Archives West Finding Aid

The Pacific Coast Company rail, shipping and coal operations served the West coast from the mid 19th century until its last railways were abandoned or sold in the mid 20th century. Though the company was organized under the “Pacific Coast Company” name in late 1897, it comprised several existing organizations, most notably the Pacific Coast Steamship Co., Pacific Coast Coal Co. and the Pacific Coast Railway. In Seattle, the Columbia & Puget Sound Railroad, originally the Seattle & Walla Walla, became part of the Pacific Coast Railway in 1916. The several operations of Pacific Coast Co., which also included a cement company and engineering company, played an important role in the development of King County resources and the development of Seattle and outlying communities.

The company’s rail system, which began as a horse-drawn rail line near San Luis Obispo, developed into full-fledged narrow gauge and later, standard gauge railroads. A fleet of steamships, including the Umatilla and the Walla Walla, complemented the rail service, serving as coal carriers for the company’s mining operations, such as those at Newcastle, Franklin, Maple Valley and the Black Diamond mine. By the 1930s, the Pacific Coast Coal Co. was the top coal producing facility in Washington State. As shipments of coal gradually decreased, the Pacific Coast steamships were converted to passenger ships.