Community Program: “The Story of the Seattle-Everett Interurban Railway”

Operating for 29 years, the Seattle-Everett Interurban Trolley traveled over 29 miles of rail carrying passengers and freight to nearly 30 stops along it’s line. In the first decade of the 1900’s the Boston electrical engineering firm of Stone and Webster had designs of building an interurban electric railway system that would eventually connect Olympia, Washington and Vancouver, British Columbia. To start the north link, they purchased the Seattle-Everett Interurban Railway Company from Fred E. Sander in 1908.

Sister and brother authors Cheri Ryan and Kevin Stadler grew up in the community of Alderwood Manor, once an important stop on the interurban route. Both are members of the Lynnwood-Alderwood Manor Heritage Association and have done extensive research of the area. Ryan is a member of the City of Lynnwood History and Heritage Board and Snohomish County Historic Preservation Commission and Stadler is on the board of the Woodinville Heritage Society as well as the League of Snohomish County Heritage Organizations.

They have gathered numerous images that tell the story of the early railway running between Seattle and Everett. These images have been gathered from variety of sources; over which half have come from the estate of Walter V. Shannon who was the last surviving motorman from the Seattle-Everett Interurban Railway.