Weston, Washington facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Weston, Washington
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The Northern Pacific Railway station at Weston, Washington, around 1913
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| Country | United States |
| State | Washington |
| County | King |
| Founded | approx. 1900 |
| Time zone | UTC-8 (Pacific (PST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-7 (PDT) |
Weston was a small place, sometimes called a ghost town, in Washington State. It was started around 1900. Weston was important for trains, especially the Northern Pacific Railway. It was located at the bottom of a steep hill called Stampede Pass. This pass led to the Stampede Tunnel.
Weston helped trains get up the big hill. It was a "helper station" for trains going over the mountains. It had a place for train engines, a telegraph station for sending messages, a water tank, and a turntable to turn engines around. There were also some homes and places to eat for the workers.
Weston was not in a good spot for growing bigger. It had the Cascade Mountains to the north and the Green River to the south. Because of this, the Northern Pacific Railway decided to move its main helper station. Around 1891, they moved it about four miles west to a place called Lester, Washington.
Weston was special because the railway crossed the Green River twice there. This created a short loop of track. This loop allowed trains to turn around or change directions easily.
Weston continued to be a small telegraph station and water stop for the Northern Pacific Railway until about 1915. At that time, the railway added a second track on Stampede Pass between Lester and Easton, Washington. They also built a large, tall bridge (called a trestle) that completely replaced the old Weston Loop and the town itself. The picture at the top of this page shows what it looked like from that new trestle.
Where Was Weston?
The exact spot of Weston, Washington, is still a bit of a mystery today. However, it was most likely along the Green River. This area is southeast of Lester, Washington and east of Enumclaw, Washington.
Old maps show that Weston was probably near where the Green River and Intake Creek meet. This is around 47°12′14″N 121°24′42″W / 47.20389°N 121.41167°W. In this area, you can still find places where trees were cleared long ago. There are also old cultivated trees and signs of where the original train tracks cut through the forest.
