Sifton, Washington
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Sifton is an unincorporated community along State Route 500 about 8 miles east of Vancouver, Washington. It is notable for being the terminus of an early electric trolley operated by the Northcoast Power Company that also served nearby Orchards, Washington from 1910 until 1926. The trolleys made ten stops and ran once per hour, charging 15 cents each way. A mural in the heart of Orchards depicts the trolley and the rural character of the area at the time it was operating.
According to the archives of the Vancouver Columbian newspaper, the Orchards-Sifton route went along Vancouver's Main Street to 26th, then out 26th to K Street and thence north to 33rd. From there, it ran on 33rd over Burnt Bridge Creek and past the city limits. At that point the trolley became more like a regular train as followed a cut through the wilderness. Few houses were seen between Vancouver and Orchards. The public's preference for motor cars in the 1920s heralded the end of the trolley. Ironically, citizens in Vancouver are currently debating whether to fund an extension of Portland, Oregon's light-rail system into their city.
