Thursday, November 12, 2009

The Seattle Lake Shore & Eastern in Wenatchee?

From "He Built Seattle, A Biography of Judge Thomas Burke," by Robert Nesbit
..."The line from Spokane Falls ran almost due westward into the Big Bend country, far north of the line originally projected. After surveys and a proper interval, the promoters announced the abandonment of the Snoqualmie Pass route in favor of a mountain crossing further north over Cady Pass. This route would use the line of the Wenatchee River on the east side, crossing the Columbia near the Wenatchee's mouth. This move relieved them of the necessity of paralleling the Northern Pacific's Cascade division which now was in use down the Yakima River. But it was announced that the original line would be pushed as far as the summit of Snoqualmie Pass to reach the iron mines there, in order to serve the Kirkland works.

"Before the announcement of the new route, a syndicate of Seattle men including Burke, Gilman, and Haller quietly bought up the site of the present city of Wenatchee where the expected Columbia River crossing was to be. The Columbia was navigable for some miles above this point, and a mining boom in the Okanogan country promised to make this an important connection. Although the SLS&E did not survive to reach this crossing, this stroke of business was not lost; the site became the crossing and division point on the Great Northern after the Hill road was cut in for a one quarter interest in the townsite.

"Wenatchee was the most ambitious townsite plan for which Burke and others connected with the promotion got up syndicates. The judge also had in interest in such a site a few miles west of Spokane, which they christened Logan to honor the general. The site of Logan was not a success; Burke had it rented as a wheat field for many years after."

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