Following the opening of light rail last month in Snohomish County, the authors of Images of Rail Seattle-Everett Interurban Railway — Cheri Ryan and Kevin Stadler — on Sunday presented a 29-year history of the Seattle-to-Everett Interurban Railway. The presentation took place at the Lynnwood-Alderwood Manor Heritage Museum, home to one of the original six Niles railway cars that ran on the Seattle-to-Everett route.

The early days:

The railway from Ballard to Everett was started by Fred E. Sander, who had earlier been involved in building the trolley lines along Jackson, Grant and Madison Streets in Seattle in the late 1800s.

In 1900, Sander started The Everett and Interurban Railway Company but later changed the name to the Seattle-Everett Interurban Company to attract more investors.  One of Sander’s main motivations was to build a railway so that people could live further away from the city, purchase real estate from him and easily travel into the city for work if necessary.

By 1907, the Seattle-Everett Interurban had only reached as far as Hall’s Lake. At the start of 1908, Stone & Webster — a Boston-based consulting and management firm — bought Sander’s company. Stone & Webster owned most of the trolley lines in Seattle and controlled the entire electrical grid. They envisioned establishing an electric railway from Olympia to Bellingham and providing the power to efficiently run it.

After the acquisition, Stone & Webster hired 500 men to cut through the dense forest from Hall’s Lake to Everett, creating a right-of-way, while shaping the topography that would maximize the train’s speed and effectiveness.

In two short years, the tracks were laid, power poles and lines were providing power, and the railway was opened to the public on May 1, 1910.

1910 – 1930

During the following two decades, the Seattle-Everett Interurban provided regularly scheduled reliable travel to people who were traveling to work, visiting the seven lakes along the route or attending events like the State Fair at Silver Lake. Multiple stations were created along the route where people could board the train. Some were simple platforms or small huts, but others were larger, built to handle the number of citizens who lived near the Interurban.

As pointed out by authors Ryan and Stadler during their presentation, the railway wasn’t without its problems, especially in the early days. Accidents with motor cars crossing the tracks, cattle being hit by the train and even suicides were not uncommon. Downed trees and snowstorms also caused delays and even cancellations.

The end of the Seattle-Everett Interurban 

By the end of the 1930s, significant improvements had been made to roads and highways near the Interurban, and automobiles had become more affordable and reliable.

Ryan pointed out that Highway 99 through what is now downtown Lynnwood was completed in 1927, providing a wider, better-maintained road for autos to travel on.

In 1932, the George Washington Memorial (Aurora) Bridge was completed, providing a direct route into Seattle on Highway 99.

Additionally, electric street cars and the rails they ran on were being torn up in most of Seattle and being replaced by other modes of transportation. In so doing, the infrastructure for the Seattle-Everett Interurban into downtown Seattle disappeared.

Saving the past

The Seattle-Everett Interurban had its final run from Everett to Seattle on Feb. 20, 1939. Two thousand people were at the station to say goodbye to the final train, and hundreds lined the route as the train made its final trip south.

Fortunately for us, Ryan and Stadler researched and wrote an excellent book, filled with photos that document the history of the railway.

Additionally, the City of Lynnwood rescued one of the original six Niles railway cars from the woods near Snoqualmie Falls and totally refurbished it. Today, it resides at the Lynnwood-Alderwood Heritage Museum.

The attendees at Sunday’s event were able to climb aboard and experience the refurbished car’s beauty including the leather upholstered seats, ornate woodwork and even the motorman’s controls.

If you are interested in learning more about the Seattle-Everett Interurban Railway and its history, you can purchase Images of Rail Seattle-Everett Interurban Railway, available at the Lynnwood-Alderwood Manor Heritage Museum. Tours of the train car can also be arranged through the museum.

— By Byron Wilkes