The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1914-09-10
HIGHWAY WILL BE
OPENED NEXT SUNDAY


open the Columbia highway in MultnO-
nah county last Sunday as had been
planned. However. the new scenic
thoroughfare will be opened as far as
Warrendale next Sunday. This will
mark the realization of dream of
many years. according to the Portland
Journal.
From where the new highway leaves
the old road just above Chsnticleer Inn
to Warrendale. the distance is 10 miles.
About half century ago the state
built a roadway down the Columbia
river gorge, but when the railroad
came along much Of the road was taken
over in the railroad cOmpany's right Of
way and the highway was entirely
abandoned. Later when the agitation
for good roads became active the pro-
ject of rebuilding the highway began
to be discussed.
The first organized effort towards
opening a road t. Hood River was pro-
NOTED by Z. Henry Wemme and Lewis
Russell, who had a survey made in
1903. This survey cost $500 and was
paid for by MIR. Russell. 1t provided
for l6 foot road the grades of which
ran as high as l9 per cent. 81 told
Russell he would have to pay for the
survey as he was the father of the
road, said MIR. Wemme the other day
Il wanted him 20 have the credit for
it."
According to the Russell survey it
was estimated that it would cost S42, =
600 to build the road to Hood River.
After the survey had been completed,
Mr.. Wemme and Mr.. Russell circulated
a petition to the county court asking
that the county undertake the work.
Although public sentiment at that
time looked upon the road as one i'm
possible of accomplishment the petition
was largely signed. When presented to
the county court II was found that all
the legal technicaities had not been
complied with and it was necessary to
do the work over again. Finally the
petition was received by the county
commissioners and County Surveyor
HOlbrook was directed to make sur
vey beginning at Bridal Veil. There
was already a road to this point.
Surveyor Holbro0k made the survey
to the Hood River county line. He
found a grade the maximum of which
was seven per cent. Figuring on a 20
foot roadway and wooden bridges he
estimated that the road would cost
$3.50, 900.
The county decided to build the road
taking two years for the work. For
the first year an appropriation of
SIS, 900 was set aside Construction
was begun from Bridal Veil east and
about three miles we're graded. Then
the O.-W. X. & N cOmpany's right of
way was encountered This stopped
the work. Negotiations were then be-
gun with the railroad company for an
adjustment of the trouble. Ultimately
this was arrived at. Shortly before
this time Samuel Hill came upon the
scene with his vision of an important
trunk highway that would connect
Portland with eastern Washington,
eastern and central Oregon and Cali
fOrnia. He had previously advocated
such highway along the north bank
of the river, but owing to the political
condition in Washington it could not be
brought about.
Mr.. Hill transferred his activities to
the Oregon side The Columbia River
Highway Association was also organ
lied about this time with the object of
building highway from Portland to
the sea. Previous to this, early in
1912, S. Benson became interested in
the scheme and he donated the sum of
$4,000 to the state with which to build
grade around Shell Rock in Hood
River county The work was under
taken with convict labor from the state
penitentiary. Mr.. Benson wanted to
encourage Multnomah county officials
to go ahead with the highway and also
to demonstrate to those who said a
road could not be made around Shell
Rock that they were in error.
All these forces were brought to.
gether and it was decided to build the
highway on a much more extensive and
permanent scale. In other words. to
build for the future a highway that
would set a standard in highway con-
structiOn.
Up to this time the highway had
been called the "Hood River road. I"
IL was now christened the Columbia
river highway and made a part of the
highway to the sea.
After Rufus Holman became a mem
ber of the board of county commission
ers in 1913 there was appointed an ad-
visory board OH road matters. This
committee is composed of Samuel Hill,
c. S. Jackson, w. W. Cotton, A. S.
Benson and W. B. Fechheimer.
At a meeting held at Chanticeer late
in August last year, presided over by
Julius l.. Meier, president of the CO.
lumbia River Highway association,
there were present members of the ad
Visory board, the county commissioners
and number of Others interested in
good roads. 1t was at this meeting
that the first formal action was taken
toward building the highway on its
present basis. The advisory board rec
commended to the board of county COM
missioners that capable engineer be
secured in the person of Samuel {.
Lancaster, who had been highly recon-
mened by Mr.. Hill.
On the following day Mr.. Lancaster
was formally chosen consulting engi-
eer for the county on the vote of Com
missoners Holman and Hart. MIR.
Lightner was recorded as voting in the
negative.
MIR. Lancaster at once began to make
his survey. He succeeded in locating a
route which took advantage of all the
scenic points and on which the maxi
mum grade of the road was increased
from 20 to "a feet.
The survey made by County Surveyor
Holbrook was modified in several places
to eliminate heavy grades and sharp
curves. This was necessary, owing to
the fact that the present road is on a
much more extensive scale than the
one at first contemplated.
After Mr.. Lancaster had located a
greater portion of the road a small
construction gang was put to work at
Multnomah Falls.
AT the end of the year it was decided
to put the construction work in charge
of John b. Yeon, who accepted the
position of roadmaster of the county
without compensation. By March, this
year, MIR. Yeon had perfected his or
ganization and the real work of con-
struction began. The amount of work
done in tho mast SiS months and tho