HISTORY
OF THE PINE NEEDLE RAILROAD
Ebenezer
Baroque, a gold prospector, found gold in the hills above
what was to become the town of Pineneedle. Mr. Baroque established
a partnership with an old friend and Civil War veteran, Robert
Elias Downe. Together they formed the Baroque and Downe Mining
Company.
Other
prospectors, and the people that make a town, storekeepers,
a blacksmith, saloon keepers, a town barber and others built
in the valley below the mine. The town came to be known as “Pineneedle” because
there were more pine needles per square foot than any place
else on earth.
In
addition to the mine, a modest timber industry was established
but unfortunately it didn’t last long, and neither
did the mine. The railroad that was built for the mine and
sawmill did survive and kept the town going through some
tough times. It became a mountain resort for the nearby town
of Salem, and provided enough money to restore and run the
little railroad.
Many
people came to ride the train through the scenic hills and
to marvel at all the pine needles. Things went well, but
the number of sightseers began to dwindle and the outlook
was looking bleak for Pineneedle and it’s railroad.
Then
from Canada, our neighbors to the north, came a scientist
by the name of Jasper Vancouver. Mr. Vancover developed a
formula to extract oil from pineneedles and used the oil
to make the little pine scented auto deoderizers that you
hang from the rearview mirror. The business was named “Pinefresh” and
it was an immediate success and revived Pineneedle back to
it’s former glory.
It
is now the late 1930's, and the town leaders are looking
forward to a plan that will build a train repair shop with
a turntable near the south end of town. In early December,
the whole of Pineneedle turns out to celebrate the arrival
of a new and more powerful locomotive. With flags and bunting
waving, gleaming black in the morning sun, it rolls into
town under clouds of steam and smoke.
Every
man,woman and child cheered and waved to the engineer and
crew.
The new train will bring even more people to buy Christmas trees,
local foods and crafts.
Pineneedle
will thrive.
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