Near Mullan in Shoshone County, Idaho — The American West (Mountains)

Willow Creek Slide

Photographed By Phyllis Prats, June 1, 2015

1. Willow Creek Slide Marker

Inscription. A spectacular avalanche, Feb. 10, 1903, swept away part of a trestle—300 feet high—that let Northern Pacific Railway trains descend from this pass since 1890.

An engine that plunged 80 feet was buried in 30 feet of snow; a passenger car dangled over open space; and a caboose with 8 people dropped into a deep snowbank. Miraculously, everyone aboard survived that terror-stricken trip. But a new, less hazardous route replaced that trestle route.

Erected by Idaho Transportation Department. Text prepared by the Idaho Historical Society. (Marker Number 373.)

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Disasters • Railroads & Streetcars. In addition, it is included in the Idaho State Historical Society series list. A significant historical date for this entry is February 10, 1903.

Location. 47° 27.633′ N, 115° 44.14′ W. Marker is near Mullan, Idaho, in Shoshone County. Marker is on Interstate 90, 7.9 miles east of Exit 69 at Mullan, on the right. It is at a Historical Site pull-off with plenty of parking, accessible only from the eastbound lanes. Exit 69 is the last exit in Idaho before you enter Montana. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Mullan ID 83846, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 6 miles of this marker, measured as the crow

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flies. Lead-Silver Mines (here, next to this marker); Welcome to Silver Valley (approx. 1.2 miles away); 1910 Fire (approx. 1.2 miles away); Murray Gold Fields (approx. 1.2 miles away); History of Lookout Pass (approx. 1.8 miles away); A Lost World (approx. 5.8 miles away in Montana); A wonderful Piece of Engineering: The Mullan Road (approx. 5.8 miles away in Montana); Join the Voyage of Discovery (approx. 5.8 miles away in Montana). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Mullan.

Also see . . . Wikipedia entry for Northern Pacific Railway. “The Northern Pacific Railway was a transcontinental railroad that operated across the northern tier of the western United States from Minnesota to the Pacific Coast. It was approved by Congress in 1864 and given nearly 40 million acres of land grants, which it used to raise money in Europe for construction. Construction began in 1870 and the main line opened all the way from the Great Lakes to the Pacific when former president Ulysses S. Grant drove in the final ‘golden spike’ in western Montana on Sept. 8, 1883. The railroad had about 6800 miles of track and served a large area, including extensive trackage in the states of Idaho, Minnesota, Montana, North Dakota, Oregon, Washington and Wisconsin. In addition the

Photographed By Phyllis Prats, June 1, 2015

2. Willow Creek Slide Marker

The trestle crossed left to right here.

company had an international branch to Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. The main activities were shipping wheat and other farm products, cattle, timber and minerals; bringing in consumer goods, transporting passengers; and selling land. ... The North Coast Limited was a famous passenger train operated by the Northern Pacific between Chicago and Seattle via Butte, Montana and Homestake Pass.” (Submitted on December 11, 2015.)

Credits. This page was last revised on June 16, 2016. It was originally submitted on December 11, 2015, by J. J. Prats of Powell, Ohio. This page has been viewed 1,096 times since then and 93 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on December 11, 2015, by J. J. Prats of Powell, Ohio.