ISH #1 “Tracks along the Slough” Traditional Cache
ISH #1 “Tracks along the Slough”
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Difficulty:
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Terrain:
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Size: 
(regular)
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Isthmus Slough History #1 is the first of many planned to share the little known history of Isthmus Slough. This one blends my interests in history and trains. A regular size camouflaged “Lock and lock” hidden in a dry spot near the Slough. Just a short hike from parking. Watch your step, as it can get slippery when wet. This area can get a bit "busy" during fishing season.
A tram line, using handcarts and mule pulled cars, was built in 1871 and named The Isthmus Transit Rail line. It ran past what is now Greenacres and connected the head of Isthmus Slough with the head of Beaver Slough on two miles of wooden rails, providing a link between steamboats serving the Coos Bay and the Coquille drainages. It became the Isthmus Slough Transit Railroad when it was taken over by the Coos Bay Union Coal and Navigation Company in 1874. This led to an expansion, with real narrrow gauge steel rails from Utter City, approximately at the current Highway 101 and Highway 42 junction, five miles south to Carbondale, the location of the Utter and Ojeda coal mine. The first tradition locomotive, named “Isabella”, replacing locally constructed crude versions, was shipped to the bay for the Isthmus Transit Railroad Company in December 1874. Two passenger cars and the same number of freight cars served as the rolling stock. It was 50 cents for a ride from end to end. Plans were made for expansion northward to Marshfield, but died with the failure of the mine in 1877. The Coos Bay, Roseburg, & Eastern was organized in 1890 with the intent of building a line to connect with the Oregon & California Railroad in Roseburg. It purchased the Isthmus Transit Rail line right of way from the Dunham Logging Co. By 1893, a standard gauge line had been constructed from Marshfield to Myrtle Point. Early loggers, such as Dunham LoggingCo, and Scranton Logging Co, used the lines to move logs to the Slough, were they were unloaded using an A-frame. The C.A. Smith Lumber built short spurs to connect with the mainline to ship the logs to the mill. Still visible today are the trestle support piles used by the early lines, and the remains of the A-frame log dump. The trains have been gone for a couple of years now, and service past this location may be done forever. Today this area is busiest during Salmon season, when the Slough is full of Salmon returning to the Noble Creek hatchery and the banks are crowded with anglers. ODOT was nice enough to put in the parking area to improve fishing access, there’s a market across the highway (which does sell beer)(UPDATE: WAS a market, currently closed), and the tidegate just around the bend slows up the passage of tomorrows dinner. For those that also do Beachmarks, there’s one near the cache.
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
Uvag – Bss gur orngra cngu, ohg V'z xvaq bs NGGNPURQ gb guvf bar. hfr pner jura bcravat.
Ybbx YBJ naq Ebnqfvqr.
Treasures
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