St. Paul, Minnesota.Married: Alice Ernestine Bevans, April 15, 1901....
(1856–1938), Chief Engineer, September 1, 1901, to September 1903, and January 1906, to 1916. Between 1905–1906, he was chief engineer for the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific RailroadChicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific RailroadThe Milwaukee Road, officially the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad , was a Class I railroad that operated in the Midwest and Northwest of the United States from 1847 until its merger into the Soo Line Railroad on January 1, 1986. The company went through several official names...
, returning to the NP in 1906 as chief engineer and also vice-president and engineer in charge of construction of the Spokane, Portland and Seattle RailwaySpokane, Portland and Seattle RailwayThe Spokane, Portland and Seattle Railway was a United States-based railroad incorporated in 1905. It was a joint venture by the Great Northern Railway and the Northern Pacific Railway to build a railroad along the north bank of the Columbia River....
.
- Edward J. PearsonEdward J. PearsonPearson, Edward Jones .Chief Engineer, Pacific Railway.Office: Seattle, Washington.Born: October 4, 1863, at Rockville, Indiana.Education: Graduated from Engineering Department of Cornell University....
(1863–1928), Chief Engineer, September 1903, to December 1905.
- Howard Eveleth Stevens, Chief Engineer, 1916 to 1928.
- Bernard Blum, Chief Engineer, 1928 to March 1953.
- Harold Robert Peterson (1896–1963), Chief Engineer, March 1953, to May 1962.
- Douglas Harlow ShoemakerDouglas Harlow ShoemakerDouglas Harlow Shoemaker was the last Chief Engineer of the Northern Pacific Railway.-Biography:On October 1929 he became a draftsman, Bridge Department, Northern Pacific, until May 1932; May 1932 to June 1933, inspector, Minnesota Highway Department; June 1933 to 1935, superintendent and...
, Chief Engineer, May 1962, to March 2, 1970.
Notable and Preserved Equipment
The Northern Pacific was known for many firsts in locomotive history and was a leader in the development of modern steam locomotives. The NP was one of the first railroads to use Mikado 2-8-22-8-2
Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 2-8-2 represents the wheel arrangement of two leading wheels on one axle , eight powered and coupled driving wheels on four axles, and two trailing wheels on one axle...
locomotives in the United States.
The NP's desire to burn low grade semi-bituminous coal
Coal
Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock usually occurring in rock strata in layers or veins called coal beds or coal seams. The harder forms, such as anthracite coal, can be regarded as metamorphic rock because of later exposure to elevated temperature and pressure...
from company-owned mines at Rosebud, Montana, played a part in the development of the 4-8-4
4-8-4
Under the Whyte notation classification of steam locomotives, 4-8-4 represents the wheel arrangement of four leading wheels on two axles , eight powered and coupled driving wheels on four axles, and four trailing wheels on two axles .Other equivalent classifications are:UIC classification: 2D2...
wheel arrangement for steam locomotives. With a BTU
British thermal unit
The British thermal unit is a traditional unit of energy equal to about 1055 joules. It is approximately the amount of energy needed to heat of water, which is exactly one tenth of a UK gallon or about 0.1198 US gallons, from 39°F to 40°F...
fifty percent lower than anthracite coal, the NP's locomotive design called for a much larger firebox, and thus an additional axle on the trailing truck. This led locomotive designers from the 4-8-2
4-8-2
Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 4-8-2 represents the wheel arrangement of four leading wheels on two axles , eight powered and coupled driving wheels on four axles, and two trailing wheels on one axle...
Mountain to the 4-8-4
4-8-4
Under the Whyte notation classification of steam locomotives, 4-8-4 represents the wheel arrangement of four leading wheels on two axles , eight powered and coupled driving wheels on four axles, and four trailing wheels on two axles .Other equivalent classifications are:UIC classification: 2D2...
Northern, first produced by Alco for the NP in 1926 and designated the Class A by the railway.
The 2-8-8-4
2-8-8-4
Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, a 2-8-8-4 is a steam locomotive with two leading wheels, two sets of eight driving wheels, and a four-wheel trailing truck.Other equivalent classifications are:...
, called the Yellowstone, was first built for the NP by Alco
American Locomotive Company
The American Locomotive Company, often shortened to ALCO or Alco , was a builder of railroad locomotives in the United States.-Early history:...
in 1928 and numbered 5000, Class Z-5, with more built by Baldwin Locomotive Works
Baldwin Locomotive Works
The Baldwin Locomotive Works was an American builder of railroad locomotives. It was located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, originally, and later in nearby Eddystone, Pennsylvania. Although the company was very successful as a producer of steam locomotives, its transition to the production of...
in 1930. The large locomotives were designed to handle higher tonnage on freight trains while simultaneously eliminating the need to use more 2-8-2
2-8-2
Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 2-8-2 represents the wheel arrangement of two leading wheels on one axle , eight powered and coupled driving wheels on four axles, and two trailing wheels on one axle...
Mikados and crews. They originally served in the western North Dakota
North Dakota
North Dakota is a state located in the Midwestern region of the United States of America, along the Canadian border. The state is bordered by Canada to the north, Minnesota to the east, South Dakota to the south and Montana to the west. North Dakota is the 19th-largest state by area in the U.S....
/eastern Montana
Montana
Montana is a state in the Western United States. The western third of Montana contains numerous mountain ranges. Smaller, "island ranges" are found in the central third of the state, for a total of 77 named ranges of the Rocky Mountains. This geographical fact is reflected in the state's name,...
territory.
The Northern Pacific purchased Timken 1111
Timken 1111
Timken 1111, also called the Timken Four Aces, was a 4-8-4 steam locomotive built in 1930 by American Locomotive Company to serve as a demonstration unit for new roller bearings produced by the Timken Roller Bearing Company...
called the Four Aces, the first locomotive built with roller bearings, in 1933. The Northern Pacific renumbered it 2626 and classified it as the sole member of locomotive Class A-1. It was used in passenger service in Washington, Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
, Idaho
Idaho
Idaho is a state in the Rocky Mountain area of the United States. The state's largest city and capital is Boise. Residents are called "Idahoans". Idaho was admitted to the Union on July 3, 1890, as the 43rd state....
and Montana
Montana
Montana is a state in the Western United States. The western third of Montana contains numerous mountain ranges. Smaller, "island ranges" are found in the central third of the state, for a total of 77 named ranges of the Rocky Mountains. This geographical fact is reflected in the state's name,...
until 1957 when it was retired from active service and scrapped at South Tacoma, despite attempts to preserve the locomotive. After Timken 1111, the NP bought only roller bearing equipped steam locomotives, with the exception of four 4-6-6-4 Class Z-6 locomotives that were later changed to roller bearings.
Steam Locomotives
Twenty-one Northern Pacific steam locomotives have been preserved:- Two 0-4-00-4-0Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 0-4-0 represents one of the simplest possible types, that with two axles and four coupled wheels, all of which are driven...
engines (the Minnetonka and 8). The Minnetonka was built by Porter and SmithH. K. Porter, IncH. K. Porter, Inc. manufactured light-duty railroad locomotives in the USA, starting in 1866. The company became the largest producer of industrial locomotives, and built almost eight thousand of them...
in 1870, and is currently owned by the Lake Superior Railroad MuseumLake Superior Railroad MuseumThe Lake Superior Railroad Museum is a railroad museum in Duluth, Minnesota.The museum has seven steam, fourteen diesel and two electric locomotives, and over 40 other pieces of rolling stock...
and is on display in Duluth, MinnesotaDuluth, MinnesotaDuluth is a port city in the U.S. state of Minnesota and is the county seat of Saint Louis County. The fourth largest city in Minnesota, Duluth had a total population of 86,265 in the 2010 census. Duluth is also the second largest city that is located on Lake Superior after Thunder Bay, Ontario,...
. It has the distinction of being shipped in parts around Cape Horn and reassembled at Kalama, WashingtonKalama, WashingtonKalama is a city in Cowlitz County, Washington, United States. It is part of the 'Longview, Washington Metropolitan Statistical Area'. The population was 2,344 at the 2010 census.-History:...
circa 1871. - Five 0-6-00-6-0Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 0-6-0 represents the wheel arrangement of no leading wheels, six powered and coupled driving wheels on three axles, and no trailing wheels...
engines, representing classes L-4 (927), L-5 (924), L-7 (1031) and L-9 (1068 and 1070). - One 2-6-22-6-2Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 2-6-2 represents the wheel arrangement of two leading wheels, six coupled driving wheels and two trailing wheels.Other equivalent classifications are:...
engine, Class T (2435). The locomotive was built by the Brooks Locomotive WorksBrooks Locomotive WorksThe Brooks Locomotive Works manufactured steam railroad locomotives and freight cars from 1869 through its merger into the American Locomotive Company until 1934.-History:...
in 1907 and is currently owned by the Lake Superior Railroad MuseumLake Superior Railroad MuseumThe Lake Superior Railroad Museum is a railroad museum in Duluth, Minnesota.The museum has seven steam, fourteen diesel and two electric locomotives, and over 40 other pieces of rolling stock...
in Duluth, MinnesotaDuluth, MinnesotaDuluth is a port city in the U.S. state of Minnesota and is the county seat of Saint Louis County. The fourth largest city in Minnesota, Duluth had a total population of 86,265 in the 2010 census. Duluth is also the second largest city that is located on Lake Superior after Thunder Bay, Ontario,...
. - One 2-8-02-8-0Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 2-8-0 represents the wheel arrangement of two leading wheels on one axle , eight powered and coupled driving wheels on four axles, and no trailing wheels...
engine, Class Y-1 (25). - One 2-8-22-8-2Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 2-8-2 represents the wheel arrangement of two leading wheels on one axle , eight powered and coupled driving wheels on four axles, and two trailing wheels on one axle...
engine, Class W-3 (1762). - Two 4-4-04-4-0Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 4-4-0 represents the wheel arrangement of four leading wheels on two axles , four powered and coupled driving wheels on two axles, and no trailing wheels...
engines, classes C-1 (684), and 25½-C (21). NP 684 was built by the New York Locomotive Works in 1883. Sold off and later abandoned in a field in IdahoIdahoIdaho is a state in the Rocky Mountain area of the United States. The state's largest city and capital is Boise. Residents are called "Idahoans". Idaho was admitted to the Union on July 3, 1890, as the 43rd state....
, it was rescued and rebuilt by the Northern Pacific at the instigation of company photographer Ronald V. Nixon. It is currently on display at Bonanzaville, USABonanzaville, USABonanzaville, USA is a history museum complex in West Fargo, North Dakota. Bonanzaville, the museum of the Cass County Historical Society, is made up of forty-seven buildings on , many of them are historic and from the region. These buildings have been moved to the museum grounds and now form a...
in Fargo, North DakotaFargo, North DakotaFargo is the largest city in the U.S. state of North Dakota and the county seat of Cass County. In 2010, its population was 105,549, and it had an estimated metropolitan population of 208,777...
. NP 21 eventually sold to the Canadian Pacific RailwayCanadian Pacific RailwayThe Canadian Pacific Railway , formerly also known as CP Rail between 1968 and 1996, is a historic Canadian Class I railway founded in 1881 and now operated by Canadian Pacific Railway Limited, which began operations as legal owner in a corporate restructuring in 2001...
and became the CP 1, the Countess of DufferinCountess of DufferinThe Countess of Dufferin was the first steam locomotive to operate in the Canadian prairie provinces and is named after Hariot Hamilton-Temple-Blackwood, Countess of Dufferin , the wife of the Earl of Dufferin, a Governor General of Canada. The locomotive was built by the Baldwin Locomotive Works...
, built in 1872 and currently owned by the City of WinnipegWinnipegWinnipeg is the capital and largest city of Manitoba, Canada, and is the primary municipality of the Winnipeg Capital Region, with more than half of Manitoba's population. It is located near the longitudinal centre of North America, at the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine Rivers .The name...
and on permanent display in the Winnipeg Railway MuseumWinnipeg Railway MuseumThe Winnipeg Railway Museum is a non-profit organization operated by volunteers from the Midwestern Rail Association. The museum is located on tracks 1 and 2 within Winnipeg's Via Rail operated Union Station in Manitoba, Canada.- Overview :...
. - Five 4-6-04-6-0Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 4-6-0 represents the wheel arrangement of four leading wheels on two axles in a leading truck, six powered and coupled driving wheels on three axles, and no trailing wheels. This wheel arrangement became the second-most popular...
engines, representing classes S-4 (1354, 1356, 1364 and 1382) and Class S-10 (328). The 1364 is currently being restored by the Northern Pacific Railway MuseumNorthern Pacific Railway MuseumThe Northern Pacific Railway Museum is a railroad museum in Toppenish, Washington.In 1990 the ex-Northern Pacific Railway depot in Toppenish, WA, was leased and subsequently purchased from the Burlington Northern Railroad in 1993 for the museum....
in Toppenish, WashingtonToppenish, WashingtonToppenish is a city in Yakima County, Washington, in the United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 8,949.-History:The General Allotment Act of 1887 granted an allotment of land to a woman of half Indian ancestry, Josephine Bowser Lillie, known as "The Mother of Toppenish"...
. The 328 was built by Rogers Locomotive Works in 1907 and is owned by the Minnesota Transportation MuseumMinnesota Transportation MuseumThe Minnesota Transportation Museum is a transport museum in Saint Paul, Minnesota.The MTM operates several heritage transportation sites in Minnesota and one in Wisconsin...
and is being restored in Saint Paul, MinnesotaSaint Paul, MinnesotaSaint Paul is the capital and second-most populous city of the U.S. state of Minnesota. The city lies mostly on the east bank of the Mississippi River in the area surrounding its point of confluence with the Minnesota River, and adjoins Minneapolis, the state's largest city...
. - Four 4-6-24-6-24-6-2, in the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, represents the wheel arrangement of four leading wheels on two axles , six powered and coupled driving wheels on three axles, and two trailing wheels on one axle .These locomotives are also known as Pacifics...
engines, representing Class Q-3 (2152, 2153, 2156 and 2164). The 2153 and 2156 were built by Baldwin Locomotive WorksBaldwin Locomotive WorksThe Baldwin Locomotive Works was an American builder of railroad locomotives. It was located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, originally, and later in nearby Eddystone, Pennsylvania. Although the company was very successful as a producer of steam locomotives, its transition to the production of...
in 1909 are owned by the Minnesota Transportation MuseumMinnesota Transportation MuseumThe Minnesota Transportation Museum is a transport museum in Saint Paul, Minnesota.The MTM operates several heritage transportation sites in Minnesota and one in Wisconsin...
. The 2156 is being restored in Saint Paul, MinnesotaSaint Paul, MinnesotaSaint Paul is the capital and second-most populous city of the U.S. state of Minnesota. The city lies mostly on the east bank of the Mississippi River in the area surrounding its point of confluence with the Minnesota River, and adjoins Minneapolis, the state's largest city...
.
Spokane, Portland and Seattle 700
Spokane, Portland & Seattle 700 is the only surviving example of their E-1 class 4-8-4 Northern type steam locomotive. Nearly identical to the A-3 class Northerns built for Northern Pacific Railway, but burning oil instead of coal....
, a 4-8-4, was derived from Northern Pacific designs.
Diesel Locomotives
- Burlington Northern RailroadBurlington Northern RailroadThe Burlington Northern Railroad was a United States-based railroad company formed from a merger of four major U.S. railroads. Burlington Northern operated between 1970 and 1996....
1 and 2, formerly Northern Pacific 6700A and 7002C, EMD F9EMD F9The EMD F9 was a Diesel-electric locomotive produced between February 1953 and May 1960 by the Electro-Motive Division of General Motors and General Motors Diesel . It succeeded the F7 model in GM-EMD's F-unit sequence. Final assembly was at GM-EMD's La Grange, Illinois plant. The F9 was also...
s, were built in 1954 and later rebuilt by BN for special train service. They are currently owned by the Illinois Railway MuseumIllinois Railway MuseumThe Illinois Railway Museum is the largest railroad museum in the United States and is located in Union, Illinois, northwest of Chicago...
and are on display in Union, IllinoisUnion, IllinoisUnion is a village in McHenry County, Illinois, United States. The population was 580 at the 2010 census, up from 576 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Union is located at ....
. - Northern Pacific 3617, an EMD SD45EMD SD45The EMD SD45 is a six-axle diesel locomotive built by General Motors Electro-Motive Division between December, 1965, and December, 1971. Power was provided by an EMD 645E3 twenty-cylinder engine which generated 3,600 HP. This locomotive shared the same common frame with the EMD SD38, EMD SD39, EMD...
built circa 1966 is currently in the process of being restored by the Lake Superior Railroad MuseumLake Superior Railroad MuseumThe Lake Superior Railroad Museum is a railroad museum in Duluth, Minnesota.The museum has seven steam, fourteen diesel and two electric locomotives, and over 40 other pieces of rolling stock...
in Duluth, MinnesotaDuluth, MinnesotaDuluth is a port city in the U.S. state of Minnesota and is the county seat of Saint Louis County. The fourth largest city in Minnesota, Duluth had a total population of 86,265 in the 2010 census. Duluth is also the second largest city that is located on Lake Superior after Thunder Bay, Ontario,...
.
Passenger Equipment
- Northern Pacific 230, a 73 feet (22.3 m) lightweight baggage carBaggage carA baggage car or luggage van is a type of railway vehicle often forming part of the composition of passenger trains and used to carry passengers' checked baggage, as well as parcels . Being typically coupled at the front of the train behind the locomotive, this type of car is sometimes described...
built by Pullman CompanyPullman CompanyThe Pullman Palace Car Company, founded by George Pullman, manufactured railroad cars in the mid-to-late 19th century through the early decades of the 20th century, during the boom of railroads in the United States. Pullman developed the sleeping car which carried his name into the 1980s...
in 1963, is currently owned by the Illinois Railway MuseumIllinois Railway MuseumThe Illinois Railway Museum is the largest railroad museum in the United States and is located in Union, Illinois, northwest of Chicago...
and is on display in Union, IllinoisUnion, IllinoisUnion is a village in McHenry County, Illinois, United States. The population was 580 at the 2010 census, up from 576 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Union is located at ....
. The streamlined carStreamliner cars (rail)The streamliners are a class of streamlined railway cars built in the forties and fifties of the twentieth century for long distance passenger railservices in North America.-Predecessors:...
was formerly in service on the Northern Pacific’s Mainstreeter. - Northern Pacific 325, a SlumbercoachSlumbercoachThe Slumbercoach is an 85-foot-long, 24 single room, 8 double room streamlined sleeping car originally built in 1956 by the Budd Company for the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad for service on the Denver Zephyr...
named Loch SloyLoch SloyLoch Sloy was a Scottish sailing barque that operated between Great Britain and Australia from the late 19th century until 1899. Her name was drawn from Loch Sloy, a freshwater lake which lies to the north of the Burgh of Helensburgh, in the region of Argyll and Bute, Scotland.In the early hours of...
built by the Budd CompanyBudd CompanyThe Budd Company is a metal fabricator and major supplier of body components to the automobile industry, and was formerly a manufacturer of stainless steel passenger rail cars during the 20th century....
in 1959, is currently owned by the Illinois Railway MuseumIllinois Railway MuseumThe Illinois Railway Museum is the largest railroad museum in the United States and is located in Union, Illinois, northwest of Chicago...
and is on display in Union, IllinoisUnion, IllinoisUnion is a village in McHenry County, Illinois, United States. The population was 580 at the 2010 census, up from 576 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Union is located at ....
. The car was formerly in service on the Northern Pacific’s North Coast LimitedNorth Coast LimitedThe North Coast Limited was a named passenger train operated by the Northern Pacific Railway between Chicago and Seattle via Bismarck, North Dakota...
. - Northern Pacific 390, a lightweight 4-double bedroom, 1-compartment sleeper-buffet-lounge-observation car named Rainier Club and built by Pullman CompanyPullman CompanyThe Pullman Palace Car Company, founded by George Pullman, manufactured railroad cars in the mid-to-late 19th century through the early decades of the 20th century, during the boom of railroads in the United States. Pullman developed the sleeping car which carried his name into the 1980s...
in 1947, is currently owned by the Lake Superior Railroad MuseumLake Superior Railroad MuseumThe Lake Superior Railroad Museum is a railroad museum in Duluth, Minnesota.The museum has seven steam, fourteen diesel and two electric locomotives, and over 40 other pieces of rolling stock...
and is on display in Duluth, MinnesotaDuluth, MinnesotaDuluth is a port city in the U.S. state of Minnesota and is the county seat of Saint Louis County. The fourth largest city in Minnesota, Duluth had a total population of 86,265 in the 2010 census. Duluth is also the second largest city that is located on Lake Superior after Thunder Bay, Ontario,...
. The car was formerly in service on the Northern Pacific’s North Coast Limited. - Chicago, Burlington and Quincy 481, a lightweight 8-duplex roomette, 6-roomette, 3-double bedroom, 1-compartment sleeper carSleeper carSleeper car may refer to:* Sleeping car, a railroad passenger car that can accommodate its passengers in beds* Sleeper , a car that has an unassuming exterior but is capable of high performance...
named Savannah built by the Pullman CompanyPullman CompanyThe Pullman Palace Car Company, founded by George Pullman, manufactured railroad cars in the mid-to-late 19th century through the early decades of the 20th century, during the boom of railroads in the United States. Pullman developed the sleeping car which carried his name into the 1980s...
in 1948 to Northern Pacific specifications is currently owned by the Illinois Railway MuseumIllinois Railway MuseumThe Illinois Railway Museum is the largest railroad museum in the United States and is located in Union, Illinois, northwest of Chicago...
and is on display in Union, IllinoisUnion, IllinoisUnion is a village in McHenry County, Illinois, United States. The population was 580 at the 2010 census, up from 576 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Union is located at ....
. The car was formerly in service on the Northern Pacific’s North Coast Limited. - Northern Pacific 1102, a heavyweight Railway Post OfficeRailway post officeIn the United States a railway post office, commonly abbreviated as RPO, was a railroad car that was normally operated in passenger service as a means to sort mail en route, in order to speed delivery. The RPO was staffed by highly trained Railway Mail Service postal clerks, and was off-limits to...
car built by the Pullman CompanyPullman CompanyThe Pullman Palace Car Company, founded by George Pullman, manufactured railroad cars in the mid-to-late 19th century through the early decades of the 20th century, during the boom of railroads in the United States. Pullman developed the sleeping car which carried his name into the 1980s...
in 1914 as a parlor car named Reba. It was later rebuilt by the NP into NP 631, an 86-seat heavyweight coach, and in 1947 as a triple combine car with a fifteen-foot RPO section. In 1965 it was refitted by the NP's Signal Department for use as a training car. The car has been rebuilt to its triple combine configuration and gives demonstrations of how the U.S. Mail used to move by rail at the Minnesota Transportation MuseumMinnesota Transportation MuseumThe Minnesota Transportation Museum is a transport museum in Saint Paul, Minnesota.The MTM operates several heritage transportation sites in Minnesota and one in Wisconsin...
in Saint Paul, MinnesotaSaint Paul, MinnesotaSaint Paul is the capital and second-most populous city of the U.S. state of Minnesota. The city lies mostly on the east bank of the Mississippi River in the area surrounding its point of confluence with the Minnesota River, and adjoins Minneapolis, the state's largest city...
. - Northern Pacific 1370, a heavyweight coach built by the Pullman CompanyPullman CompanyThe Pullman Palace Car Company, founded by George Pullman, manufactured railroad cars in the mid-to-late 19th century through the early decades of the 20th century, during the boom of railroads in the United States. Pullman developed the sleeping car which carried his name into the 1980s...
in 1915 for service on the North Coast LimitedNorth Coast LimitedThe North Coast Limited was a named passenger train operated by the Northern Pacific Railway between Chicago and Seattle via Bismarck, North Dakota...
. The car is on display at the Minnesota Transportation MuseumMinnesota Transportation MuseumThe Minnesota Transportation Museum is a transport museum in Saint Paul, Minnesota.The MTM operates several heritage transportation sites in Minnesota and one in Wisconsin...
in Saint Paul, MinnesotaSaint Paul, MinnesotaSaint Paul is the capital and second-most populous city of the U.S. state of Minnesota. The city lies mostly on the east bank of the Mississippi River in the area surrounding its point of confluence with the Minnesota River, and adjoins Minneapolis, the state's largest city...
. - Northern Pacific 1447, a Railway Post OfficeRailway post officeIn the United States a railway post office, commonly abbreviated as RPO, was a railroad car that was normally operated in passenger service as a means to sort mail en route, in order to speed delivery. The RPO was staffed by highly trained Railway Mail Service postal clerks, and was off-limits to...
car built in 1914, is currently owned by the Lake Superior Railroad MuseumLake Superior Railroad MuseumThe Lake Superior Railroad Museum is a railroad museum in Duluth, Minnesota.The museum has seven steam, fourteen diesel and two electric locomotives, and over 40 other pieces of rolling stock...
and is on display in Duluth, MinnesotaDuluth, MinnesotaDuluth is a port city in the U.S. state of Minnesota and is the county seat of Saint Louis County. The fourth largest city in Minnesota, Duluth had a total population of 86,265 in the 2010 census. Duluth is also the second largest city that is located on Lake Superior after Thunder Bay, Ontario,...
. - Eight cars originally built for Northern Pacific by the Pullman CompanyPullman CompanyThe Pullman Palace Car Company, founded by George Pullman, manufactured railroad cars in the mid-to-late 19th century through the early decades of the 20th century, during the boom of railroads in the United States. Pullman developed the sleeping car which carried his name into the 1980s...
in the early 1900s are now used in daily service on the Napa Valley Wine TrainNapa Valley Wine TrainThe Napa Valley Wine Train is operated by the Napa Valley Railroad . The train is a privately operated excursion train that runs between Napa and St. Helena, California. Much of the rail line parallels State Route 29 after leaving the City of Napa and passes the towns of Yountville, Rutherford and...
(NVRR). These cars were sold by NP to Denver and Rio Grande Western RailroadDenver and Rio Grande Western RailroadThe Denver & Rio Grande Western Railroad , often shortened to Rio Grande or D&RGW, formerly the Denver & Rio Grande Railroad, is a defunct U.S. railroad company. The railroad started as a narrow gauge line running south from Denver, Colorado in 1870; however, served mainly as a transcontinental...
in 1960 and were used for the Ski TrainSki TrainThe Ski Train was a seasonal passenger railroad operated by Rio Grande Scenic Railroad in the period 1940-2009. Starting in 1988, the train was operated by the Ansco Investment Company, which had in turn purchased the Ski Train franchise from the Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad in that...
between DenverDenver, ColoradoThe City and County of Denver is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Denver is a consolidated city-county, located in the South Platte River Valley on the western edge of the High Plains just east of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains...
and Winter Park, ColoradoWinter Park, ColoradoWinter Park is a Home Rule Municipality in Grand County, Colorado, United States. The town population was 662 at the 2000 census, although tourists and seasonal workers significantly increase the population....
, before the NVRR purchased them in 1987.
Many NP passenger cars remain in private collections.
Cabooses
- Northern Pacific 1238, a wood cupolaCupolaIn architecture, a cupola is a small, most-often dome-like, structure on top of a building. Often used to provide a lookout or to admit light and air, it usually crowns a larger roof or dome....
cabooseCabooseA caboose is a manned North American rail transport vehicle coupled at the end of a freight train. Although cabooses were once used on nearly every freight train, their use has declined and they are seldom seen on trains, except on locals and smaller railroads.-Function:The caboose provided the...
Was purchased by Nally's Fine Foods, Tacoma, WashingtonTacoma, WashingtonTacoma is a mid-sized urban port city and the county seat of Pierce County, Washington, United States. The city is on Washington's Puget Sound, southwest of Seattle, northeast of the state capital, Olympia, and northwest of Mount Rainier National Park. The population was 198,397, according to...
from the BN in 1975 and was used for the Project NP1364 restoration but was remodeled as a clubhouse for Nally's and parked by the Seattle KING DOME until the dome was torn down then donated to the NP Museum in Toppenish, WashingtonToppenish, WashingtonToppenish is a city in Yakima County, Washington, in the United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 8,949.-History:The General Allotment Act of 1887 granted an allotment of land to a woman of half Indian ancestry, Josephine Bowser Lillie, known as "The Mother of Toppenish"...
where it was restored to its pre-1950's look without the large herald and MAIN STREET OF THE NORTHWEST logos and is on display in Toppenish, WashingtonToppenish, WashingtonToppenish is a city in Yakima County, Washington, in the United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 8,949.-History:The General Allotment Act of 1887 granted an allotment of land to a woman of half Indian ancestry, Josephine Bowser Lillie, known as "The Mother of Toppenish"... - Northern Pacific 1264, originally NP 1144, a wood cupolaCupolaIn architecture, a cupola is a small, most-often dome-like, structure on top of a building. Often used to provide a lookout or to admit light and air, it usually crowns a larger roof or dome....
cabooseCabooseA caboose is a manned North American rail transport vehicle coupled at the end of a freight train. Although cabooses were once used on nearly every freight train, their use has declined and they are seldom seen on trains, except on locals and smaller railroads.-Function:The caboose provided the...
built in 1901 by the South Baltimore Car Works in Baltimore, Maryland. The car served for many years on Idaho Division freight trains and is now on display at the Minnesota Transportation MuseumMinnesota Transportation MuseumThe Minnesota Transportation Museum is a transport museum in Saint Paul, Minnesota.The MTM operates several heritage transportation sites in Minnesota and one in Wisconsin...
in Saint Paul, MinnesotaSaint Paul, MinnesotaSaint Paul is the capital and second-most populous city of the U.S. state of Minnesota. The city lies mostly on the east bank of the Mississippi River in the area surrounding its point of confluence with the Minnesota River, and adjoins Minneapolis, the state's largest city...
. - Northern Pacific 1311, a wood cupolaCupolaIn architecture, a cupola is a small, most-often dome-like, structure on top of a building. Often used to provide a lookout or to admit light and air, it usually crowns a larger roof or dome....
cabooseCabooseA caboose is a manned North American rail transport vehicle coupled at the end of a freight train. Although cabooses were once used on nearly every freight train, their use has declined and they are seldom seen on trains, except on locals and smaller railroads.-Function:The caboose provided the...
built in 1913, is currently owned by the Lake Superior Railroad MuseumLake Superior Railroad MuseumThe Lake Superior Railroad Museum is a railroad museum in Duluth, Minnesota.The museum has seven steam, fourteen diesel and two electric locomotives, and over 40 other pieces of rolling stock...
and is on display in Duluth, MinnesotaDuluth, MinnesotaDuluth is a port city in the U.S. state of Minnesota and is the county seat of Saint Louis County. The fourth largest city in Minnesota, Duluth had a total population of 86,265 in the 2010 census. Duluth is also the second largest city that is located on Lake Superior after Thunder Bay, Ontario,...
. - Northern Pacific 1631, a wood cupolaCupolaIn architecture, a cupola is a small, most-often dome-like, structure on top of a building. Often used to provide a lookout or to admit light and air, it usually crowns a larger roof or dome....
cabooseCabooseA caboose is a manned North American rail transport vehicle coupled at the end of a freight train. Although cabooses were once used on nearly every freight train, their use has declined and they are seldom seen on trains, except on locals and smaller railroads.-Function:The caboose provided the...
, is now on display at the Minnesota Transportation MuseumMinnesota Transportation MuseumThe Minnesota Transportation Museum is a transport museum in Saint Paul, Minnesota.The MTM operates several heritage transportation sites in Minnesota and one in Wisconsin...
in Saint Paul, MinnesotaSaint Paul, MinnesotaSaint Paul is the capital and second-most populous city of the U.S. state of Minnesota. The city lies mostly on the east bank of the Mississippi River in the area surrounding its point of confluence with the Minnesota River, and adjoins Minneapolis, the state's largest city...
. - Northern Pacific 1730, now Minnesota Transfer RailwayMinnesota Transfer RailwayThe Minnesota Transfer Railway was a short line railroad in the United States.It was owned by nine major railroads serving the Twin Cities: the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad, the Chicago Great Western Railway, the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad, the Chicago, Rock...
X-12, is a former cupolaCupolaIn architecture, a cupola is a small, most-often dome-like, structure on top of a building. Often used to provide a lookout or to admit light and air, it usually crowns a larger roof or dome....
caboose built for the Northern Pacific in 1921 by Pacific Car and FoundryPACCARPACCAR Inc is the third largest manufacturer of heavy-duty trucks in the world , and has substantial manufacture in light and medium vehicles through its various subsidiaries.-History:...
. It was sold in 1966 to the Minnesota Transfer Railway and converted into a bay windowBay windowA bay window is a window space projecting outward from the main walls of a building and forming a bay in a room, either square or polygonal in plan. The angles most commonly used on the inside corners of the bay are 90, 135 and 150 degrees. Bay windows are often associated with Victorian architecture...
caboose. It is currently owned by the Mid-Continent Railway MuseumMid-Continent Railway MuseumThe Mid-Continent Railway Museum is a railroad museum in North Freedom, Wisconsin.-Collection:Three steam locomotives are currently under restoration to federal guidelines. The museum has 14 steam and 6 diesel locomotives including Chicago & North Western # 1385 and over 100 other pieces of...
and is on display in North Freedom, WisconsinNorth Freedom, WisconsinNorth Freedom is a village in Sauk County, Wisconsin, United States, along the Baraboo River. The population was 649 at the 2000 census.-Geography:North Freedom is located at ....
. - Northern Pacific 1781, a wood cupolaCupolaIn architecture, a cupola is a small, most-often dome-like, structure on top of a building. Often used to provide a lookout or to admit light and air, it usually crowns a larger roof or dome....
cabooseCabooseA caboose is a manned North American rail transport vehicle coupled at the end of a freight train. Although cabooses were once used on nearly every freight train, their use has declined and they are seldom seen on trains, except on locals and smaller railroads.-Function:The caboose provided the...
built in 1923, is currently owned by the Mid-Continent Railway MuseumMid-Continent Railway MuseumThe Mid-Continent Railway Museum is a railroad museum in North Freedom, Wisconsin.-Collection:Three steam locomotives are currently under restoration to federal guidelines. The museum has 14 steam and 6 diesel locomotives including Chicago & North Western # 1385 and over 100 other pieces of...
and is on display in North Freedom, WisconsinNorth Freedom, WisconsinNorth Freedom is a village in Sauk County, Wisconsin, United States, along the Baraboo River. The population was 649 at the 2000 census.-Geography:North Freedom is located at ....
.
Numerous NP cabooses remain in private collections.
Maintenance Equipment
- Northern Pacific 30, a Russell snowplow, is now on display at the Minnesota Transportation MuseumMinnesota Transportation MuseumThe Minnesota Transportation Museum is a transport museum in Saint Paul, Minnesota.The MTM operates several heritage transportation sites in Minnesota and one in Wisconsin...
in Saint Paul, MinnesotaSaint Paul, MinnesotaSaint Paul is the capital and second-most populous city of the U.S. state of Minnesota. The city lies mostly on the east bank of the Mississippi River in the area surrounding its point of confluence with the Minnesota River, and adjoins Minneapolis, the state's largest city...
. - Northern Pacific 38, a steam wrecking derrick built by Industrial Works in Bay City, MichiganBay City, MichiganBay City is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan located near the base of the Saginaw Bay on Lake Huron. As of the 2010 census, the city's population was 34,932, and is the principal city of the Bay City Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is included in the Saginaw-Bay City-Saginaw Township North...
in 1913, is currently owned by the Lake Superior Railroad MuseumLake Superior Railroad MuseumThe Lake Superior Railroad Museum is a railroad museum in Duluth, Minnesota.The museum has seven steam, fourteen diesel and two electric locomotives, and over 40 other pieces of rolling stock...
and is on display in Duluth, MinnesotaDuluth, MinnesotaDuluth is a port city in the U.S. state of Minnesota and is the county seat of Saint Louis County. The fourth largest city in Minnesota, Duluth had a total population of 86,265 in the 2010 census. Duluth is also the second largest city that is located on Lake Superior after Thunder Bay, Ontario,...
. - Northern Pacific 19, a wedge snowplow built by the Russell Car Company, is currently owned by the Lake Superior Railroad MuseumLake Superior Railroad MuseumThe Lake Superior Railroad Museum is a railroad museum in Duluth, Minnesota.The museum has seven steam, fourteen diesel and two electric locomotives, and over 40 other pieces of rolling stock...
and is on display in Duluth, MinnesotaDuluth, MinnesotaDuluth is a port city in the U.S. state of Minnesota and is the county seat of Saint Louis County. The fourth largest city in Minnesota, Duluth had a total population of 86,265 in the 2010 census. Duluth is also the second largest city that is located on Lake Superior after Thunder Bay, Ontario,...
. - Northern Pacific 2Rotary snowplowA rotary snowplow is a piece of railroad snowfighting equipment. It is characterized by the large circular set of blades on its front end that rotate as a unit to cut through the snow on the track ahead of it.-History:...
a rotary steam snowplow built by the Cooke Locomotive Works in 1887, is currently owned by the Lake Superior Railroad MuseumLake Superior Railroad MuseumThe Lake Superior Railroad Museum is a railroad museum in Duluth, Minnesota.The museum has seven steam, fourteen diesel and two electric locomotives, and over 40 other pieces of rolling stock...
and is on display in Duluth, MinnesotaDuluth, MinnesotaDuluth is a port city in the U.S. state of Minnesota and is the county seat of Saint Louis County. The fourth largest city in Minnesota, Duluth had a total population of 86,265 in the 2010 census. Duluth is also the second largest city that is located on Lake Superior after Thunder Bay, Ontario,...
. - Northern Pacific 10Rotary snowplowA rotary snowplow is a piece of railroad snowfighting equipment. It is characterized by the large circular set of blades on its front end that rotate as a unit to cut through the snow on the track ahead of it.-History:...
, a rotary steam snowplow built in November 1907, is currently owned by the Northwest Railway MuseumNorthwest Railway MuseumThe Northwest Railway Museum is a railroad museum in Snoqualmie, King County, Washington.-Snoqualmie Depot:The museum owns the Snoqualmie Depot built in 1890, of railroad right-of-way, and of the former Northern Pacific Railway North Bend branch...
and is on display in Snoqualmie, WashingtonSnoqualmie, WashingtonSnoqualmie is a city next to Snoqualmie Falls in King County, Washington. The city is home to the Northwest Railway Museum. The population was of 10,670 at the 2010 census...
. - Northern Pacific 642, a Mann-McCann spreader built by the St. Paul Foundry in 1921 is currently owned by the Northern Pacific Railway MuseumNorthern Pacific Railway MuseumThe Northern Pacific Railway Museum is a railroad museum in Toppenish, Washington.In 1990 the ex-Northern Pacific Railway depot in Toppenish, WA, was leased and subsequently purchased from the Burlington Northern Railroad in 1993 for the museum....
in Toppenish, WashingtonToppenish, WashingtonToppenish is a city in Yakima County, Washington, in the United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 8,949.-History:The General Allotment Act of 1887 granted an allotment of land to a woman of half Indian ancestry, Josephine Bowser Lillie, known as "The Mother of Toppenish"...
. The spreader was operated for many years on Stampede PassStampede PassStampede Pass is a mountain pass through the Cascade Range just south of Snoqualmie Pass in Washington.-Discovery of the Pass:The pass was discovered by Virgil Bogue, a civil engineer working for the Northern Pacific Railway...
by Burlington Northern as No. 972602.
Trademark Design and Origin
The design of Northern Pacific's trademark was discovered and adapted to its present use in 1893. Edwin Harrison McHenryEdwin Harrison McHenry
Edwin Harrison McHenry was the fourth vice-president of the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad and first vice-president of the Consolidated Railway of Hartford, Connecticut...
Mr. E. H. McHenry and Mr. Chas. S. Fee, then, as now, the Chief Engineer and General Passenger and Ticket Agent of the Company, respectively, are principally to be credited with its discovery and adoption. The Northern Pacific was in search of a trademark. Many designs had been considered and rejected. Mr. McHenry, while visiting the Korea
Korea
Korea ) is an East Asian geographic region that is currently divided into two separate sovereign states — North Korea and South Korea. Located on the Korean Peninsula, Korea is bordered by the People's Republic of China to the northwest, Russia to the northeast, and is separated from Japan to the...
n exhibit at the Chicago World's Fair
World's Columbian Exposition
The World's Columbian Exposition was a World's Fair held in Chicago in 1893 to celebrate the 400th anniversary of Christopher Columbus's arrival in the New World in 1492. Chicago bested New York City; Washington, D.C.; and St...
, was struck with a geometric design, a Taijitu
Taijitu
Taijitu is a term which refers to a Chinese symbol for the concept of yin and yang...
, that appeared on the Korean flag. It was simple, yet effective — plain, yet striking. At once the idea came to him that it was just the symbol for the long-sought-for trademark. With but 'slight' modification it lent itself readily to the purpose. When rendered in red and black the symbol becomes a monad, similar to the monad symbol used by the Technocracy Movement
Technocracy movement
The technocracy movement is a social movement which arose in the early 20th century. It put forth a plan for operating the North American continent as a non-monetary society. Technocracy was highly popular in the USA for a brief period in the early 1930s, when it overshadowed many other proposals...
. Though, this appears to be a coincidence.
After Mr. McHenry returned to St. Paul
Saint Paul, Minnesota
Saint Paul is the capital and second-most populous city of the U.S. state of Minnesota. The city lies mostly on the east bank of the Mississippi River in the area surrounding its point of confluence with the Minnesota River, and adjoins Minneapolis, the state's largest city...
, Mr. Fee sent to him several designs bearing on the trademark idea, for elaboration in his drafting-room. Mr. McHenry added to them the Korean figure. Mr. Fee was at once impressed with this, added the words, "Yellowstone Park Line," and sent the trademark forth into the world emblazoned upon the company's folders. The symbol impressed every one favorably, and has, from the first, attracted universal attention. Upon the organization of the Northern Pacific Railway— the old company having previously been under a receivership — the design was formally adopted as a trademark. Mr. Edward D. Adams, chairman of the Board of Directors, adopted it for the corporate seal of the new company, and had it engraved upon the company's securities.
Further reading
- Armbruster, Kurt E. Orphan Road: The Railroad Comes to Seattle, 1853–1911. Pullman [Wash.]: Washington State University PressWashington State University PressWashington State University Press is a university press that is part of Washington State University.-External links:*...
, 1999. - Asay, Jeff. Union Pacific Northwest; The Oregon-Washington Railroad and Navigation Company. Edmonds [Wash.]: Pacific Fast Mail, 1991.
- Bryant, Keith L., Jr., Editor. Encyclopedia of American Business History and Biography, Railroads in the Twentieth Century. New York: Facts on File, 1990.
- Budd, Ralph, and Howard Elliott. Great Northern and Northern Pacific Review of Operations from 1916 to 1923. New York: Wood, Struthers and Company, 1927.
- Campbell, Edward G. Reorganization of the American Railroad System, 1893–1900. New York: Columbia University PressColumbia University PressColumbia University Press is a university press based in New York City, and affiliated with Columbia University. It is currently directed by James D. Jordan and publishes titles in the humanities and sciences, including the fields of literary and cultural studies, history, social work, sociology,...
, 1938. - Campbell, Marius Robinson. Guidebook of the Western United States; Part A. The Northern Pacific Route, with a side trip to Yellowstone Park. Washington (D.C.): Government Printing Office, 1915.
- Donnelly, Charles. Facts About the Northern Pacific Land Grant. Saint Paul [Minn.]: Northern Pacific Railway, 1924.
- Fredrickson, James Merlin. Railroad Shutterbug; Jim Fredrickson’s Northern Pacific. Pullman [Wash.]: Washington State University Press, 2000.
- Fredrickson, James Merlin. Washington State History Train. Tacoma [Wash.]: Washington State Historical Society, 1995.
- Frey, Robert L., Editor. Encyclopedia of American Business History and Biography, Railroads in the Nineteenth Century. New York: Facts on File, 1988.
- Hedges, James Blaine. Henry Villard and the Railways of the Northwest. New Haven [Conn.]: Yale University Press, 1930.
- Hidy, Ralph W., et al. The Great Northern Railway, A History. Boston [Mass.]: Harvard Business School Press, 1988.
- Lewty, Peter J. Across the Columbia Plain; Railroad Expansion in the Interior Northwest, 1885–1893. Pullman [Wash.]: Washington State University Press, 1995.
- Lewty, Peter J. To the Columbia Gateway; The Oregon Railway and the Northern Pacific, 1879–1884. Pullman [Wash.]: Washington State University Press, 1987.
- Macfarlane, Robert Stetson. Henry Villard and the Northern Pacific. New York: Newcomen Society in North America, 1954.
- Martin, Albro. James J. Hill and the Opening of the Northwest. New York: Oxford University Press, 1976.
- Oberholtzer, Ellis P. Jay Cooke. New York: Augustus M. Kelley, 1968.
- Schrenk, Lorenz P., and Frey, Robert L. Northern Pacific Pioneer Steam Era. St. Paul [Minn.]: Monad Publications, 2010.
- Schrenk, Lorenz P., and Frey, Robert L. Northern Pacific Classic Steam Era. Mukilteo [Wash.]: Hundman Publishing, 1997.
- Schrenk, Lorenz P., and Frey, Robert L. Northern Pacific Railway Supersteam Era 1925–1945. San Marino [Cal.]: Golden West Books, 1985.
- Schrenk, Lorenz P., and Frey, Robert L. Northern Pacific Railway Diesel Era 1945–1970. San Marino [Cal.]: Golden West Books, 1988.
- Smalley, Eugene V. History of the Northern Pacific Railroad. New York: G. P. Putnam's SonsG. P. Putnam's SonsG. P. Putnam's Sons was a major United States book publisher based in New York City, New York. Since 1996, it has been an imprint of the Penguin Group.-History:...
, 1883. - Villard, Henry. Memoirs of Henry Villard. New York: Houghton MifflinHoughton MifflinHoughton Mifflin Harcourt is an educational and trade publisher in the United States. Headquartered in Boston's Back Bay, it publishes textbooks, instructional technology materials, assessments, reference works, and fiction and non-fiction for both young readers and adults.-History:The company was...
, 1904. - Ward, James A. That Man Haupt. Baton Rouge [La.]: Louisiana Sate University Press, 1973.
- http://www.archive.org/details/historyoftradema00wheerich Wheeler, Olin D. The History of a Trade-Mark. St. Paul [Minn.]: Northern Pacific Railway, 1901.
- Winks, Robin W. Frederick Billings: A Life. New York: Oxford University PressOxford University PressOxford University Press is the largest university press in the world. It is a department of the University of Oxford and is governed by a group of 15 academics appointed by the Vice-Chancellor known as the Delegates of the Press. They are headed by the Secretary to the Delegates, who serves as...
, 1991.
External links
- Northern Pacific Railway Corporate Records, Minnesota Historical Society.
- Northern Pacific Railway Historical Association (NPRHA) Quarterly magazine The Mainstreeter, calendar, annual convention, research pages.
- Teriffic! It's Northern Pacific! Articles, research and rosters for the Northern Pacific.
- NPTellTale The NPTellTale at finance.groups.yahoo.com/group/NPTellTale, is a Web-based discussion about the history of the Northern Pacific.
- White River Valley Museum (WRVM) Tri-annual presentations on NP history; the Albert E. Farrow photographic collection; the Robert E. Munn photographic collection; the Harold R. Burch locomotive manual collection.
- Northern Pacific Railway: First Northern Transcontinental brief history maintained by BNSF RailwayBNSF RailwayThe BNSF Railway is a wholly owned subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway Inc., and is headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas. It is one of seven North American Class I railroads and the second largest freight railroad network in North America, second only to the Union Pacific Railroad, its primary...
. - University of Washington Libraries Digital Collections – Transportation Photographs An ongoing digital collection of photographs depicting various modes of transportation in the Pacific Northwest region and Western United States during the first half of the 20th century. Includes images of the Northern Pacific Railway.
- Guide to the Northern Pacific Railway Company Records at the University of Montana Contains company materials predominantly from the late 1880s through the early 1940s.
- Guide to the Nolan Northern Pacific Railroad Collection, 1872–1947 at The Bancroft Library