Railroad History

DAYTON-Railroad enthusiast and author Thomas Hillebrant spoke about the history of the Walla Walla and Dayton Rails at the Dayton Historic Depot on Mar. 21. Hillebrant said there was a "great clamor" from local grain producers, early on, to tap into world markets by rail. He said the first local rail ran from Wallula to Touchet and had wood rails. Baker Boyer Bank Founder Dr. Dorsey Baker financed it and it was completed in 1875. A "spider's web" of competing rail routes soon ensued, including those under the banner of the Oregon and Washington Territory Railroad and those under the Oregon Railroad and Navigation Co. Hillebrant ended his talk with a brief discussion about Frontier Rail, LLC, the operator of the Walla Walla Columbia rails, and its prospects for a bright future. Hillebrant is the author of Palouse Rails: Granger Railroads of the Inland Northwest.