Yreka Western Railroad - Yreka, CA
Posted by: Groundspeak Premium Member NW_history_buff
N 41° 43.814 W 122° 37.941
10T E 530576 N 4619890
This marker sits at the corner of S Foothill Dr and E Center St. near the Yreka Western Railroad station in Yreka, CA.
Waymark Code: WMJFN3
Location: California, United States
Date Posted: 11/12/2013
Published By:Groundspeak Regular Member Bernd das Brot Team
Views: 2

Located at the corner of S Foothill Dr and E Center St. is an E Clampus Vitus historical marker that reads:

IN RESPONSE TO THE DECISION OF THE SOUTHERN PACIFIC COMPANY TO BYPASS YREKA
AND RUN ITS MAINLINE THROUGH SHASTA VALLEY, THE YREKA RAILROAD WAS BUILT AND
COMMENCED OPERATIONS JANUARY 9, 1889.
     IN 1933 THE RAILROAD WAS INCORPORATED AS THE YREKA WESTERN RAILROAD. 1935
BROUGHT HARD TIMES WHICH WERE OVERCOME UNDER THE DIRECTION OF O. G. STEELE.
     IN 1986 THE CITY OF YREKA COMMENCED THE SUMMER EXCURSION TRAIN KNOWN AS
THE BLUE GOOSE AND TODAY YREKA WESTERN CONTINUES TO OPERATE AS WORKING
RAILROAD AFTER OVER 100 YEARS OF SERVICE.

THIS PLAQUE DEDICATED SEPTEMBER 22, 1990

BY THE HUMBUG CHAPTER OF E CLAMPUS VITUS AND THE SISKIYOU COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY

Through doing some online research regarding this historic railroad I discovered that it has fallen on hard times, financially. In fact, there was a recent newspaper article highlighting the local sheriff's selling or auctioning off the locomotive that has been used to take sightseers of the Blue Goose Excursion along the railroad tour for the past 25-plus years. The sale was to satisfy a debt of the owners of the locomotive and railroad station property. Unfortunately, a lawsuit has been filed by another party who is also owed outstanding debts by this troubled railroad business.

There's a very nice Facebook page devoted to the Blue Goose Excursion Train that contains pictures and a history of this excursion train and can be viewed at this link.

There's also a PDF document located here which highlights the background of this historical marker and railroad.

It's sad to see a neat venture such as this excursion train fall on hard times and possibly be shut down indefinitely.

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