Remembering the Eastside’s first passenger train service
We were honored to be part of Feliks Banel’s exploration of the history of rail travel on the Eastside, as a prelude to the opening of Sound Transit’s East Link light rail Starter Line on April 27. It was fun to talk about what passenger service looked like here over 100 years ago.
We were also pleased to connect Feliks with Dave Sprau, a retired Northern Pacific (and Burlington Northern) train dispatcher and historian, who provided insightful information on the topic, as well as Loita Hawkinson of the Kirkland Heritage Society, who provided details on the Japanese internment train that departed from Kirkland station in May, 1942.
Check out Feliks’ article and radio segment: Echoes of Eastside rail history with Sound Transit preparing to get underway on MyNorthWest.com.
2024-04-20 @ 8:22 AM
I live near the Japanese internment camp at Hunt Idaho, after living in Kirkland for 35 years. I am interested in the train that left Kirkland to the camps. Where may I find the information by Loita Hawkenson?
2024-04-27 @ 6:40 PM
Hi Barry,
Here are some links to more info on the internment of Japanese-Americans who lived on the Eastside:
https://kirklandheritage.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/2019-vol-26-issue-1.pdf
https://www.historylink.org/file/240
https://densho.org/learn/introduction/american-concentration-camps/
https://ddr.densho.org/interviews/ddr-densho-1014-8-9/?tableft=segments
https://ddr.densho.org/interviews/ddr-densho-1000-73-1/?tableft=segments
2024-04-20 @ 3:29 PM
Very well done!!!
2024-04-27 @ 6:40 PM
Shawn, thanks much. It was fun to be able to share our research with a broader audience.