As It Was: Central Point vs. the Railroad

First it was the Oregon and California Railroad that chose to run its tracks straight as an arrow through the Bear Creek Valley, bypassing the tiny town of Central Point, Oregon, by a half mile in 1883. Enterprising citizens just moved their establishments to the track, and soon there was a depot that ended up in the middle of the town's main street. By 1908, a prosperous Central Point petitioned the Southern Pacific Railroad for a bigger depot removed from the main street. For [...]