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About The daily Astorian. (Astoria, Or.) 1961-current | View Entire Issue (July 1, 2016)
2C THE DAILY ASTORIAN • FRIDAY, JULY 1, 2016 HISTORIC PHOTO OF THE WEEK Clamshell Railroad’s fi rst run By AMY BOZORTH Special to The Daily Astorian I LWACO, Wash. — On July 19, 1888, the quirky narrow gauge railroad that ran along the historic North Beach (now Long Beach) Pen- insula celebrated the completion of a 2.4-mile-line stretching from Ilwaco in the south to Long Beach in the north. Four fl atcars fi tted with railings, plank seats and cloth canopies over- fl owed with excited passengers eager to make the railroad’s commemora- tive journey. Banquets held in both Ilwaco and Long Beach celebrated the momentous occasion with speeches presented by local dignitaries, who predicted that this little railroad was but the fi rst in a series of rail lines that would stretch along the West Coast all the way down to San Francisco. While these grand dreams never came true, the quirky little railroad, fondly nicknamed “The Clamshell Railroad,” “The Irregular, Rambling, and Never-Get-There Railroad,” and “The Delay, Linger, and Wait Rail- road,” by locals, marked the begin- ning of a new age on the North Beach Peninsula. By May of 1889, when the Ilwaco Railroad and Navigation Co. had completed its line to its northern- most terminus in Nahcotta, the fl edg- ling communities once separated by miles of bumpy roads were unifi ed by a single rail line that provided reg- ular freight and passenger service. Miles of oceanfront vacation prop- erty suddenly became accessible and hotels sprung up overnight along the I.R.&N.’s route, establishing the North Beach Peninsula as a premier tourist destination. Though ending its illustrious career in September of 1930, the Clam- shell Railroad is fondly remembered by locals and tourists alike. To learn more about the quirky railroad that ran along the historic North Beach Pen- insula between 1888 and 1930, peo- ple can attend the Clamshell Rail- road Days July 16 and July 17 at the Columbia Pacifi c Heritage Museum in Ilwaco . Amy Bozorth is the public relations and membership coordinator for the Columbia Pacifi c Heritage Museum in Ilwaco, Washington. Submitted Photo The Clamshell Railroad, a quirkly little line that connected Ilwaco and Long Beach, Wash. ? 9-1-WHAT? THE BEST OF THE WORST CALLS TO ASTORIA 911 DISPATCH Open container W e hate to stereotype. But when we heard that a driver in Astoria got cited for an open container in a Jaguar, we were thinking, like, pinot grigio or something. No. Dude had a 16-ounce pounder of Rainier in the center console. Follow reporter Kyle Spurr on his 9-1-What? Twitter watch, where a few of the sometimes head-scratching calls to area dispatch take center stage. The full feed is at www.twitter.com/9_1_WHAT. 3 W AY S TO GE T Y O U R CO PY TOD AY ! OR DER ON LIN E w w w .DiscoverO urCoast.com /order S TOP BY ON E OF OU R 3 LOCATION S A storia • 949 Exchange St. Seaside • 1555 N . Roosevelt Dr. Long Beach • 205 Bolstad A ve. E. #2 o r CALL HOLLY LAR K IN S at 503-325-3211, x227 Em ail: hlarkins@ dailyastorian.com
