Oregon Central Railroad
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Railroad |
| Founded | 1866 (West Side Company), 1867 (East Side Company) |
| Founder | Joseph P. Gaston (West Side Company), Ben Holladay (East Side Company supporter) |
| Defunct | 1870 (West Side Company), 1880 (East Side Company) |
| Fate | West Side Company sold to Oregon and California Railroad; East Side Company reorganized as Oregon and California Railroad and later merged |
| Headquarters | United States |
Area served | Oregon, extending into California |
Key people | Ben Holladay, Joseph P. Gaston, George L. Woods (president of East Side Company) |
| Parent | Southern Pacific Company (from 1887) |
The Oregon Central Rail Road name applies to two distinct railroad enterprises in Oregon, each awarded federal land grants in 1866 to construct a railway stretching from Portland southward into California. The "East Side Company," based in Salem and incorporated in 1867, was supported by entrepreneur Ben Holladay and received the grant for the route east of the Willamette River. This company reorganized as the Oregon and California Railroad (O&C) in 1870 and completed its line by 1887. Meanwhile, the Portland-backed "West Side Company," incorporated a year earlier in 1866, only extended its track as far as McMinnville before being sold to O&C in 1880. Eventually, the Southern Pacific Company took ownership of the O&C line, which today largely functions under the Union Pacific Railroad's I-5 Corridor. The West Side route is currently operated by the Portland and Western Railroad, running between Beaverton and Forest Grove.
History
An initial draft of the Pacific Railway Act of 1862 contemplated a branch line into Oregon but this provision was omitted from the final legislation. Instead, an 1866 act provided land grants to California and Oregon for railroad construction, with the recipient company to be designated by the Oregon Legislature. Under the leadership of entrepreneur Joseph P. Gaston, promoters established the Oregon Central Railroad (West Side Company) in 1866 and were soon named the grant’s beneficiary. Their route was planned to begin on Portland’s west side of the Willamette River. Meanwhile, Californians affiliated with the California and Oregon Railroad incorporated the first Oregon and California Railroad in 1865 but were unable to gain control over the West Side Company. Subsequently, they created a second entity—the Oregon Central Rail Road (East Side Company)—in 1867 with Governor George L. Woods serving as president.
Both companies commenced construction in April 1868, leading to legal disputes over land grant rights. Progress for the West Side Company stalled when Portland's guarantee on bond interest conflicted with municipal regulations. Simon G. Elliott, a promoter for the East Side Company, secured backing from businessman Ben Holladay, who successfully lobbied both state legislators and Congress to reassign grants and extend construction deadlines. By December 1869, the East Side had completed its initial 20 miles from Portland to New Era, thereby validating its land grant claims. Its terminus was linked to Downtown Portland through ferry services initially operated by Holladay and later managed by Henry Villard.
The West Side Company received a separate grant in 1870 for a line running from Portland to Astoria with an additional branch to McMinnville but sold its interests to Holladay that same year. It constructed roughly 47 miles between Portland and Saint Joseph (near McMinnville), which opened in November 1872.
To fund extension toward California, Holladay reorganized the East Side Company into the Oregon and California Railroad. This line reached Roseburg by December 1872 and extended all the way to the Oregon-California border by December 1887. Concurrently, the Oregon Short Line Railroad provided Oregon with transcontinental rail connectivity. The West Side Company continued operating independently under O&C control until September 1879 when it was leased to the Western Oregon Railroad—controlled by O&C—which expanded service southward to Corvallis. Both companies were merged into O&C by October 1880.
Control of O&C transferred to Southern Pacific Company in January 1887, which then leased it starting July of that year. Except for a segment south of Eugene—where traffic was rerouted via the Natron Cutoff and Southern Pacific sold that portion in 1994—the East Side line remains active under Union Pacific Railroad (Southern Pacific’s successor). The Portland and Western Railroad leased remaining West Side tracks in August 1995, primarily utilizing them for freight operations serving Stimson Lumber Company's sawmill located between Beaverton and Seghers near Forest Grove.
See also
- Oregon land fraud scandal, an associated incident concerning the land grant of the Oregon Central
References
- Articles with short description
- Predecessors of the Southern Pacific Transportation Company
- Defunct Oregon railroads
- Railway companies established in 1866
- Railway companies established in 1867
- Railway companies disestablished in 1870
- Railway companies disestablished in 1880
- 1866 establishments in Oregon
- American companies established in 1866
- American companies disestablished in 1870
- American companies established in 1867
- American companies disestablished in 1880
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- Companies of the United States by year of establishment