Then and now: Transcontinental railroads

Since the 1890s, Spokane was often touted as a hub for four transcontinental railroads, the implication being that it was a good place to do business and ship goods across the U.S. continent.

Section:Gallery

Sun., May 17, 2020

In the foreground of this 1966 photograph are the railroad tracks serving Spokane’s downtown passenger and freight depots along the Spokane River waterfront. The tracks carried frieght and passengers for the Great Northern, the Milwaukee Road, Union Pacific, the Spokane Portland and Seattle and many other lines before all were removed for Expo ’74 and the creation of Riverfront Park.
The rails that once carried passenger and freight trains before Expo ’74 have given way to hotels and the University District, seen in this 2020 photo, bringing together the city, businesses and the area’s universities and community colleges to redevelop the former railroad right-of-way.

Jesse Tinsley The Spokesman-Review