Valley and Siletz Railroad
Encyclopedia
The Valley and Siletz Railroad (VS) is a 40.6 miles (65.3 km) defunct railroad located in Polk County
and in Benton County
, Oregon
, United States
. The railroad began construction in 1912. It was 12 miles (19.3 km) long by 1915, 34 miles (54.7 km) long by 1917, and was extended to 40.6 miles (65.3 km) and completed later that year. In order to supply the Willamette Valley
with wood products from forests in the Oregon Coast Range
, the railroad followed the Luckiamute River
to connect Independence
, a city along the Willamette River
, to Valsetz
, a logging community in the Coast Range. In September 1978, when it became no longer profitable for the logging industry, most of the railroad was abandoned.
Polk County, Oregon
Polk County is a county located in the U.S. state of Oregon. The county is named for James Knox Polk, the 11th president of the United States. In 2010, its population was 75,403. The seat of the county is Dallas....
and in Benton County
Benton County, Oregon
-National protected areas:*Siuslaw National Forest *William L. Finley National Wildlife Refuge-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 78,153 people, 30,145 households, and 18,237 families residing in the county. The population density was 116 people per square mile . There were 31,980...
, 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...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The railroad began construction in 1912. It was 12 miles (19.3 km) long by 1915, 34 miles (54.7 km) long by 1917, and was extended to 40.6 miles (65.3 km) and completed later that year. In order to supply the Willamette Valley
Willamette Valley
The Willamette Valley is the most populated region in the state of Oregon of the United States. Located in the state's northwest, the region is surrounded by tall mountain ranges to the east, west and south and the valley's floor is broad, flat and fertile because of Ice Age conditions...
with wood products from forests in the Oregon Coast Range
Oregon Coast Range
The Oregon Coast Range, often called simply the Coast Range and sometimes the Pacific Coast Range, is a mountain range, in the Pacific Coast Ranges physiographic region, in the U.S. state of Oregon along the Pacific Ocean...
, the railroad followed the Luckiamute River
Luckiamute River
The Luckiamute River is a tributary of the Willamette River, about long, in western Oregon in the United States. It drains an area of Central Oregon Coast Range and the western Willamette Valley northwest of Corvallis....
to connect Independence
Independence, Oregon
Independence is a city in Polk County, Oregon, United States, on the west bank of the Willamette River along Oregon Route 51, and east of nearby Monmouth. It is part of the Salem Metropolitan Statistical Area...
, a city along the Willamette River
Willamette River
The Willamette River is a major tributary of the Columbia River, accounting for 12 to 15 percent of the Columbia's flow. The Willamette's main stem is long, lying entirely in northwestern Oregon in the United States...
, to Valsetz
Valsetz, Oregon
Valsetz was an unincorporated community and timber company town in Polk County, Oregon, United States, west of Falls City in the Central Oregon Coast Range. It no longer exists.-History:...
, a logging community in the Coast Range. In September 1978, when it became no longer profitable for the logging industry, most of the railroad was abandoned.