Yaquina City – The End of the Line?

On July 4th of 1885 the first train load of passengers arrived in Yaquina City on the Oregon Pacific Railroad Company’s brand new rail line. This line was the first to reach the Oregon Coast from the Willamette Valley, and was the result of an arduous construction process started by a Colonel Hogg. By the time they were finished the cost per mile had risen from $25,000 /mile to $80,000/mile. But Corvalis had its rail line to the coast and all were looking for Yaquina City to boom.
Many of these tourists hopped on a steamer for the 4 mile trip down river to Newport and the ocean beach. At that time the valley was “dry” while the coast towns were “wet.” So these thirsty visitors did boost the town’s economy; or at least the liquor stores and taverns. After two days of “enjoying” the coast these tired travelers climbed back aboard the train for the return trip. However, at that time, there were no covered passenger cars on the train. Instead, they had bolted a number of benches on flat cars. While the fresh air may have helped their hangovers, the rest of the experience did not.
The Colonel had big plans for Yaquina City becoming the next San Francisco. Various forces conspired to kill that dream, and by 1937 the tracks from Toledo to Yaquina City were torn up, sealing its fate. Newport became the “city on the bay.” The next San Francisco turned out to be Seattle.
By the 1950’s virtually all traces of Yaquina City had vanished. Our photos here tell the story: (top-left) Stores springing up in the new Yaquina City (1891); (top-right) Yaquina just before the tracks were taken up in 1937; (middle-right) Some of the old trestles are all that remains of the OPR; (bottom-right) Today, the site of Yaquina City is known as Sawer’s Landing (which still has a tavern don’tcha know). Yaquina City may have reached the end of the line but her spirit lives on – right here in the PU!