Trains, Trees, & California's First Lady
How are the North Pacific Coast (N.P.C.) Railroad, camping, and a former First Lady of California connected?
Oakland native Helen Penniman Pardee clearly had a great passion for nature. As a young adult, the spirited, future First Lady of California was a member of an outdoor club called the Merry Tramps. The Merry Tramps enjoyed hiking, camping, swimming, and other outdoor activities. From approximately 1883 to 1900, the group traveled around California. Local newspapers even delighted readers with accounts from their trips.
The Merry Tramps had a camp near the Russian River in Sonoma County. Only a few years earlier, the region had been difficult for visitors to access. Yet, the new N.P.C. Railroad allowed travelers like the Merry Tramps access to the outdoors.
Train Travel Transforms the Country
The N.P.C. was not the only railroad to connect passengers to new places.
Nineteenth century rail travel had transformed the lives of Americans across the country. Passengers could now cross the country in a few days. Before traveling coast to coast took several months. Trains also made transporting animals, food, and materials easier. These new rail lines helped the nation expand west.
Yet, the growth of the United States came at a cost. Americans needed lumber and coal to run their railroads and build new cities. To meet these needs, logging and mining became common industries in the West. But the chemicals used by miners polluted the environment. Mining also altered the natural landscape. So did logging which destroyed many redwood forests on the Pacific Coast.
By the mid-nineteenth century, expansion and industry shaped the nation. These forces also brought the railroad N.P.C. to California.
The Beginning of the North Pacific Coast Railroad
Long before tourists came to the Russian River in Sonoma County, Austin Moore advocated to bring a railroad to the region. Moore was one of the owners of the Russian River Land and Lumber Company. The depletion of lumber reserves near San Francisco pushed lumber companies deeper into Sonoma and Marin. Yet, the thick redwood forests posed challenges to transporting lumber.
But Moore knew that rail provided a solution.
With the support of lumber businessmen and farmers, Moore helped start the N.P.C. company in 1871. When officially completed in late 1886, the rail line ran approximately 86 miles and connected Sausalito in the bay to Ingram (later Cazadero) in the redwoods. The N.P.C. began to transport lumber, dairy, and livestock to San Francisco. Much to Moore’s delight, the rail line also helped increase logging in the area.
But the railroad soon ran into trouble.
The N.P.C. Struggles
Joseph G. Eastland inherited a difficult task when he became the acting N.P.C. President in the mid-1870s. From the beginning, the N.P.C. had struggled financially. Its location near the coast made it expensive to operate. The remote route also generated limited revenue. The company's debut only increased during the financial depression of the 1870s.
Yet, despite all these challenges, Eastland was determined to help.
Yet, in 1878, a tragic N.P.C. accident further harmed the railroad's reputation. Near Point Reyes, Eastland's private car skidded off the tracks and into a creek. The accident left Eastland with critical injuries and killed his infant daughter. Traumatized by the incident, Eastland resigned.
The N.P.C.'s struggles of the 1870s proved that the railroad would need to reinvent its image to survive. American's growing interest in the environment offered a surprising solution.
Environmentalism in California
“Of all our resources there are none which stand more in need of safeguarding than our streams and forests.” – California Governor George Pardee, 1903 Inauguration Address
Like many Americans, rapid expansion concerned California Governor George Pardee. In a 1903 speech, Pardee spoke of the need to protect the environment from industry. Later that year, he visited Yosemite with Teddy Roosevelt and John Muir. Photographers took a picture of the group in front of a massive sequoia.
American's interest in protecting the environment started well before Pardee's time as governor. Nineteenth century novels and paintings celebrated the beauty of the American landscape. These depictions inspired Americans to look to nature as a place of enjoyment.
Americans viewed nature as a place of recreation. In California, wealthy residents began to explore Yosemite and the vast forests of California. Helen Penniman, George Pardee's future wife, was one of them.
Soon the N.P.C. would soon connect her and the Merry Tramps to the redwoods.
Rebranding the Line
“By taking this charming route, tourists can see the most beautiful scenery in the shortest time and least expense . . .” - Wonders of the Sierra Nevada and Coast Range, 1881.
In the late nineteenth century, traveler guidebooks detailed the natural beauty of California. Several of these guidebooks featured the N.P.C.’s route.
Descriptions of the scenic rail line delighted readers and travelers alike. Soon, it became common for San Franciscans to take weekend picnic trips to the redwood groves on the N.P.C.
Other tourists started to use the line for camping trips. In June 1884, the Merry Tramps traveled by rail to the Russian River. In their camp near Guerneville, they stayed in furnished tents. They enjoyed swimming, hiking, and posing for photos with the redwoods.
Detailed newspaper articles of the Merry Tramp's travels soon captured the attention of readers. Photographer Frank B. Rodolph also published pictures of the Merry Tramp's trip. These accounts and brochures introduced Californians to the N.P.C. and the redwoods.
Soon tourism would completely redefine the N.P.C.
Rails to the Redwoods
The N.P.C. Railroad became the North Shore Railroad in 1902, but the Northwestern Pacific Railroad (N.W.P) would ultimately acquire the line in 1907. By 1912, logging in the region had slowed. Passenger travel became the main business of the N.W.P.
The N.W.P. capitalized upon the railroad’s status “as one of the most interesting and picturesque routes in the States.” Brochures described the region as the perfect place for outdoor trips. Advertisements featured camping, swimming, fishing, and the redwoods. Some groups like the Merry Tramps enjoyed camping in well-furnished tents. Others travelers stayed at resorts such as the Monte Rio Hotel. Brochures produced by the N.W.P. advertised the accommodations that visitors could find along the route.
Nature and Industry
An 1884 photograph taken by Frank B. Rodolph captured the Merry Tramp’s tents, banner, and campsite. Fittingly, in the foreground, the evident railroad tracks run deeper into the redwoods. The railroad made the Merry Tramp's trip to the Russian River possible.
In many ways, trains like the N.P. C. increased Americans access to nature. Across the country, railroads allowed Americans to escape the city. After seeing the natural beauty of the country, Americans saw a need to protect the landscape. This awareness helped create protected forests and parks.
Railroads helped foster environmental awareness. Yet, they also had environmental costs. So did tourism. More trains increased the resources needed to get tourists to the redwoods. Additionally, visitors also damaged and collected local wildlife – even the Merry Tramps.
Over the years, Americans' fascination with nature grew into a nationwide market. Yet, soon new technology would change how Americans accessed the outdoors.
The Last Days of the Rail
“The old narrow-gauge railroad of the Northwestern Pacific terminating at Cazadero has passed into history.” – "Sonoma County News," 17 September 1926
On September 17th, 1926, a news reporter sadly watched as the N.W.P left Cazadero for the last time. The reign of the N.W.P. had come to an end.
During the 1920s and 30s, new technologies reduced the popularity of rail travel. Automobiles and Greyhound Buses were faster and made transportation around the state easier. By this time, the remaining mills in the area had also closed and the Great Depression further reduced tourist travel. There was no need for the N.W.P. any longer.
After N.W.P announced their decision to close the line, many residents started petitions to save the railroad. Some even attempted to take the fight to the United States Supreme Court. Yet, despite these efforts, the N.W.P. discontinued most of the line by the early 1930s.
But this did not mean that the communities forgot about the legacy of the N.W.P.
A Living Legacy
It has been more than 100 years since trains last traveled from Marin to the Russian River. Today, little physical evidence remains of the railroad’s past influence.
Yet, the legacy of the line still lives on. Sonoma, the last remaining N.P.C. engine, is on display at the California State Railroad Museum. N.W.P. also continues to offer excursion trips into the redwoods on their Skunk Train line in Mendocino County. These trips celebrate the nature of the California Coast and the state’s rich rail history.
Visitors can learn more about N.P.C. history at the Tomales Regional History Center and the Marin History Museum. The Sausalito and Russian River Historical Societies also continue to help preserve the N.P.C.’s history.
Today, the beauty of Sonoma and Marin still draws visitors to the outdoors. This precedent set by the Merry Tramps continues to shape the region today.
Special Thanks
Anne T. Kent California Room, Marin County Free Library; Bancroft Library, University of California, Berkley; California State Library; California State Railroad Museum; California State University, Sacramento Library; California State University, Sacramento Public History Graduate Program, Marin History Museum, Russian River Historical Society; Sausalito Historical Society; Tomales Regional History Center; Yosemite Regional Library
References
“Coast Section Men Organize to Fight N.W.P. Co Petition.” Healdsburg Tribune. 28 March 1929.
Dickinson, A. Bray and Roy Graves. Narrow Gauge to the Redwoods: The Story of the North Pacific Coast Railroad and San Francisco Bay Paddle-Wheel Ferries. Los Angeles: Trans-Anglo Books, 1967.
Eliassen, Meredith and Frank B. Rodolph. “Adventures in Nature: The Merry Tramps of Oakland.” California History 82, no. 2 (2004): 6–19, 59. https://doi.org/10.2307/25161724.
“Fight to Save Narrow Gauge Line Planned: Merchants of Coast Section Ask Aid of Governor.” Healdsburg Tribune. February 6, 1930.
Hine, Robert V. and John Mack Faragher. Frontiers: A Short History of the American West. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 2007.
Kneiss, Gilbert H. Redwood Railways: A Story of Redwoods, Picnics, and Commuters. Berkeley: Howell-North, 1956.
“The Merry Tramps.” Oakland Tribune. 20 June 1883.
“Merry Tramps.” San Jose Mercury-News. July 7, 1883.
“Minor Gleanings.” Healdsburg Tribune. June 7, 1900.
Pardee, George. “Inaugural Address.” Speech, Sacramento, CA, January 6, 1903. The Governor’s Gallery. https://governors.library.ca.gov/.
Powell, John J. Wonders of the Sierra Nevada and Coast Range. San Francisco: H.S. Crocker & Company, 1881.
Shaw, Frederic, Clement Fisher, Jr., and George H. Harlan. Oil Lamps and Iron Ponies: A Chronicle of the Narrow Gauges. San Francisco: Bay Books, 1949.
“Sonoma County News: Narrow Gauge R.R. Goes.” Sotoyome Scimitar. September 17, 1926.
Stindt, Fred A. Trains to the Russian River. Redwood City, CA: Pacific Coast Chapter of the Railway & Locomotive Historical Society,1974.
Stindt, Fred A. and Guy L. Dunscomb. The Northwestern Pacific Railroad: Redwood Empire Route. Redwood City, CA: F.A. Stindt, 1964.
This exhibit was featured in the Museum's "Roundhouse Crosstalk" podcast.
Click here to listen to the episode.
Exhibit Designed & Produced by Sacramento State Public History Graduate Student Rachel Wolff.
Credits:
Intro: Background Photo: Russian River Bridge Near Guerneville, Isaiah West Taber, 1880. Courtesy of the California History Room, California State Library, Sacramento, California. Slide 1: Background Photo: Redwood Park (Big Basin) (2 Views), Frederick W. Martin, 1924. Courtesy of the California History Room, California State Library, Sacramento, California. Central Image: “The Merry Tramps, 1884,” Frank B. Rodolph Photography Collection, BANC PIC 1905.17147:008—PIC, The Bancroft Library, University of California, Berkley. Slide 2: Background Photo: East and West Shaking Hands at the Laying of Last Rail of the Union Pacific Railroad, Andrew J. Russell, 1869. Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons, Public Domain. Central Photo: The Great West, Currier & Ives, 1870. Courtesy of the California History Room, California State Library, Sacramento, California. Slide 3: Background Photo: Log train loaded with logs for the mill, unknown artist, c.1900. Courtesy Wikimedia Commons, Public Domain. Central Image: North Pacific Coast, The Traveler, n.d. Courtesy California State Railroad Museum. Grid 1: North Pacific Coast Railroad Station B Street, San Rafael, Ken Kidder, c. 1895. Courtesy Marin History Museum; Approaching Duncan's Mill, n.d. Courtesy of the collection of Tomales Regional History Center; North Pacific Coast Train No. 15 with Crew in Sausalito, n.d. Courtesy Marin History Museum; N.P.C. 1893 Train Arriving in Sausalito Engine 15, 1893. Courtesy Sausalito Historical Society; Guerneville, 1898. Courtesy, The Russian River Historical Society. Slide 4: Background Photo: Approaching Camp Pistolesi, n.d. Courtesy of the collection of Tomales Regional History Center; North Pacific Coast Railroad (N.P.C.R.R.) at Freestone, n.d. Courtesy of the collection of Tomales Regional History Center. Slide 5: Background Photo: Falls of the Yosemite, no. 23, Eadweard Muybridge, 1872. Courtesy of the California History Room, California State Library, Sacramento, California; Pres. Teddy Roosevelt party under the Grizzly Giant in Mariposa Grove, Joseph Nisbet LeConte, 1903. Courtesy Yosemite Research Library. Slide 6: Train on trestle approaching Tomales, Ella Jorgensen, c. 1910. Courtesy of the collection of Tomales Regional History Center. Center Image: Picnic cars being pulled by Engine No. 13 on the San Francisco and Northwestern Railway, c. 1900. Courtesy Anne T. Kent California Room, Marin County Free Library. Grid 2: N.P.C. 1882 Ferry Schedule, N.P.C., 1882. Courtesy Sausalito Historical Society. Slide 7: Background Photo: Excursionists waiting to be picked up by the North Pacific Coast Railroad, Taylorville, Marin County, California, 1889. Courtesy Anne T. Kent California Room, Marin County Free Library. Central Photo: Under the Pines, 1903. Courtesy of the California History Room, California State Library, Sacramento, California. Grid 3: Camping among the redwoods, Giant Forest, Lindley Eddy, 1924. Courtesy of the California History Room, California State Library, Sacramento, California; King Ranch Wagon Waiting for Summer Boarders, 1902. Courtesy, The Russian River Historical Society; Swimmers at Paper Mill Creek (Laguinitas Creek) under the Irving Railroad Bridge, Taylorville, Marin County, California, 1889. Courtesy of Anne T. Kent California Room, Marin County Free Library; Point Reyes Station, Ella Jorgensen, n.d. Courtesy of the collection of Tomales Regional History Center; End of the vacation, Guernewood Park, Turrill & Miller, n.d. Courtesy of the California History Room, California State Library, Sacramento, California. Slide 8: Background Photo: Marconi Stop Along Tomales Bay, n.d. Courtesy of the collection of Tomales Regional History Center. Central Image: “View from the South,” Frank B. Rodolph Photography Collection, BANC PIC 1905.17151:041--PIC, The Bancroft Library, University of California, Berkley. Slide 9: Background Photo: Tomales RR Station, n.d. Courtesy of the collection of Tomales Regional History Center. Central Image: North Pacific Coast Train Climbing White's Hill in Fairfax, Marin County, California, 1889. Courtesy of Anne T. Kent California Room, Marin County Free Library. Slide 10: Background Photo: Black and White Trees, nbelokonskaya, n.d. Courtesy Adobe Stock Photos. Central Image: North Coast Pacific Railroad 12 Sonoma by Neil916 is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0. Courtesy Wikimedia Commons, Creative Commons. Slide 11: Top of Nevada Falls, J.M. Hoffman, 1890. Courtesy of the California History Room, California State Library, Sacramento, California.