Spokane and Inland Empire Railroad

Spokane and Inland Empire Railroad Company
Company type	Private
Industry	Transportation (Interurban rail)
Predecessor	Spokane Traction Company
Founded	1904
Founder	Jay P. Graves
Defunct	1929
Fate	Absorbed into Great Northern Railway
Headquarters	Spokane, Washington, United States
Area served	Spokane, Washington and northern Idaho
Key people	Jay P. Graves (founder and president), James J. Hill (owner from 1909)
Products	Electrified interurban transit services

The Spokane and Inland Empire Railroad Company (S.&I.E.R.R.Co.) was an electrified interurban transit system serving Spokane, Washington and northern Idaho. Emerging from earlier predecessor lines dating back to around 1890, the company was officially established in 1904 and operated under this name until 1929. It was eventually absorbed into the Great Northern Railway, and subsequently became part of the Burlington Northern Railroad, which continued to operate certain routes into the 1980s.

History

One of the foundational elements was the Spokane and Montrose Street Railway, Spokane’s inaugural motorized streetcar line. Initially owned by entrepreneur Francis H. Cook until 1902, it was then acquired by a consortium led by businessman Jay P. Graves. Graves and his associates reorganized it as the Spokane Traction Company in 1903, followed by the formation of the Spokane and Inland Empire Railroad Company in 1904. They converted the tracks to standard gauge and expanded service to neighborhoods such as Corbin Park, Hillyard, and Lincoln Heights. While initially reliant on externally purchased electricity, Graves constructed a hydroelectric dam at Nine Mile Falls, Washington in 1909, which supplied power to the railway and generated surplus energy for local sale, exemplifying a vertically integrated business model.

Meanwhile, Idaho lumber magnate Frederick A. Blackwell launched the Coeur d’Alene and Spokane Railway in 1903, creating a connection with Graves’ network that linked Spokane to Lake Coeur d'Alene. To increase passenger traffic, Graves and Blackwell developed real estate along this corridor, including recreational amenities such as beaches and amusement parks on nearby lakes. The electric rail terminal at Coeur d'Alene featured a dock facilitating steamboat transfers.

In partnership with James J. Hill of Great Northern Railway, Graves and Blackwell extended interurban service into the Palouse region, reaching towns like Colfax, Washington and Moscow, Idaho. This expansion operated under the Spokane and Inland Empire name; although Spokane Traction was acquired in 1908, it continued as a distinct division. Hill gained complete ownership by 1909 but kept Graves as local president. Afterward, the company gradually reduced its electric passenger operations. Notably, in 1909, a tragic head-on collision between two Spokane and Inland Empire trains near Gibbs, Idaho caused 16 fatalities and over 100 injuries, marking Idaho’s deadliest railroad disaster.

Spokane, Coeur d'Alene and Palouse

In 1929, the Spokane and Inland Empire became part of the Great Northern Railway network. Prior to this, in 1922, Spokane Traction merged with rival passenger lines run by Washington Water Power to form Spokane United Railways, which transitioned progressively from electric rail service to buses, ending electric operations by 1936. The last electric trips to Moscow and Coeur d'Alene were completed in 1939 and 1940 respectively.

According to author Clive Carter, despite ongoing financial challenges, acquiring these interurban lines was a strategic move for Great Northern due to their substantial passenger traffic feeding into its system—motivating Hill’s purchase in 1909. However, following the Burlington Northern Railroad merger in 1970, much of the interurban infrastructure became obsolete or financially unsustainable and was largely dismantled between 1970 and 1985.

Preservation

The only remaining piece of equipment from the Spokane and Inland Empire Railroad is a boxcar exhibited at the Inland Northwest Rail Museum located in Reardan, WA.

Rails to Trails

A number of recreational trails have been established along the former right-of-ways of the Spokane and Inland Empire Railroad:

The Centennial Trail, stretching from Coeur d'Alene to Spokane, closely follows much of the original railroad alignment.
The Ben Burr Trail runs along the old railway corridor through the Palouse area.

Preserved Structures

Several important buildings associated with the Spokane and Inland Empire Railroad have been preserved and adapted for contemporary purposes:

The South Hill Frequency Changing Station has been transformed into residential condominiums.
The substation in Coeur d'Alene now functions as the home of the Human Rights Education Center.
The original car barns in Spokane have been repurposed as office space for McKinstry Corp.
Former substations located in Keisling and Mt Hope, Washington, have been converted into private homes.
The freight house situated in Rosalia, WA remains standing and intact.

These preserved sites serve as tangible reminders of the railroad’s historical significance and demonstrate successful adaptive reuse within the region’s infrastructure network.

References

Arksey, Laura. "Jay P. Graves (1858-1948)." Web page, http://www.historylink.org/index.cfm?DisplayPage=output.cfm&file_id=7721. Accessed January 17, 2012.
Carter, Clive. Inland Empire Electric Line: Spokane to the Coeur d'Alene and the Palouse. Museum of North Idaho Publications, Coeur d'Alene, ID, 2009. ISBN 978-0972335683.
"McKinstry finds a way to restore early Spokane railway history." Spokane Spokesman-Review, June 2, 2010. Accessed January 17, 2012.

External links

Spokane, Coeur d'Alene and Palouse Gallery at Don's Depot