Pressure + Flow

A two-part installation, Pressure + Flow addresses the many forces and voices associated with the construction of the Northern Pacific Railroad in Tacoma. Inspired by the inner workings of a steam engine, the sculpture represents Pressure: the pressure of the heavy trains and their impact on the landscape; the pressure to develop the city and waterfront as a center for trade and shipping; the pressure on Indigenous peoples and their ways of life. Words etched onto the steel rails symbolize Flow: the flow of communication and ideas; the flow of people and goods via the railroad; the flow of language, tradition, and culture.

How did local history inspire this project?

• Since time immemorial, the Puyallup Tribe of Indians (spuyaləpabš) has cared for the land now known as Tacoma. Their traditions preserve the natural environment.
• In 1853, the federal government established the Washington Territory without consulting the Puyallup or other Native peoples. Tribal lands were reduced to reservations established by the United States Government through a series of controversial treaties.
• Euro-Americans soon populated the newly established Territory, marking a dramatic change in the local landscape, population, and economy.
• Morton M. McCarver, credited with founding Tacoma City, wrote letters to promote the sale of real estate and the construction of the railroad and lumber mills in the region.
• In 1873, Tacoma became the western endpoint, or terminus, of the Northern Pacific Railroad. The local Euro-American population rose from 1,004 people in 1880 to 36,000 people in 1890.

How do these writings reflect the history of Tacoma:

• A 2017 statement from the Puyallup Tribe of Indians which underscores a tradition of caring for the earth.
• A letter written in 1868 by Tacoma businessman Morton M. McCarver in support of a sawmill and railroad in Tacoma.
• A letter written by Captain Matsuzo Sakamoto to his family in Yokohoma, Japan. His freighter, the Seiko Maru, sank in 1916 soon after this letter was written.
• A letter written by Tacoma bank vice president, J.C. Weatherred in 1888 to congratulate Governor Eugene Semple for signing the women's suffrage bill in Washington.
• Brandon Nicolson’s letter to his brother and sister-in-law who came to Tacoma in 1890 to rally support for the temperance movement.
• Margharete Ross’s letter to her sweetheart, James Hunter Shotwell, describing her visit to the Western Washington Industrial Exposition in Tacoma, 1891.

Matthew Dockrey is a Seattle-area industrial artist who works in metal, electronics, wood and textiles.  The history of technology provides the inspiration for much of his work, and he has a special love for machines, gadgets, gears that mesh properly, and history. His work has been featured on the Discovery Channel, at Greenwich Observatory in London, at the annual Burning Man festival, and around the Pacific Northwest.  Dockrey describes his work as “living at the intersection of gears and mad science.” 

When asked how Pressure + Flow tells the Prairie Line’s story, Dockrey replied, “In many ways, the railroad is Tacoma’s story. It was just another small town until the Northern Pacific made it their terminus.” Dockrey insists that in many ways society is still moving to the frontier: “There are still such things as real estate bubbles and speculation, risk and reward, boom and bust.”

Visit Matthew Dockrey's website. 

Got a personal connection, story, or inspirational comment you'd like to share about what you've experienced on the Prairie Line Trail? Here's your chance to make your story part of history.

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