The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1915-07-08
COLUMBIA HIGH
WAY DEDICATED
HOOD RIVER GIVES A RECEPTION
s. Benson, Gov. WithyCOmbe and Party
Make Triumphant Entry Ovation
at the Open Air Theater

Tuesday was a red letter day in the
history Of Hood River county. The
dream of years was realized when the
nrst automobile ever to travel up the
Columbia from Portland arrived in the
city. In the car was seated Governor
Withcyombe, 5. Benson, n. l.. PittOck,
Sam Hill, Multnomah County Commits
siCner Lightner and j. b. Yeon, the
latter MultnOmah county's millionaire
road master. The approach of the
dedication party TO the city was her
aided by Mrs. J. X. Nickelsen, who
telephoned that the first ear had passed
up over the Ruthton hill and was
headed for town.
When the first machine reached the
corporate limits of town it stopped to
await the arrival of those that fol-
lowed.
W. l.. Clark sent over the wires
message, the words of which were:
The Columbia highway is open." Ex-
pectant citizens in the city. waiting to
greet the distinguished visitors, ,cheered
as the words we're repeated. Messen-
gers went from house. to house on Cas-
cade avenue. The telephones were
kept busy, and as the procession Of
machines travelled slowly over the resi-
dence street the front lawns were lined
with men, women and children. IL
was truly a triumphant entry for Mr..
Benson, whose name was on every lip
and who was greeted with cheer after
cheer.
The train of eight automobiles had
left Portland before 6 o'clock Tuesday
morning. 1t was exactly 2.4S in the
afternoon, when the first car reached
the west limits Of the city.
After a short rest at the Hotel Ore
gon ana Mount Hood hotel the dedica-
tion party was taken for tour of the
orchard district. Returning they we're
guests at a banquet served at the ho-
tells at 6 30 o'clock, representative citi-
zens of the town joining them. As
each guest left the hotel he was
presented with a Hood River grown
carnation by Geo. Haslinger, Of the
Heights greenhouse.
The public reception for MIR. Benson,
Governor Withycombe and party was
held at o'clock at the open air the
ater. An hour before the arrival of
the honored guests, city and country
people had begun to pour into the big
AN'hOtS
districts were there to hail Mr.. Benson
as father of the Columbia highway.
When the cheers had subsidized after the
entry Of the party on the big stage,
little Mary Haslinger, daughter Of the
florist, tripped out and with a shy curt
sey before each, presented big boquets
from her fathers gardens to Mr.. Ben
son aud the governor.
Leslie Butter, member of the ad-
visory board OF the State Highway
Commission, prcsieeti over the meet
ing. County Judge Stanton delivered
the address of welcome on behalf of
the city and county of Hood River and
; of the local Commercial club. Judge
Stanton declared that it was one of the
biggest days in the history of Hood
River. II saw an old man not long
ago." he said, ''who has lived here
since Mount Hood was a mud hole, and
: venture to assert that during all that
time he has never seen anything more
worthy of celebrating than the opening
of the Columbia highway"
Those of the visitors who spoke
were Governor Withycombe. who de-
cared the Hood River valley an Eden.
& Judge Carey, Rufus Holman, S. Ben
son, H. L.. Pittock, Frank Terrace. the
: good roads farmer from 0rillia, Wash.
j. B. YeOn, Addison Bennett, Sam Hill
and j. +. Carroll. MIR. Hill delighted
the big audience with the presentation
! of his colored pictures of the great
: highway.
: Mr.. Carroll, managing editor and
i publisher of the Evening Telegram,
| h.E,,o,lf t.,tth ul,yu in htc nd
| dress. Mr.. Carroll, as he progressed,
7: simply left the earth in frenzy of elo
u quence. descriptive of the magnificent
), scenery he had beheld. Winded, ex
s hsusted. painting for breath, he reached
o a climatic pinnacle. and amid a husf
y over the house, he breathed: "By
u Cd, IT'S greatl" The applause as h'
e sat down was thundrous.
u Local motorists who motored down t.
+ Mitchell Point to meet the dedication
party were J. II. Heilbronner, L. o
). Blanchar, Walter Kimball, DR.. F. c
n Brosus and r. +. Marquis. William
n Stewart and W. E. King met them jus
le west of the city. Ralph Root, DR.
Dumble, H. F. Davidson and othe
y motorists joined in the tour around tn
le valley. Chairman of the committee II
=, charge of arrangements was Truma
III Butler.
The personnel of the party of hig
er state officials, representative Portlan
'K citizens ana Multnomah county official
u, was as follows:
ne Governor Withycombe, State Treal
as urer Kay, Secretary of State Olcot
no first citizen Simon Benson, Count
y: Commissioners Holbrook, Lightner an
at Holman, Road Supervisor Yeon, H.
Sc Pittock, Sam Hill, Judge G. II. Care!
e. Mayor Albee, John +. Carroll, Amt
eet Benson, Julius l.. Meier, Lockwot
ht Hebard and Mrs. Hebard, G. II. Nj
ca Kinstry, Engineers Lancaster ar
ir- Bowlby, Frank Terrace, j. l.. kell.
IS, j. G. Potter, X. G. johnson, f, l.. Mo
as iarty, Captain T. H. Crang, Fred La
re- sen, Herman Hawkins, J. b. Yeon, Sr
10 Mitchell Weymouth and Addison Be
IN nett.
ay The dedication party left here g..
ng yesterday morning for Mark A. Ma
10 er's home, Mayerdale, just east of M
me sier, where they were entertained
breakfast. They proceeded to Fl
py Dalles and thence to Biggs and Mar
OF hill, Sam Hills Klickitat county estat
They will return to Portland on 4
,ut north bank of the Columbia.
rse "This is red letter day for Ho
River" said E. o. Blanchar, as q
ere crowd of Tuesday night was dispersin
OF "The Columbia higwhay in reality h
seemed like myth to US. This fol
rus runner of its realization has alrea
vs. created new born optimism and
yyne stilled into US spirit for better roa
W in our own community with which
II. greet visitors on their arrival over
,iss ,,iiss great highway"
7S9e' Talk with Reed & Henderson abe