Monday, March 31, 2014

Then & Now: West of Celilo

This photo below is approaching the cliffs seen in the "Cape Horn" photo below it.

Cliffs East of The Dalles (2014)
Wasco County, Oregon. March 28, 2014
Copyright © 2014 A. F. Litt, All Rights Reserved

The CRH East of Celilo Falls
Clarence E. Mershon. The Columbia River Highway: From the Sea to the Wheat Fields of Eastern Oregon. Portland: Guardian Peaks Enterprises. 2006. 1st Edition. 223.

This photo is pretty clearly mislabeled. 

I suppose there might have been a mistake made locating the photo since these cliffs resemble the one where the old tunnel was, west of the Deschutes River and east of Celilo Falls.

Looking at the imagery below from Google Earth, though, there is little doubt that the location of the old photo is between The Dalles Dam and the Trunk Railroad crossing.

CRH "East" Of Celilo Falls Location, I-84 Westbound Lanes
Google Street View Imagery Date: October 2007

CRH "East" Of Celilo Falls Location, I-84 Eastbound Lanes
Google Street View Imagery Date: December 2007

CRH "East" Of Celilo Falls Location, Ground Level
Google Earth Imagery Date: August 19, 2011

If this is the correct location of the old photo, then there are probably traces of the old highway underwater in the pond south of the freeway.

CRH "East" Of Celilo Falls Location
Google Earth Imagery Date: August 19, 2011

No. 160. Applegate Point, on Old Oregon - Trail Highway, near Celilo Ore.
Columbia Gorge Discovery Center Photo Archive
Catalog Num: 1999.13.94BB
Condition: Good
Date:
Location: The Dalles, Oregon
Title:
Content: No. 160. Applegate Point, on Old Oregon - Trail Highway, near Celilo Ore.
Other Notes: description from above on front no correspondence "sample"
Photographer: B.C. Markham, The Dalles, Oregon
Copyright:
http://www.gorgediscovery.org/photoarchive/newDetails.asp?offset=980&ID=2706

Peg Willis on A.M. Northwest

Building the Columbia River Highway | KATU.com - Portland News, Sports, Traffic Weather and Breaking News - Portland, Oregon | - Portland, Oregon | Recent Shows:

MEET THE AUTHOR

BOOK LAUNCH - Saturday, April 5 at 2 p.m. @ Hood County River Museum, sponsored by Waucoma Books (300 E Port Marina Dr, Hood River, OR)

Thursday, April 10 at 7 p.m. @ Pendleton Public Library, sponsored by Armchair Books (502 SW Dorion Ave, Pendleton, OR)

Saturday, April 12 @ Friends of Vista House Annual Training (Corbett, OR)

Saturday, June 14 from 6 a.m. to 4 p.m. @ 8th Annual Gorge Ride, sponsored by Friends of the Historic Columbia River Highway (The Dalles, OR)

Wednesday, June 25 at 7 p.m. @ Powells - downtown (1005 W. Burnside St., Portland, OR)

Thursday, August 7 at 7 p.m. @ The Clark County Historical Museum (1511 Main St, Vancouver, WA)

http://www.katu.com/amnw/segments/Buliding-the-Columbia-River-Highway-253229081.html

 

Old Pavement, Old Lines

Old Lines (2014)

Old Lines (2014)
Original Pavement at Patterson Ferry Road Columbia River Highway. Umatilla National Wildlife Refuge.
Irrigon, Oregon. March 28, 2014
Copyright © 2014 A. F. Litt, All Rights Reserved

The painted lines on the road may offer some clue as to when the various sections of pavement lapsed out of service. 

In many places along the dormant / abandoned sections of the highway, one will find these sorts of stripes, one painted over the other.  Peg Willis explains why:

Sometime between Rexford's innovative striping of the highway and 1954, the centerline color had changed to yellow.  By 1958, the U. S. Bureau of Public Roads mandated white...  But after only two years, the yellow lines were back - at least on the state highways.

Peg Willis. Building the Columbia River Highway: They Said It Couldn’t Be Done. Charleston: The History Press.  2014. 135.

To read more…

Saturday, March 29, 2014

Building the Columbia River Highway by Peg Willis

Building the Columbia River Highway: They Said It Couldn't Be DoneBuilding the Columbia River Highway: They Said It Couldn't Be Done by Peg Willis
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

By far the best book on the old highway that I've read. A great overview for people who are just getting to know the history of the Columbia River Highway and the Gorge in general, but full of new and interesting tidbits for people more familiar with the material.

I really enjoyed the biographies of the "characters" involved with the construction, larger than life individuals that made the highway possible. While these larger than life figures are often mentioned along with a few interesting details about their lives and personalities, Willis takes the time to explore their lives in more detail, which adds an compelling level of insight to the nature of the time period in the region and to the highway itself.

View all my reviews

Tuesday, March 18, 2014

Bridging A Century of Service: Oregon Department of Transportation - Master Bridge Builder Conde B. McCullough


Bridging A Century of Service - Oregon Department of Transportation - YouTube: "Published on Feb 21, 2013 See the dazzling "Jewel Clasps" of the Oregon Coast and beyond. Learn about the legacy that Conde McCullough gave to Oregon with his stunningly beautiful arch bridges, as the Oregon Department of Transportation celebrates its Centennial of Service."

A Great Pig Story | fiddlepeg

fiddlepeg: "Yeon was a logger – one of the foremost in the Pacific Northwest. He was a “boots on the ground” sort of boss who worked alongside his men in any and every capacity from bull-whacker to cook to sawyer. He led by example, and in the interest of making that example a good one, he controlled his temper when lesser men would have yielded to passion.

          But the day of the pig incident was one of those rare occasions when John Yeon lost it."



'via Blog this'

What in the Sam Hill … ? | fiddlepeg

What in the Sam Hill … ? | fiddlepeg: "Sam Hill. There was a real person by that name–at least two, actually–but both of them postdated the expression by a hundred years or more. Even so, the question “What in the Sam Hill … ?” was more than appropriate to describe the elder Sam’s ideas and activities. You’ll read a bit about him in Building the Columbia River Highway, but, as with many of the subjects in the book, he could be a study in himself. In fact, he has been. John Tuhy wrote a great biography of Sam Hill in 1983 and called it, “Sam Hill: the Prince of Castle Nowhere.” And others have written books about some of Sam’s “lady friends.”"



'via Blog this'

The Farmer and his Dell | WyEast Blog

The Farmer and his Dell | WyEast Blog: "George Shepperd’s story is interwoven with the brilliant vision of a true icon in our regional history, Samuel Lancaster, the chief engineer and designer of the Historic Columbia River Highway. Had Sam Lancaster not attempted to frame sweeping views and hidden natural features at every turn with his epic road design, Shepperd’s Dell might have remained a mostly hidden secret."



'via Blog this'

Friday, March 14, 2014

Official Designations of Oregon State Highways in 1918

OHC - Proposed Highways
 

TABLE J
OFFICIAL DESIGNATION OF STATE HIGHWAYS

No. 1. Pacific Highway—
From Portland south via Oregon City, Salem, Albany, Eugene, Roseburg, Grants Pass, Medford and Ashland to the Oregon-California State Line.
No. 2. Columbia River Highway—
From Astoria east via Rainier, Portland, Hood River, The Dalles, Arlington and Umatilla, to Pendleton.
No. 3. Coast Highway—
From Astoria south via Tillamook, Toledo, Florence, Marshfield, Coquille and Gold Beach to Oregon-California State Line.
No. 4. The Dalles-California Highway—
From a point on Highway No. 2, at or near The Dalles, south via Shaniko, Redmond, Bend, LaPine and Klamath Falls to the Oregon-California State Line.
No. 5. The John Day River Highway—
From a point on Highway No. 2, at or near Biggs, southeasterly through Wasco, Condon, Fossil, Dayville, Prairie City and Vale to the Oregon-Idaho State Line at Ontario.
No. 6. The Old Oregon Trail—
From a junction with Highway No. 2, at Pendleton, southeasterly through La Grande, Baker and Huntington to a junction with Highway No. 5 at or near Ontario.
No. 7. Central Oregon Highway—
From a point on Highway No. 4, at or near Bend, easterly through Millican, Riley, Burns, Crane and Juntura to a junction with Highway No. 5, at or near Vale.
No. 8. Oregon-Washington Highway—
From a point on Highway No. 2, at or near Willows, through Ione, Heppner, Pendleton and Freewater to the Oregon-Washington State Line.
No. 9. Pendleton-John Day Highway—
From a point on Highway No. 8, at or near Pilot Rock south to a junction with Highway No. 5, at or near John Day.
No. 10. La Grande-Enterprise Highway—
From a point on Highway No. 6, at or near La Grande, through Elgin and Enterprise to Joseph.
No. 11. Enterprise-Flora Highway—
From a point on Highway No. 10, at or near Enterprise, north to Flora.
No. 12. Baker-Cornucopia Highway—
From a point on Highway No. 6, at or near Baker, east through Middle Bridge and Halfway to Cornucopia.
No. 13. Baker-Unity Highway—
From a point on Highway No. 6, at or near Baker, southwest to a junction with Highway No. 5, at or near Unity.
No. 14. Antelope-Mitchell Highway—
From a point on Highway No. 4, at or near Antelope to a junction with Highway No. 15, at or near Mitchell.
No. 15. McKenzie River Highway—
From a point on Highway No. 1, at or near Eugene, easterly through the McKenzie Valley and through Sisters, Redmond, Prineville and Mitchell to a junction with Highway No. 5, at or near Dayville.
No. 16. Albany-Sisters Highway—
From a point on Highway No. 4, at or near Albany, southeasterly to a junction with Highway No. 15 near Sisters.
No. 17. Bend-Sisters Highway—
From a point on Highway No. 4, at or near Bend, northwesterly to a junction with Highway No. 15, at or near Sisters.
No. 18. Lakeview-Burns Highway—
From a point on Highway No. 19, near Lakeview, northeasterly to a junction with Highway No. 7, at or near Burns.
No. 19. LaPine-Lakeview Highway—
From a point on Highway No. 4, at or near LaPine southeasterly through Fort Rock, Silver Lake, Paisley and Lakeview to the Oregon-California State Line.
No. 20. Klamath Falls-Lakeview Highway—
From a point on Highway No. 4, at or near Klamath Falls, east to a junction with Highway No. 19, at or near Lakeview.
No. 21. Ashland-Klamath Falls Highway—
From a point on Highway No. 1 near Ashland, east to a junction with Highway No. 4, at or near Klamath Falls.
No.22. Medford-Crater Lake Highway—[64]
From a point on Highway No. 1 at Medford, northeasterly, through Trail and the Rogue River Valley to a junction with Highway No. 24 near Crater Lake.
No. 23. Klamath-Crater Lake Highway—
From a junction with Highway No. 22 near Crater Lake, southeasterly to a junction with Highway No. 4, at or near Chiloquin.
No. 24. The Rim Highway—
From a point on Highway No. 22 near Crater Lake, thence around Crater Lake to the point of beginning.
No. 25. Grants Pass-Crescent City Highway—
From a point on Highway No. 1 at Grants Pass, southwesterly through Kerby and Waldo to the Oregon-California State Line.
No. 26. Mt. Hood Highway—
From Portland through Gresham and Bull Run around the south and east sides of Mt. Hood and to a junction with Highway No. 2, at or near Hood River.
No. 27. Clackamas Highway—
From a point on Highway No. 1, at or near Oregon City, northeasterly to a junction with Highway No. 26, at or near Pleasant Home.
No. 28. The West Side Highway—
From a point on Highway No. 1, at or near Portland, thence south on the west side of the Willamette River through Newberg, McMinnville, Dallas, Independence and Corvallis to a junction with Highway No. 1, at or near Eugene.
No. 29. Forest Grove-McMinnville Highway—
From Portland through Hillsboro, Forest Grove and Carlton to a junction with Highway No. 28, at or near McMinnville.
No. 30. Salem-Independence Highway—
From a point on Highway No. 1, at Salem, southwesterly to a junction with Highway No. 28 at Independence.
No. 31. Albany-Corvallis Highway—
From a point on Highway No. 1, at Albany to a junction with Highway No. 28, at or near Corvallis.
No. 32. Yamhill-Nestucca Highway—
From a point on Highway No. 28, at or near McMinnville, through Sheridan, Willamina, and Dolph to a junction with Highway No. 3, at or near Hebo.
No. 33. Corvallis-Newport Highway—
From a point on Highway No. 28, at Corvallis westerly to a junction with Highway No. 3, at or near Toledo.
No. 34. Eugene-Florence Highway—
From a point on Highway No. 1, near Eugene, westerly through Goldson and Deadwood to a junction with Highway No. 3, near Florence.
No. 35. Coos Bay-Roseburg Highway—
From a point on Highway No. 3, at or near Coquille, easterly up the Middle Fork of the Coquille River, through Camas Valley and Brockway to a junction with Highway No. 1, near Dillard.
No. 36. Pendleton-Cold Springs Highway—
From a point on Highway No. 2, at or near Pendleton, northwest to Cold Springs.

TABLE L
STATE HIGHWAYS
Names, Numbers, Mileages.

Highways Miles
No. 1 Pacific Highway 352
No. 2 Columbia River Highway 360
No. 3 Coast Highway 430
No. 4 The Dalles-California Highway 342
No. 5 The John Day River Highway 285
No. 6 The Old Oregon Trail 190
No. 7 Central Oregon Highway 270
No. 8 Oregon-Washington Highway 148
No. 9 Pendleton-John Day Highway 105
No. 10 La Grande-Enterprise Highway 68
No. 11 Enterprise-Flora Highway 35
No. 12 Baker-Cornucopia Highway 76
No. 13 Baker-Unity Highway 42
No. 14 Antelope-Mitchell Highway 43
No. 15 McKenzie River Highway 229
No. 16 Albany-Sisters Highway 100
No. 17 Bend-Sisters Highway 27
No. 18 Lakeview-Burns Highway 159
No. 19 LaPine-Lakeview Highway 151
No. 20 Klamath Falls-Lakeview Highway 100
No. 21 Ashland-Klamath Falls Highway 51
No. 22 Medford-Crater Lake Highway 78
No. 23 Klamath-Crater Lake Highway 14
No. 24 The Rim Highway 39
No. 25 Grants Pass-Crescent City Highway 46
No. 26 Mt. Hood Highway 105
No. 27 Clackamas Highway 18
No. 28 The West Side Highway 120
No. 29 Forest Grove-McMinnville Highway 25
No. 30 Salem-Independence Highway 12
No. 31 Albany-Corvallis Highway 11
No. 32 Yamhill-Nestucca Highway 39
No. 33 Corvallis-Newport Highway 60
No. 34 Eugene-Florence Highway 76
No. 35 Coos Bay-Roseburg Highway 81
No. 36 Pendleton-Cold Springs Highway 30
    Total mileage State Highways 4,317
Source:
The Project Gutenberg EBook of Third Biennial Report of the Oregon State
Highway Commission, by S. Benson, W. L. Thompson, R. A. Booth, Herbert Nunn

This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or
re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org


Title: Third Biennial Report of the Oregon State Highway Commission
Covering the Period December 1st, 1916 to November 30th, 1918

Author: S. Benson, W. L. Thompson, R. A. Booth, Herbert Nunn

Release Date: February 21, 2011 [EBook #35344]
http://www.gutenberg.org/files/35344/35344-h/35344-h.htm#TabJ

 

Lower Columbia River Highway: Prescott Point / Little Jack Falls Abandoned Segment

Until a few weeks ago, I naively assumed that most of the current U.S. 30 route out to the coast followed the original path of the original CRH.  I was very wrong, and it appears that there may be even more abandoned segments out to the west than there are in the Gorge.

This is a pretty spectacular one, from what I've seen so far online.  I plan on visiting in person ASAP.

Little Jack Abandoned Segment, Little Jack Falls Road, and Lindberg Road Sections of original CRH 
DOGAMI Lidar
http://www.oregongeology.org/dogamilidarviewer/


.94 Mile Little Jack Falls Segment of Abandoned Columbia River Highway 
Google Earth. Imagery Date: April 19, 2009

REINFORCED CONCRETE CRIBBING NEAR PRESCOTT ON THE COLUMBIA RIVER HIGHWAY IN COLUMBIA COUNTY. BUILT IN 1918
Third Biennial Report of the Oregon State Highway Commission Covering the Period December 1st, 1916 to November 30th, 1918
http://www.gutenberg.org/files/35344/35344-h/35344-h.htm#Fig05

REINFORCED CONCRETE HALF VIADUCT ON THE COLUMBIA RIVER HIGHWAY BETWEEN GOBLE AND RAINIER IN COLUMBIA COUNTY, CONSTRUCTED IN 1918
Third Biennial Report of the Oregon State Highway Commission Covering the Period December 1st, 1916 to November 30th, 1918
http://www.gutenberg.org/files/35344/35344-h/35344-h.htm#Fig04

Scenic Stretch, Lower Columbia River Highway
Clarence E. Mershon. The Columbia River Highway: From the Sea to the Wheat Fields of Eastern Oregon. Portland: Guardian Peaks Enterprises. 2006. 1st Edition. 35.


Prescott Point
Clarence E. Mershon. The Columbia River Highway: From the Sea to the Wheat Fields of Eastern Oregon. Portland: Guardian Peaks Enterprises. 2006. 1st Edition. 35.

[Below] The Columbia River Highway between Prescott Point and Little Jack Falls shortly after the stretch was paved.
Clarence E. Mershon. The Columbia River Highway: From the Sea to the Wheat Fields of Eastern Oregon. Portland: Guardian Peaks Enterprises. 2006. 1st Edition. 36.


The CRH West of Little Jack Falls
"Cross & Dimmit postcard courtesy of David Sell."
Clarence E. Mershon. The Columbia River Highway: From the Sea to the Wheat Fields of Eastern Oregon. Portland: Guardian Peaks Enterprises. 2006. 1st Edition. 36.

[Below] The old highway (same location) is now strewn with rocks and overrun with brambles, but does provide a difficult path to reach the falls. The cooling tower (demolished in May, 2006) for the Trojan nuclear power plant is visible in the background.

Clarence E. Mershon. The Columbia River Highway: From the Sea to the Wheat Fields of Eastern Oregon. Portland: Guardian Peaks Enterprises. 2006. 1st Edition. 36.

CRH West of Little Jack Falls (Pre-2006)
Photo by Clarence E. Mershon.
Clarence E. Mershon. The Columbia River Highway: From the Sea to the Wheat Fields of Eastern Oregon. Portland: Guardian Peaks Enterprises. 2006. 1st Edition. 36.



LITTLE JACK FALLS ON THE COLUMBIA RIVER HIGHWAY BETWEEN GOBLE AND RAINIER IN COLUMBIA COUNTY
Third Biennial Report of the Oregon State Highway Commission Covering the Period December 1st, 1916 to November 30th, 1918
http://www.gutenberg.org/files/35344/35344-h/35344-h.htm#Fig01



Little Jack Falls On Columbia River Highway 
http://www.waterfallsnorthwest.com/nws/falls.php?num=4098


Little Jack Falls
"The approach to the scenic wayside at Little Jack Falls on the original CRH. Photo courtesy of Steve Lehl." 
Clarence E. Mershon. The Columbia River Highway: From the Sea to the Wheat Fields of Eastern Oregon. Portland: Guardian Peaks Enterprises. 2006. 1st Edition. 37.

Little Jack Falls and Jack Falls Creeks

Waterfall trip from Astoria to Portland on hwy 30 2/16

There are some nice pictures of this segment from these trip reports these folks put together..





Saturday, March 8, 2014

Then & Now: Western Terminus, Seaside

Seaside "Turn-Around"
Clarence E. Mershon. The Columbia River Highway: From the Sea to the Wheat Fields of Eastern Oregon. Portland: Guardian Peaks Enterprises. 2006. 1st Edition. (5)


Seaside "Turn-Around" (2014)
The western terminus of the Columbia River Highway. 
Seaside, Oregon. February 22, 2014 
Copyright © 2014 A. F. Litt , All Rights Reserved

Not a perfect match, I'd have to get up on the roof of the Shiloh Inn restaurant to accomplish that...

Originally considered the western terminus of the Columbia River Highway, the "turn-around" at Seaside lost that status when the State Highway Commission proposed a 430-mile highway from Astoria to the California state line. Seaside, given "End-of-the-Trail" recognition by historians because of the salt cairn established there by the Lewis and Clark Expedition, was a logical choice as the western terminus of the great highway that followed in the "footsteps of Lewis and Clark" from Umatilla to the Oregon Coast.
Clarence E. Mershon.  The Columbia River Highway: From the Sea to the Wheat Fields of Eastern Oregon. Portland: Guardian Peaks Enterprises.  2006. 1st Edition.  (5)


Soon after its founding, the Oregon Highway Commission decided to extend the Columbia River Highway (CRH) westward to Seaside. On November 4, 1913, Clatsop County voters approved a bond issue for $400,000 for highway construction. By April 1914, forty-six miles of roadway, much of it through standing timber, had been surveyed. As planned, Seaside became the western terminus of the CRH. From Seaside, the highway paralleled the ocean beaches for twelve miles, then cut across lowlands another twelve miles into Astoria.

Clarence E. Mershon.  The Columbia River Highway: From the Sea to the Wheat Fields of Eastern Oregon. Portland: Guardian Peaks Enterprises.  2006. 1st Edition.  (7)

Original Western Terminus of the Columbia River HighwayGoogle Earth, 2012 Image