The Deschutes River Railroad War

This book traces the geological and railroad history of the Pacific Northwest with intricate detail, expert understanding, and amusing anecdotes. This is the story of two railroads racing up the Deschutes River to expand railroad service from the Columbia River to Bend, Oregon. The race was a competition between two railroad barons: James J. Hill of the Great Northern and Edward H. Harriman of the Union Pacific. At the heart of this gripping story is the essence of the American West and the magnates, workers, immigrants, and settlers whose impact on the region would usher in the age of railroad transportation in the twentieth century. Read more