In 1893, The Great Northern Railroad reached Seattle, Washington, from its origins in Minnesota. Its founder, James J. Hill, known as the “Empire Builder” wanted more. He wanted to extend his line south to tap into the lucrative California market. During the early 1900s over a half dozen railroad surveys were made in the Lassen-Modoc region. Speculation was rampant. In 1909, it was rumored that the Great Northern would purchase the region’s NCO Railroad which would provide Hill a link into California. It never materialized, and Hill retired from the railroad in 1912, and passed away in 1917.
In the late 1920s, Hill’s dream would become a reality with the construction of the Inside Gateway, where a 200 mile railroad construction project would connect the Great Northern and Western Pacific Railroads. The Interstate Commerce Commission approved the project in 1929.The Great Northern would build an 88 mile rail line from Klamath Falls, Oregon to Bieber where it would connect with the Western Pacific, as they would extend a branch line from Keddie to Bieber.