Local Railroad Talk

[Jul 21]

AV Historical Society Meeting to feature talk on the Albion Branch, the railroad that ran in our Valley 100 years ago

Free event Sunday, July 21 at 1:00 pm at the AV History Museum

The Anderson Valley Historical Society invites one and all to our annual Membership Meeting in the Rose Room on the grounds of the AV History Museum at the Little Red School House. This free event will take place on Sunday, July 21, starting at 1:00 pm.

The event will feature a lively talk, with photos, about the history of the Albion Branch of the Northwestern Pacific Railroad, presented by AVHS Board Vice President Marvin Schenck, with additional oral history from Schoolhouse Museum docent Bill Seekins.

The rail line once ran northwest from Anderson Valley to Albion on the coast, and there were grander plans to build the route southeast to Healdsburg, to be part of a railway line stretching from San Francisco to Oregon. Though the Albion Branch was never connected to the mainline of the Northwestern Pacific, it was vital economic driver and transportation link for the early prosperity of Anderson Valley.

Marvin will narrate the history of the railroad and its cargoes, complete with images of Wendling, the large sawmill and lumber town that once stood where Highway 128 bends by the Navarro Store. Bill will contribute tales of the Deep End logging spurs, including the story of the runaway train wreck in the hills up Nash Mill Road.

Marvin, the retired curator of the Grace Hudson Museum, has been researching the Albion Branch and the Northwestern Pacific Railroad, and collecting photos, for twenty years. Bill is a longtime AV History Museum supporter and is extremely knowledgeable about the history of our valley.

As always, we’ll welcome memories, comments and questions from the audience. Our Annual Membership Meetings always turn into fun, interactive round-table get-togethers. We’ll have finger food and drinks on hand. All ages welcome. And, as we said above, it’s a free event. See you there! For more information, please call 895-9020.