National Register of Historic Places

Portland and Southwestern Railroad Tunnel

Scappoose, Columbia County, Oregon
Listed
August 16, 1981
Type
Structure
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
81000481

About this property

The Portland and Southwestern Railroad Tunnel, also known as the Nehalem Divide Railroad Tunnel, is an abandoned railroad tunnel near Scappoose, Oregon, United States, that is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The tunnel was driven by the Portland and Southwestern Railroad, whose chief business was logging. Unusually for a logging railroad, the Portland and Southwestern built tunnels. In order to reach the far side of the Nehalem divide in the Northern Oregon Coast Range, the railroad undertook a 1,712-foot (522 m) tunnel. Some work was started in 1910, but most work began in 1918 and was completed in 1919. Since the tunnel was not through solid rock, the tunnel was lined with timber. The tunnel was used until 1945, when it was replaced by a truck road over the divide. While portions of the tunnel roof have collapsed, the tunnel is still open from end to end. The west portal is located at ; the east portal is at .

Location

Scappoose, Columbia County, Oregon

Categories

INDUSTRYCOMMERCEENGINEERINGTRANSPORTATIONEXPLORATION/SETTLEMENTSOCIAL HISTORY
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

Unlimited access

Everything a full report reveals about Portland and Southwestern Railroad Tunnel

This page lists Portland and Southwestern Railroad Tunnel. A full Aubrey report for an address near it pulls together this listing alongside battlefield records, land patents, and every other historical record within a chosen radius:

Overview
An interactive map of the location with historic sites, battles and Native heritage plotted, and its full story era by era.
The Land
The historic sites and place names around the location, and how this land was settled and used.
Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back millions of years.
LiDAR Terrain
Laser-scanned terrain that reveals earthworks and old features hidden in the landscape.
Conflict & War
The battles, raids and skirmishes fought near here, across every era of American conflict.
The Civil War
The Civil War on this ground, 1861 to 1865: who held it, and the battles, camps and regiments nearby.
The Soldiers
The men who marched from here in the Civil War, named and traced where the record allows.
Native Heritage
The Native nations who held this land, mapped across time from before European contact to today.
Settlement
Who claimed and held this ground, from Indigenous homelands through the colonial powers to the United States.
The Community
How the town grew, who came, and what kind of place it became, traced through the census record.
Rivers & Rail
The rivers, canals and railroads that connected this place between 1830 and 1911.
Notable People
The people born, buried or genuinely tied to this exact place, with their stories.
Historical Maps
Historic maps of the location layered over how it looks today.
Finds & Access
Museum objects tied to the area, and the laws on searching, collecting and access here.
Literature
The old books, county histories and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.
Spotlight
A deep dive into the most remarkable, lesser-known history of the place, traced back to the record.
Points of Interest
The most significant historic sites and landmarks near the location, and why they matter.
Timeline
The whole story of the location told era by era, from first peoples to the present day.
First month just $5.99, then $11.99 a month. Unlimited locations, cancel anytime.

Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.

Start your Portland and Southwestern Railroad Tunnel report
Or see a real report first

Questions about this property

When was Portland and Southwestern Railroad Tunnel listed on the National Register?

Portland and Southwestern Railroad Tunnel was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on August 16, 1981.

What type of historic resource is Portland and Southwestern Railroad Tunnel?

Portland and Southwestern Railroad Tunnel is classified as a structure in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Portland and Southwestern Railroad Tunnel?

The period of significance for Portland and Southwestern Railroad Tunnel is recorded as the industrial era.

Can I research the history near Portland and Southwestern Railroad Tunnel?

Yes. Aubrey Research reports search National Register listings, battlefield records, land patents, and other primary historical sources within any radius of a US address. A report for an address near Portland and Southwestern Railroad Tunnel will include this listing and all other historical records in the area.

More in Columbia County

Historic places, battles, and census history across Columbia County.

Explore ColumbiaCounty ›

More historic places in Oregon

Browse all historic places in Oregon.

View Oregonhistoric sites ›

Conflict records

Explore 19,000+ military engagements across American history.

Browse US conflicts ›

Oregon history

Colonial settlement, territorial period, and statehood narrative.

Oregonhistory ›

Research the history near this site

An Aubrey US report for an address near Portland and Southwestern Railroad Tunnel will include this listing alongside battlefield records and other historical sources within your chosen radius.

Research your locationView a free sample report