The Fairhaven and Southern Railroad and its successor the Seattle and Montana Railroad were
railroad
Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport using wheeled vehicles running in railway track, tracks, which usually consist of two parallel steel railway track, rails. Rail transport is one of the two primary means of ...
s in northwest part of the
U.S.
The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 contiguous ...
state of
Washington
Washington most commonly refers to:
* George Washington (1732–1799), the first president of the United States
* Washington (state), a state in the Pacific Northwest of the United States
* Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States
** A ...
, active in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. They ran roughly south from
Blaine, Washington
Blaine is a city in Whatcom County, Washington, Whatcom County, Washington (state), Washington, United States. The city's northern boundary is the Canada–United States border, Canada–U.S. border; the Peace Arch international monument straddl ...
on the U.S.-
Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...
border. The Fairhaven and Southern operated 1888-1898 and ran to Sedro (part of today's Sedro-Woolley). It operated from December 1891 as part of the Seattle and Montana ''Railway'', and was merged with that into its successor, the Seattle and Montana ''Railroad'', both of which extended service south to
Seattle
Seattle ( ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Washington and in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. With a population of 780,995 in 2024, it is the 18th-most populous city in the United States. The city is the cou ...
The Fairhaven and Southern Railroad in the northwest part of Washington State was built by the Fairhaven Land Co., founded by E. M. Wilson, E. L. Cowgill,
Nelson Bennett
Nelson Bennett (October 14, 1843 – July 20, 1913) was a Canadian-American railroad magnate who contributed to the growth of Fairhaven and Tacoma, Washington in the late 19th-century. Bennett was president of the Fairhaven and Southern Railroa ...
Bellingham Bay and British Columbia Railroad
Bellingham Bay and British Columbia Railroad was built in the northwestern part of Washington, between the town of Whatcom, now Bellingham, then to the town of Sumas, to connect with the Canadian Pacific Railway for a continental connection.
H ...
were already building to the north, the initial independent F & S railroad headed south, first to the coal mines in Skagit County then to a connection with the Seattle and Northern Railroad.
The Fairhaven and Southern was incorporated November 27, 1888. Work on the road began in 1889 in
Fairhaven, Washington
Fairhaven (or Fairhaven Village) was a settlement in Washington state founded in 1883 by Dan Harris. In 1903, it became part of the city of Bellingham and remains a historic neighborhood.
Description
The Fairhaven area is situated on the so ...
, now part of Bellingham. The line was surveyed towards Lake Samish towards what is now
Sedro-Woolley, Washington
Sedro-Woolley ( ) is a city in Skagit County, Washington, Skagit County, Washington (state), Washington, United States. It is part of the Mount Vernon, Washington, Mount Vernon–Anacortes, Washington, Anacortes, Washington Metropolitan Stat ...
. The line reached the coal mines in
Skagit county
Skagit County is a county in the U.S. state of Washington. As of the 2020 census, the population was 129,523. The county seat and largest city is Mount Vernon. The county was formed in 1883 from Whatcom County and is named for the Upper and ...
in 1890, and began operating on a partial line February 1, 1890. That initial line was completed June 28, 1890, running from Fairhaven to Sedro and, according to an early timetable, completing the trip in 50 minutes. The ICC lists it in June 1890 as in operating independent with of track.
The line soon became a part of
James J. Hill
James Jerome Hill (September 16, 1838 – May 29, 1916) was a Canadian-American railway director. He was the chief executive officer of a family of lines headed by the Great Northern Railway, which served a substantial area of the Upper Midwest ...
and Thomas Burke's plan to connect the growing city of Seattle to the Canadian main line railways. The franchise for the line was transferred to Hill's Great Northern in June 1890. An ICC listing June 30, 1891 shows the Fairhaven and Southern as an operating subsidiary of the Great Northern, with of track; the Seattle and Montana was an operating subsidiary of the Great Northern throughout its existence. These were part of a through route for between Seattle and
Vancouver
Vancouver is a major city in Western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the cit ...
,
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Situated in the Pacific Northwest between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains, the province has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that ...
. Tracks were rapidly extended from Fairhaven north to Blaine, with the entire project completed between August 16 and October 25, 1890. By December 6, 1890, the coal branch extended from Sedro to Cokedale (now a
ghost town
A ghost town, deserted city, extinct town, or abandoned city is an abandoned settlement, usually one that contains substantial visible remaining buildings and infrastructure such as roads. A town often becomes a ghost town because the economi ...
), where a good supply of coal could be obtained.
The whole line was completed with a golden spike ceremony at Fairhaven on February 14, 1891, when the Fairhaven and Southern was connected to the Seattle and Montana near
Burlington, Washington
Burlington is a city in Skagit County, Washington, United States. Its population was recorded as 9,152 in the 2020 census. Burlington is located approximately halfway between Seattle and Vancouver, Canada. The city is included in the Mount Vernon ...
.
As late as November 1891, the Fairhaven and Southern was listed as an independent railway in the '' Official Guide'', but beginning December 7, 1891 it is listed as part of the Seattle and Montana, with a single service extending from Seattle to Blaine and continuing across the border to South Westminster,
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Situated in the Pacific Northwest between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains, the province has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that ...
, with the Seattle-Blaine run taking 5:55, and an additional 1:35 to South Westminster.
The Fairhaven and Southern was listed by the ICC as in June 1891; in June 1893, it was reduced to . That number remained the same until its sale to the Seattle and Montana.
That combined road was later connected to the Great Northern, and later bought out by same.
Seattle and Montana
The Seattle and Montana ''Railway'' Company incorporated March 7, 1890 and is listed by the ICC on June 30, 1893 as an operating subsidiary of the Great Northern with of track owned and in use. Between June 6, 1891 and October 3, 1891, it laid of track from Seattle to F&S Junction (that is, Fairhaven and Southern Junction) in the Sedro-Wooley/ Burlington area, and opened for business on that entire length December 4, 1891. As indicated above, the published route continued north past F&S Junction on the tracks of the Fairhaven and Southern, giving Seattle a link north to Canada.
The Seattle and Montana ''Railroad'' Company was incorporated March 29, 1898 and purchased the Fairhaven and Southern the following day, consolidating it with the earlier Seattle and Montana Railway Company that had been incorporated March 7, 1890. On June 30, 1898, the ICC lists the Seattle and Montana with owned and operated.
On February 1, 1902, the Seattle and Montana also purchased the Seattle and Northern Railway Company which, despite its name, owned and operated only a line running roughly west to east from
Anacortes, Washington
Anacortes ( ) is a city in Skagit County, Washington, United States. The name "Anacortes" is an adaptation of the name of Anne Curtis Bowman, who was the wife of early Fidalgo Island settler Amos Bowman.Rockport, Washington and running through Woolley, close enough to Sedro that the two were eventually incorporated into present-day Sedro-Woolley The merged line is listed as in 1902 and in 1904. Records suggest that there may have been significant rebuilding of the main north-south line from 1902 to 1906.