San Francisco and Northwestern Railway
| Company type | Subsidiary |
|---|---|
| Industry | Railroad |
| Predecessor | Eel River and Eureka Railroad, California Midland Railroad, Pacific Lumber Company rail lines |
| Founded | 1903 |
| Fate | Merged into Northwestern Pacific Railroad |
| Headquarters | Eureka, California , United States |
Area served | Humboldt County, California |
| Parent | Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway |
San Francisco and Northwestern Railway (SF&NW), a subsidiary of the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway, was created in 1903 with the purpose of connecting Humboldt Bay to the Santa Fe rail system.
The Eel River and Eureka Railroad, established in 1884, served as a transportation route for lumber mills and agricultural operations along the lower Eel River, facilitating access to Humboldt Bay shipping. Its branch, the California Midland Railroad, was founded in 1902 to extend the track along the Van Duzen River reaching Carlotta.
In 1885, the Pacific Lumber Company developed a rail link from its lumber mill at Scotia to connect with the Eel River and Eureka Railroad at Alton. By 1902, multiple logging spurs stretched approximately 8 miles along the Eel River.
The California and Northern Railway was established in 1900 with the goal of constructing a northern route from Eureka, achieving a connection to Arcata by 1903.
In 1903, SF&NW unified the operations of the Eel River and Eureka Railroad, California Midland, and Pacific Lumber Company lines. The acquisition of the California and Northern Railway in 1904 allowed SF&NW to establish a principal route running from Arcata to points upstream of Scotia on the Eel River. The Santa Fe circled cross emblem was prominently displayed at Eureka Depot.
At the same time, logging railroads north of Arcata were under the control of Southern Pacific Railroad through its subsidiary, the Oregon and Eureka Railroad. Both Southern Pacific and Santa Fe competed to serve Humboldt County’s timber industry; ultimately, SF&NW was merged into the jointly owned Northwestern Pacific Railroad in 1907.