As we have previously reported, at the time the settlers came in 1900 and 1901, the only railroad serving Connell was the Northern Pacific, the O. R. & N. having abandoned its line from Washtucna to Connell. Kahlotus blossomed out as a town at about the same time as Connell and the railroad lost no time in extending its line from Washtucna. However, it was not until 1904 that the line from Kahlotus to Connell was rebuilt. Apparently the Union Pacific wanted its share of the business that had developed in the Connell community. This time there was no connection with the N. P. All Union Pacific freight and passenger business, regardless of final destination, out of Connell went by way of the branch line from Connell to Lacrosse. Also, some of the wheat warehouses in Connell were then located on the O. R. & N. tracks instead of the Northern Pacific. The N. P. also moved its depot from the southern to the northern end of town. Soon afterward the O. R. & N. became the O. W. R. & N., or the Oregon Washington Railroad and Navigation Company. Later even, the name of the subsidiary was dropped and the branch became an integral part of the Union Pacific.

For a number of years the Union Pacific gave the people of Connell daily service, except Sunday, with a mixed freight and passenger train popularity known as "The Rambler". It would leave Connell every morning, make the 52 mile trip to Lacrosse and return in the evening. There was a handsome little depot with living quarters for the agent. This post was held for many years by N. J. Walters.

The growth of the town of Connell during this period was impressive and its business district and banks soon outstripped those of Pasco. In fact, the only bank in Pasco had previously failed and therefore Connell, with its two banks, boasted of the only banks in the county. Charles T. Hutson, the lawyer mentioned previously, also played a prominent part in county politics and for a time there was a strong movement to have the county seat moved from Pasco to Connell. This growth and optimism was, however, checked in 1905 by a devastating fire that destroyed nearly the entire business section in July of that year. The only part of the business section that was not destroyed by fire was that located to the north of where the Odom's Pool Hall and Billiards now stands. That was then a wooden building occupied by W. H. Panhorst's Harness Shop. It was destroyed along with nearly all of the other business buildings to the south on both sides of the street. However, such was the enthusiasm and confidence of the entire business community that this destroyed business section was quickly rebuilt, this time with brick buildings.

Several of the present brick buildings are dated from the 1905 fire. The only one of these buildings that has since again been destroyed was the Klindworth Building on the first of January, 1962. The H. G. Sohm's Furniture Store was also rebuilt at that time, but was built of concrete blocks instead of brick. The furniture store was located on the ground floor with Sohm's Hall on the second floor, now known as The Lodge Apartments. The brick building to the south of Sohm's Furniture Store is the store building rebuilt by C. M. Taylor, at that time one of Connell's leading merchants. Mr. Taylor also built one of the first homes on the east hill of the town which was at that time one of the finest homes. It is now occupied by Harold Thompson.

Occasionally the town was threatened by flood coming either down the N. P. railroad coulee from the direction of Hatton or from an easterly direction along the Havlina Road. Usually these floods were caused by the rapid melting of snow by a Chinook wind, but sometimes they were caused by a cloudburst occurring in summer. Perhaps the most memorable of these floods occurred in early August, 1907, when the farmers had not quite finished harvesting. A heavy cloudburst occurred several miles north of Connell and a raging torrent came down along the Northern Pacific Railway washing out the tracks near Emery. When the water reached Connell it spread out over the business section, covering the main street with a foot of water and flooding most of the basements. The rushing stream then resumed its course toward Mesa where it formed a lake below the town.