Renton and Black River Junctions: A Historical Overview
By Curt Cunningham

Renton Junction is located approximately two miles southeast of Renton, where the Green River Valley meets the Duwamish Valley, and the valley eastward where Renton is situated. The Black River Junction is about a mile north of Renton Junction.

Renton Junction was named in 1891 when the Northern Pacific Railway built a spur line into Renton to transport coal and timber from the region. In 1915 the junction became the western terminus of the Sunset Highway. This is where it met the Pacific Highway. From 1915 to 1925 the Pacific Highway passed through the Green River Valley between Seattle and Tacoma. 

The Black River Junction was named in 1911 when the the Chicago, Milwaukee & Puget Sound Railroad (also known as the Milwaukee Road) completed its line from the Black River to Tacoma.

Before the arrival of railroads and highways, Renton Junction was historically the meeting point of the Green and Black Rivers, located about a mile north of Renton Junction. At the mouth of the Black River, the Green River transforms into the Duwamish River, which flows toward Puget Sound through the Duwamish Valley.

The Black River, once the outlet for Lake Washington, flowed from the south end of the lake in Renton into the Duwamish River. However, the construction of the Lake Washington Ship Canal in 1916 dramatically lowered Lake Washington's water level by about nine feet. This change caused the Black River to dry up, as the lake’s new outflow was redirected northward through the Montlake Cut to Lake Union and Salmon Bay.
Early River Traffic: 

The Steamer Era

In 1860, the steamer Ranger navigated up the Duwamish and Black Rivers to deliver materials for a bridge that was constructed just north of the confluence of the Black and Cedar Rivers. From 1866 to 1870 coal was transported down the Black River on barges to Seattle.

In the mid-1870s, the steam-powered ferry Mortie was making two regular trips a day between Lake Washington and Seattle, allowing residents to visit the lake and return home the same day. 

Steamers and barges would continue to operate along these rivers for another 20 years before being made obsolete by the arrival of railroads.

The Railroads

Railroads played a critical role in Renton Junction's history. The first railroad in the Seattle area, the Seattle & Walla Walla Railroad, was completed on February 5, 1878. This line ran south from Seattle, following the Duwamish River to the Black River, before continuing east to Newcastle. This is when the Black River Junction came into existence.

In 1882, the Puget Sound Shore Railroad Company was formed, and by 1884 it had built a line from Seattle to Puyallup. The company, a division of the Columbia & Puget Sound (C&PS) Railroad, acquired the Seattle & Walla Walla Railroad, extending its reach. At the Black River Junction, the Puget Sound Shore line continued south to Stuck Junction, while the C&PS line ran east to Taylor, Newcastle, and Black Diamond.

In 1887, the Northern Pacific Railroad began operations between Tacoma and Seattle, and in 1890, it built a spur line to Renton, giving Renton Junction its name. By 1904, the line extended to Woodinville, connecting with the Northern Pacific’s Sumas branch, and this new line became known as the Lake Washington Belt Line. Operations between Renton Junction and Renton ceased in 1970.

In 1909, the Chicago, Milwaukee & Puget Sound Railroad (also known as the Milwaukee Road) reached Seattle from the east, using the C&PS tracks at Maple Valley for the final stretch into the city. In 1911 the company completed the line to Tacoma.

Rail traffic to Renton began its decline in the 20th century. The C&PS Railroad became the Pacific Coast Railroad (PCRR) in 1916 and in 1934 abandoned operations to Newcastle and Taylor in 1945. In 1951 the Great Northern purchased the PCRR and in 1970 ceased operations between Black River Junction and Black Diamond. The Milwaukee Road continued to run trains through the Black River Junction until 1980 when the company went out of business.

The Trolley System

In 1902, the Puget Sound Electric Railway completed a trolley line connecting Seattle and Tacoma. This line crossed the Green River at Renton Junction, running along the west side of the Northern Pacific tracks. In 1904, a spur line was built to Renton, and the trolley service operated for 24 years. The final trolley departed from Renton on December 30, 1928.

Early Roads through Black River Junction

The first road through the Black River Junction was Tobin’s Mill Road constructed in 1854 and ran south from Seattle along the east side of the Duwamish River to the mouth of the Black River. This road would later become King County Road #311. At the mouth of the Black River the road turned east and ran along the hillside then over the hill to Tobin’s mill which was located near the corner of S. Tobin St. and Lake Ave. S. in Renton. In 1860 the section of this road from the mouth of the Black River to Renton became King County Road #32 or the Joseph Batt Road.

In 1858, a military road was constructed between Fort Dent (at the mouth of the Black River) and Fort Hays near Sumner. Initially a pack trail, this route developed into a wagon road by 1860 and became King County Road #8, terminating at the crossing of the White and Green Rivers near Auburn.

In 1865, Stephen Foster was granted a license to operate a ferry across the Black River to serve travelers going between Seattle and the Green River Valley. In the fall of 1873 Herman Foster who may have been Stephen Foster's son took over the ferry and was granted a license by the state legislature. In 1878, a bridge was constructed at the mouth of the Black River on King County Road #8, ending Foster's ferry operations. Today the section of old King County Road #8 between the Black River Junction and Renton junction is know as Monster Road SW.

Early Roads through Renton Junction

In 1901, James Clark successfully petitioned for a county road from Allentown to Renton Junction. The road, designated as County Road #622 or the James Clark Road, was completed by 1902. A bridge across the Duwamish River was finished in 1903, and in 1902, the road was paved with macadam, giving rise to what is now known as Macadam Road.

In 1906 James Nelson Road #2 was constructed between Renton Junction and the upper Black River Bridge in the town of Renton. The upper Black River Bridge constructed in 1879 for King County Road #80 also known as the John Langston Road which ran over the hill to Renton from the Rainier Valley. The bridge was located at today's the intersection of S. Langston Road, Highway 900 and Hardie Ave. SW at the north end of the Renton Shopping Center.

In 1914, County Road #1004 was constructed from Renton Junction to downtown Renton utilizing most of the James Nelson Road except between Grady Way and S. 3rd St. where a new alignment was constructed bypassing Hardie Avenue. 

In 1915 the Pacific Highway ran through the Green River Valley between Seattle and Tacoma and used Macadam Road between Allentown and Renton Junction. At Renton Junction the new highway followed the West Valley highway toward Auburn. Also the year the Sunset Highway was designated and began at the Pacific Highway in Renton Junction utilizing King County Road #1004. This road would also be known as the Pacific Highway Connection.

In 1917 The Riverton-Renton Junction Road was completed which followed the Trolley line between Allentown and Renton Junction. The county built a new bridge over the Green River at Renton Junction and the Pacific Highway was rerouted over this new road. The old bridge which was part of Macadam road was removed and the road was connected to the Riverton Road at the north end of the new bridge. This new section would become abandoned in the 2000's and is now a pedestrian trail. This is when a new bridge was completed where the old 1903 bridge on Macadam Road once stood and is now the east end of Southcenter Blvd.

In 1928, State Highway #2 was completed between Renton and Seattle. The Sunset Highway was rerouted over this new road and continued along what is now Martin Luther King Jr. Way to Rainier Ave. where it then followed that road north to S. Jackson St. in Seattle.

Over the years, Renton Junction’s transportation infrastructure evolved from river steamers and ferries to railroads, trolleys, and modern highways, playing a crucial role in the development of the region. The area's history reflects the shifts in technology and transportation that shaped Renton and the surrounding valleys, making it a hub for commerce and industry in the Pacific Northwest.