This whole Railroad thing is a huge story of how Seattle tried to grow up and Tacoma stole it's thunder. As a child born in Seattle we always looked down on Tacoma. The Railroad terminal decision is where this all started. Until I understood this RR thing I never knew why we were so that way about each other.
Then Seattle despite the obstacle got to be the biggest anyway. Being a company town was not the best thing for Tacoma in the long run. She has done well but that did hinder it at some point. Seattle was the wild child who made it to the top anyway.
I have to give a call out to Kurt Armbruster who wrote two books I treasure on the whole Railroad History thing. He takes a huge complicated puzzle of who's who of Seattle/Tacoma and Washington growth via Railroads and makes it into chewable pieces. In my research of the Cedar Mtn Town and Coal Mines this little beginning of a railroad plays big later for that small town. Hence my love of his books.
If you want to know more about the birth of Seattle's RR, find a copy of Kurt's book "Orphan Railroad - The RR comes to Seattle 1853-1911" Another book I love of his is "Pacific Coast - Seattle's own Railroad" Both books are packed full of this history and photos.
When I saw the word Gawl, it made me think of galls on trees. Might be a nice subject sometime. They're so interesting! Thanks for the great history story.
This whole Railroad thing is a huge story of how Seattle tried to grow up and Tacoma stole it's thunder. As a child born in Seattle we always looked down on Tacoma. The Railroad terminal decision is where this all started. Until I understood this RR thing I never knew why we were so that way about each other.
Then Seattle despite the obstacle got to be the biggest anyway. Being a company town was not the best thing for Tacoma in the long run. She has done well but that did hinder it at some point. Seattle was the wild child who made it to the top anyway.
I have to give a call out to Kurt Armbruster who wrote two books I treasure on the whole Railroad History thing. He takes a huge complicated puzzle of who's who of Seattle/Tacoma and Washington growth via Railroads and makes it into chewable pieces. In my research of the Cedar Mtn Town and Coal Mines this little beginning of a railroad plays big later for that small town. Hence my love of his books.
If you want to know more about the birth of Seattle's RR, find a copy of Kurt's book "Orphan Railroad - The RR comes to Seattle 1853-1911" Another book I love of his is "Pacific Coast - Seattle's own Railroad" Both books are packed full of this history and photos.
When I saw the word Gawl, it made me think of galls on trees. Might be a nice subject sometime. They're so interesting! Thanks for the great history story.
What an awesome recognition! Enjoy the speech.