Clamshell Railroad Driving Tour

Clamshell Railroad Driving Tour. . , "It is estimated that with two canneries, the lumbering, cranberry and railroad interests centering at Ilwaco annually put into circulation at this town about $600,000. This is a solid town and is entitled to the attention of all visitors to Washington's coast." , ”The Oregonians Handbook of the Pacific Northwest" by Edward Gardner Jones, 1894. , Snapshot in Time , The scene in front of you is a snapshot in time of when the railroad ruled local commerce. The Nahcotta, while now considered a beautiful relic, was built to be practical. This 1889 Pullman-built narrow gauge passenger coach is on the Washington Heritage Register of Historic Places for its, "direct connection to the broad patterns of growth and development of the Long Beach Peninsula." It was also given this recognition for, "embodying the distinctive characteristics of its type, and period of construction." This car was built in the definitive Eastlake style of its time as the "street car" of the railroad. It carried thousands of people over the four decades that the IR&N train ran here. , The Nahcotta and the depot in front of you tell of the "Clamshell Railroad's" diverse form and function. The freight depot was built to store products and cargo that was transported on the line. Without safe storage and passage of freight the richness of agricultural produce grown on the peninsula, such as cranberries and aquaculture products like oysters, couldn't have reached the markets of Portland and other large cities. Travelers to the beach also needed secure transportation of their belongings. This depot was moved just over a block away from its original location along the tracks at the intersection of Spruce Street and 1st Avenue. Standing here, you would have been able to see the train roll by to your right.