The Eel River and Eureka Railroad company was organized on November 14, 1882, by a group of Eureka businessmen led by John M. Vance (b. Nova Scotia October 1, 1821 – d. January 1892).[1] One of the other founders of the line was William Carson.[2]
History
The primary Шаблон:Convert of the Eel River and Eureka Railroad ran from the line's office and depot at the foot of Second Street, Eureka to Burnell's station, a town near Hydesville.[3] The longest tunnel was nearly Шаблон:Convert through Table Bluff[3] between the stops of Salmon Creek and Swauger's Station.
By 1896, the Eel River and Eureka Railroad was running passenger trains twice a day, every day but Sunday when there were three trains.[4] From June 1895 to June 1896, the line had 32,811 passengers who paid a total of $24,748.70 in fares.[4] In the same period, the line earned $67,568.85 from lumber and freight, over 3,000 tons of which was butter from the Eel River Valley dairies.[4]
The tracks became part of a continuous line from San Francisco to Trinidad in the summer of 1914.[6] On December 28, 1918, the San Francisco and Northwestern Railway transferred the assets to the Northwestern Pacific Railroad.[5] The line was considered one of the toughest in the nation to build and maintain.[7]
Depot buildings were added at all major stops. A roundhouse and depot were built in Eureka, California. The Eureka Depot building was torn down in January 1971 and two weeks later the roundhouse was also demolished.[8] The Fortuna Depot building is now a historical museum.[8]
