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Detailed map of Oregon, Washington and Idaho, illustrating the routes of the Oregon Railroad and Navigation Compan.
The map appears in a promotional guide entited "The Columbia River Empire," published in Portland for Passenger Department of the Oregon Railroad and Navigation Company.
Front cover reads "Oregon Washington Idaho and Their Resources".
The Oregon Railroad and Navigation Company (OR&N) has its origins in the late 19th century and played an instrumental role in shaping the transportation landscape of the Pacific Northwest. Founded in 1879 as a consolidation of several railroads and navigation companies, the OR&N was primarily established by three key individuals: Henry Villard, John C. Ainsworth, and Simeon G. Reed. These visionaries, alongside their consortium of investors, aimed to create an integrated transportation system connecting the expansive region by rail and water.
The early endeavors of OR&N focused on connecting the Columbia River's key points by both steamboats and railroads. Significant progress was marked in 1882 when the line extended its reach from Portland to the confluence of the Snake and Columbia Rivers at Ainsworth (now Pasco), Washington. This expansion was complemented by the acquisition of various steamship lines, further solidifying its dominance on the Columbia River and ensuring a seamless connection between rail and water routes.
By the turn of the century, OR&N had established an impressive network spanning Oregon, Washington, and Idaho. In 1896, it was absorbed by the Union Pacific Railroad but continued to operate under its original name until 1910. A decade later, by 1920, all operations of the Oregon Railroad and Navigation Company were fully integrated into the Union Pacific system, marking the end of an independent entity that had once been the lifeline of transportation in the Pacific Northwest.
