The Great Railroad War of Oregon

Railroad Barons, Hill and Harriman battle along the Deschutes River.

James Hill and Edward Harriman each owned a railroad. Both men wanted to beat the other man and become the first to build a railroad into central Oregon. Hill was on the east side of the Deschutes River and Harriman on the west side. The battle began, bullets flew, supplies stolen, rocks thrown, dynamite was set off and men killed. See pages 82-84 in the workbook to see who won the battle and drove the “golden spike.”