Gales Creek & Wilson River Railroad Co.
Gales Creek & Wilson River Railroad Co.
- Only one piece available...
- Inventory on the way
Product Details
CompanyGales Creek & Wilson River Railroad Company
Certificate Type
Capital Stock
Date Issued
September 9, 1917
Canceled
Yes
Printer
J. R. Rogers, Printers, Portland
Signatures
Hand signed
Approximate Size
10 1/4" (w) by 8 1/4" (h)
Images
Show the exact certificate you will receive
Guaranteed Authentic
Yes
Additional Details
NA
Reference
Historical Context
The Gales Creek & Wilson River Railroad was born out of the desire of a man name JL Washburn to reach a significant amount of timber stands his company owned west of where the United Railways line ran through Banks, Oregon. After failing to convince the UR owners to build a logging railroad, Washburn built one himself, starting in 1917.
The GC&WR left the UR and then crossed the SP Tillamook branch via a trestle and then continued west for a number of miles before turning north and finally arriving at a place called Aagaard Mill. Later known as Glenwood. The original line was about 12.74 miles long.
It took about three years to construct the line, because it was largely done with horse teams and the right of way kept getting washed out during the winter months. Also a very long high trestle had to be built over Beaver Creek, west of Orchard Dale and another significant trestle over Gales Creek, further up the line.
The GC&WR obtained 60 and 66lb used rail from the UR parent companies, the Great Northern and Northern Pacific. They also contracted out with a United Railways work train to do the track laying.
By 1920, the line was in operation. The original headquarters of the line was located at Washburn, about 9 miles up the line.
1922, a deal was struck and Washburn sold the GC&WR to the Great Northern and Northern Pacific. The GN/NP owned the United Railways and had formed the Spokane Portland & Seattle Railroad, which would over see both the UR and GC&WR, but both railroads would operate their own crews, and retain their railroad names. One of the reasons the GN/NP agreed to purchase the GC&WR - even though they didn’t really want it - was because they were afraid of the SP taking it over. One of the first things they did when they took control, was pull out the SP connection and from then on, the GC&WR only connected directly with the United Railways.
Business was slow until 1933, when the Tillamook Burn hit, scorching 11 million board feet of timber west of the end of the GC&WR railroad. This would end up being a major boom for the railroad as the timber had to salvaged as soon as possible or be lost forever from disease and rot. Three major logging companies and land holders came together to form the Consolidated Timber Company. They were the Blodgett Company, Crossett-Western and Henry F Cheney.
By 1936, the end of the GC&WR was extended a short distance to a place just west of Glenwood. From there, Consolidated Timber ran a line west into the woods and built numerous logging spurs.
For the next 10 years, logging railroad traffic would be frequent and plentiful, with as many as 4 to 6 log trains running on GC&WR at any one time. Trains would run the entire length of the GC&WR and then run on the United Railways all the way to Rafton, northwest of Portland, Oregon, where the logs would be dumped into the river.
By 1946, the Consolidated Timber Company had panned out the timber and ceased operations. Their track west of Glenwood was abandoned. With little to no traffic to handle on the GC&WR, the line was doomed. The line completely shut down at the end of 1949. By 1950, it was officially abandoned and in 1951 the tracks were pulled up.
Related Collections
Additional Information
Certificates carry no value on any of today's financial indexes and no transfer of ownership is implied. All items offered are collectible in nature only. So, you can frame them, but you can't cash them in!
All of our pieces are original - we do not sell reproductions. If you ever find out that one of our pieces is not authentic, you may return it for a full refund of the purchase price and any associated shipping charges.
FAQ
Are the certificates offered on your site genuine or reproductions?
All of the certificates you see on our site are genuine pieces, we do not sell any reproductions.Are the certificates you sell negotiable on any of today's stock markets or indexes?
No. All of the pieces we sell are either canceled or obsolete and have collectible value only.
Are the images presented in your product listings of the exact piece I will receive?
It depends. We try to present images of the exact piece you will receive whenever possible. However, when we are offering quantities of a piece, this is impossible. Within every product page we detail whether or not you will be receiving the exact certificate listed, or if the image is a representative example of the one you will receive.
How will you ship my order and how much do you charge?
We ship all orders via the United States Postal Service. Most domestic orders are shipped via Ground Advantage. USPS International, Priority and Express Mail, UPS and DHL services are also available, and costs are calculated during checkout. Current charges may be reviewed here.
Can I return my purchase?
Absolutely. You may return any merchandise, for any reason, within 30 days of the purchase date for a full refund of the purchase price.
We guarantee all of our pieces to be authentic. If you ever determine that a piece is not authentic, it may be returned for a full refund of the purchase price as well as any associated shipping charges.
Shipping
If your order exceeds $35, and the shipping address is within the United States, shipping via USPS Ground Advantage is FREE!
We make every effort to ship out all orders within 24 hours of receipt.
We ship the majority of orders via the USPS, with domestic orders using the Ground Advantage service.
Shipping is calculated during checkout. Upgraded services such as Priority and Express Mail, as well as UPS and DHL options, are also available.
As soon as your order is shipped you will receive your tracking information via email.
OVERSEAS ORDERS PLEASE NOTE THAT WE DECLARE FULL ORDER VALUE ON ALL SHIPMENTS. CUSTOMER IS RESPONSIBLE FOR ALL VAT/CUSTOMS CHARGES.
Returns
Our goal is to make sure every item you receive is exactly what you had in mind. If you not happy with your purchase, we’ll help you get it sorted in a timely and professional manner.
You can return anything we offer for an exchange, refund or store credit within 30 days of delivery. Return shipping costs may apply, and the item must be in its original condition and packaging.
Any shipping charges collected on the original order are not eligible for a refund.