Rails to Paradise, the History of the Tacoma Eastern Railroad 1890-1919

Rails to Paradise was written by Russell H. Holter and Jesse Clark McAbee (2005). It’s an excellent resource of not just Tacoma Eastern Railroad Company, but a look into the local logging companies.

“Running through Pierce County like a steel backbone with logging railroad operations and camps branching off in a myriad of directions, the Tacoma Eastern was the center of Pierce County rural development. The Tacoma Eastern Railroad spurred industry and the establishment of towns from Tacoma’s tide flats to the gate of Mt. Rainier.”

You can still find copies, new and used, on Amazon.com