Residents Have Trail Hopes For 40-Mile Rail Bed

Latah County will have another recreational trail if some residents have their way.

With the Bill Chipman Trail between Pullman and Moscow on its way toward completion, some people want to do the same thing with the old railroad bed between Moscow and Arrow.

The biggest problem is no one is sure who owns the land the Palouse River Railroad engines once ran over. About 40 miles of a century-old rail line travels from Moscow to Kendrick before ending at Arrow in Nez Perce County.

Latah County commissioners have contacted the company removing the ties and rails, A&K Salvage in Salt Lake City, as a potential buyer if the land were to become available.

County Planner Gerard Billington said older deeds might mean owners maintain the rights to the land if it is no longer used for a rail line.

“Our main interest is that we want the citizens of Latah County to know using this land is a possibility,” Billington said. “At some point, we need to determine whether building a path would be a valuable project.”

George Ross, A&K’s vice president, said Latah County is just one public agency interested in the land. The Idaho Transportation Department has also shown some interest in buying the railroad’s right of way.