The Leavenworth echo. [volume] (Leavenworth, Wash.) 1904-current, 1922-09-22


appears, the matter was left to a. Il.
Sylvester to decide on a name. In
doing so he wrote the following article
which will be of interest to many Of
cur readers:
ECHO POINT.
A history of the Blewett Pass roa
from its earliest inception to its ulti-
mate completion next year would
prove very interesting reading, but no
phase Of it is more interesting than
the interest shown and imagery dis
played in the naming of one of its
salient points. l have been amazed.
The name, "Hairpin Curve" has
never been adopted officially. 1t has
simply grown into use by the travel
ing public because it is hairpin
curve.
A name was adopted and sign
placed on this point in 1915, the
name that stands at the head Of this
article. A few years later the sign
was pulled down and carried away.
Unfortunately it was not replaced.
The history in connection with this
name should be interesting. 1t will
be remembered that there was a time
when there was a great deal of diver
sity of opinion as to the feasibility Of
the Blewett Pass route. There was
much talk Of the Colockum Pass anil
the Vantage Route, The argument
waXed particularly warm in Kittita-
county. The people of Gle Elum we1e
strong for Blewett; the eastern end of
the county were equally as strong for
one of the other routes. The County
Commissioners of Kittitas county had
their engineer. Moses Emerson. sur
vey a line rom the Blewett Pass
south on approximately 2 9 per cent
grade. The Gle Elun people woull
not stand for that and a bunch Of
them went out at their own ., penSe
and with their own engineer. H. \.
Greenberg, ran the line on which the
road was eventually built from the
Pass south around our Echo Point
When they got to that point in making
their survey they agreed to call it
Echo Point in honor of the Gle Eium
Echo, which paper had been a con
sistent advocate of a good road on
easy gra les over Blewett Til. W1s
in the summer of 1915. On Septem-
ber 13, 1915, Matt Hickey who was
then a Chelan County Commissioner
and myself met the county commits
sioners of Kittitas county at the Pass.
The commissioners We're all in favor
of the cheaper and sleeper road, but
| was then able to assure them that if
the lesser grade We're adopted the
Forest Service was ready to assist in
the construction of the new road.
That decided the matter and that fall
the Kittitas Commissioners let a con
tract for the construction of two miles
of new road south from the pass on
the survey made by the Gle Elum
people The work was done that
same fall and was the first new con-
struction on the Blewett Pass High
way.
The next year, 1916, was the year
of the big rush to Wenatchee to reg
lister for the Colville Indian ReseIva-
tion opening The Blewett Pass was
crossed by thousands of cars. Both
the Seattle Times and the F. l. fea-
tured it in articles commencing its
wonderful scenic beauty. The P. I.
named the point which has been in
teresting US, "Biscuit Point" This
brought to me a letter from VI. T.
Kay, who was perhaps the most en-
thusiastic of the Gle Elum boosters.
which related the naming of the point
as described above and resulted in the
adoption of echo Point and the
placing of the sign.
Even though this name Is perhaps
not the happiest one for this topo-
graphic feature, nor as descriptive as
many of those suggested under tie
circumstances I feel that it should be
retained. If Mr. Kay's name had only
been Key. I should like to have called
it "Key Point not only in memory
Of him. but because the turning Of II
unlocks all the wealth Of beauty am
delight so well indicated by many Of
the names suggested. 1t was also the
key point in determining the location
of a considerable portion Of the road
In choosing a name for a topogra-
phic feature, different factors maE
govern. II should be a single wore
and the shorter the better so that +
will not take up much room on a map
II should commemorate some actor
which took place on or near it. or il
should honor some individual worthy
of honor, or il should be desoriptiv,
Of the feature itself. IF possible, il
should not be a duplication Of name
used elsewhere. OF the names sug