Electrified Anacortes

By Docent Bruce McDanold

During the 1890 boom it was widely believed that Anacortes would become the western terminus of a transcontinental railroad bringing with it jobs and huge growth. Hoping to capitalize on this success a few investors began to promote another new city neighboring to the south. They would call it Fidalgo City.

These investors envisioned an electric railroad linking burgeoning Anacortes to Fidalgo City. Soon the Fidalgo City & Anacortes Railroad Company was born. 11 miles of track was laid and an electric power plant was built at the Anacortes end, presuming to use the vast source of timber as fuel for their steam-powered generator.

On March 29, 1891 the FC&A RR Trolley made its first, and only, run from Anacortes to Fidalgo City. Witnesses reported that the electrical power plant failed to produce enough power and that passengers were required to disembark and help push the car over the rise near what is now Similk Beach Golf Course. The trolley never ran again. There was not enough capital to build more power plants and soon the FC&A RR fell into bankruptcy. As for Fidalgo City it too failed to thrive and soon passed into history, known today as Dewey Beach.

And what happened to the power plant? I am told that entrepreneurs in Anacortes connected wires from the power plant to some other buildings. And despite the bust of 1891 these guys continued to promote Anacortes as a rapidly growing community – one of the first of west coast “electrified” cities.