Interurban Electric Rail Car Line between Portland and Oregon City
I grew up in Oak Grove south of Portland in a house that was right next to this rail line. It was the first built and last operating Electric Rail line in the Willamette Valley. I've circled the line here showing how it was just one of many electric rail lines built connecting many areas within the Willamette Valley starting in the 1890's and continuing to 1958. A early and far superior version of MAX. This particular line built by the Eastside Railway Company in the 1890's was the first interurban electric rail line in the United States as well as the longest distance electrical transmission at the time. Our home was near the Silver Springs stop. I wonder about the St. Therese stop between Courtney and Oak Grove. I recognize all of the other street names but that one. We walked along the rail lines as a shortcut to School and I can remember that it was a common site to find parts of old glass insulators along the rail bed. The old rail line is still a public right of way and you could probably walk or bike most of it from Oregon City to Portland and look for any old evidence of rail line that once was there. Above is a picture taken in 1969 along Arista Dr. South of Concord Blvd showing the rail lines.