In the early
1900’s the Santa Fe Railroad was looking for ways to expand their business
in California. Seeing the huge potential for tapping into California’s
redwood empire in northwestern California,
they formed the San Francisco & Northwestern Railway in 1903. The
SF&NR built a large and uniquely styled wooden combination headquarters
office and depot in Eureka. Its
tall tower could be seen for miles.
The SF&NW
immediately began to purchase several local railroads around Humboldt
Bay. The plan was to build north to Oregon
and south to Santa Fe’s
transcontinental line in Richmond
to deliver much needed finished lumber products for California’s
exploding population and industrial growth. The Southern Pacific Railroad caught
wind of this “invasion” and began to buy railroads south of Eureka
in retaliation. Both railroads eventually realized two parallel lines were
not economically beneficial for either road and entered into a partnership
to form the Northwestern Pacific Railroad in 1907.
Upon the
lease of Santa Fe’s existing
lines in Eureka to the NWP, the
Santa Fe herald was taken off
the depot and replaced by a clock and new sign for the NWP. The following
two postcards show the depot first under control of the SF and later the
NWP with the new clock having been installed.
Postcard
– Santa Fe Depot, Eureka, California
Postcard
– NWP Eureka Depot, Eureka, California
