A 195-mile segment of Amtrak’s Coast Starlight train offers one of the most scenic and steepest journeys in the United States, connecting Eugene with Klamath Falls through Oregon’s Cascade Range.
The first passengers rode the challenging Cascade Line north out of Klamath Falls on Aug. 19, 1926. The milestone ushered in an era of prosperity for the isolated city and the railroad connection sparked a downtown building boom.
In the years leading up to the stock market crash in October 1929 and the Great Depression, Klamath Falls spent $1.7 million on construction, according to Oregon Historical Quarterly magazine.
In 1929, the six-story Oregon Bank Building was under construction at 905 Main St. The Art Deco First National Bank, Egyptian Revival Balsiger Ford Motor Company building, brick Elk Hotel and other commercial buildings also rose that year in downtown Klamath Falls…