Evening star., 1928-10-14
MODERN. IMPROVED HIGHWAY
!, NOW IN USE FROM EAST TO WEST
Route 80, Available From Ocean to Ocean,
Traverses 3,347 Miles of Territory.
Notable In History.

North Platte, passing through Kearney
known for its alfalfa growth. Thirteen
miles out Of Kearney Is huge roac
sign, "1735 Ranch-1,7 ,733 miles tC
Frisco, 1888 miles to Boston" Kear-
ney, 204 miles from Omaha, was settled
! in 1871 and was named for old Fort
Kearney, across the river, which was
| maintained by the Government during
and after the gold rush to protect the
overland traffic from Indian attacks
| North Platte is railroad center and q
| shipping point for alfalfa. sugar beets
and cattle. Here Route 80 crosses the
| Platte River over free bridge, con-
tinues through Big Spring (about 187
miles from Kearney), through Ogalalla
| to Chappell and over rolling country
through Sidney and Kimball to Pine
Bluff, near the Wyoming State line.
In Wyoming Route 80 begins its
stretch of 487 miles across the State.
passing through Cheyenne and Laramie
to Medicine Bow. Cheyenne, about 15S
miles from Big Spring, with an altitude
of $3.50 feet, was settled in 1867, when
the Union Pacific reached that site. It
was named for the Cheyenne Indians.
It's annual celebration of frontier days
in the latter part of July attracts thou
sands Of visitors. Fort D. A. Russell, a
well equipped military post, is three
miles away.
Crosses Continental Divide.
Between Cheyenne and Laramie
Route 80 crosses the Continental Divide
at Sherman Hill at an elevation of some
$500 feet. Laramie, hemmed in on
three sides by the picturesque Laramie
Mountains, was settled in 1868 and was
named in honor of Jacques de la Ranie,
a French trapper and trader, who was
drowned in the Laramie River in 1921.
From Medicine Bow the highway passes
through a thinly settled cattle and
sheep country, through Parco to
Rawlins. From Rawlins Yellowstone
National Park may be reached north
on U. S. 81, through Lander and the
Shoshone Indian Reservation. The
highway continues through Sparsely
settled country from Rawlins through
Rock Springs, Green River to Granger,
where an alternate route, 30-S, branches
southwesterly into Utah and then north
into Idaho. Rock Springs, about 284
miles from Cheyenne, with an altitude
of $3.50 feet, is the starting point for
the Hoback Canyon Route to the south
entrance of Yellowstone. Green River
was so named by the Indians because
OF the color of the water flowing over
its green shale bed.
From Granger Route 30-S passes
through Fort, Bridger, named for the
famous trapper, scout and guide, Jim
Bridger. It was an important frontier
post, Of which little remains except the
ruins of the old stockade, the general
store owned by Judge Carter, and the
old guardhouSe. Between Fort Bridger
-Four
peaks with elevations from 1900 to
1900 feet. The road continues to Echo
City, in Utah, $50 miles from Rock
Springs, to Ogden, founded by Brigham
Young, with an altitude of 4,300 feet,
and in the picturesque region of Wa
Satch Mountains, Great Salt Lake and
Ogden Canyon, which oponS at the city
limits. From Echo City q. S. 40 to San
Francisco is reached over u. S. $50;
from Ogden. Route 40 is reached south
over U. S. 81. Route 30-S continues
north over U. S. 81 to Brigham, in the
peach orchard area, crosses the south
State line into Idaho and joins route
BON q short distance east of Burley.
Through Idaho and Oregon.
Route BON follows the Oregon Short
Line Railroad from Granger through
Idaho and Oregon to the Columbia
River. At the Idaho State line it begins
the 451 miles across the State and passes
through Soda Springs, one of Idaho'S
earliest settlements and founded by
Brigham Young; then on to Pocatello,
at an altitude OF 4,400 feet, about 240
miles from Rock Springs. Pocatello is
the commercial center of a large irri-
gated agricultural tract. The fertile soil
produces in abundance everything from
semi-tropical fruits to the famous Idaho
potatoes. It is the starting point for
the trip to the Craters of the Moon, of
famous volcanic features, and is a
natural gateway to all Western national
parks. Nearby is the site of Fort Hall,
where the trails to Oregon and Califor-
MIA separated. Massacre Rocks mark
the spot where the Indians attacked an
emigrant train in 1852.
Crossing Fort Hall Indian Reservation,
Route 80 reaches American Falls, on the
Snake River, with its 42-foot cascade
and the dam that impounds 100000
acre-feet Of water, and follows the river
to q point east Of Burley where it meets
route 30-S. The single road continues
through Burley, Twin Falls and Boise
to Fruitland near the Oregon State line
Twin Falls, about 134 miles from Poca-
tello, commercial and distributing GEN.
ter, Is modern up-to-date city. Five
miles north are the Shoshone Falls, ri
valing Niagara In scenic beauty.
Boise, about 282 miles from Poca-
tello, with an altitude Of 2700 feet,
was settled in 1868. by Mai. Lugabill
U. S. A., who established military
post, known as Fort Boise, on the
vicinity made by the Hudson Bay Fur
Co. before 1860. 1t is a trade center
for surrounding fruit-growing, agricul-
tural and mining country and is an
important wool market. TWenty-six
miles above the city is the celebrated
Arrow Rock Dam, 354 feet high, with
driveway running across its crest.
Hot water from artesian wells near
Boise is utilized In one of the largest
inclosed natatoriums in the West and
for heating many residences and public
buildings of the city.
Begins Run of 52s Miles.
Leaving Boise, Route 80 crosses the
Snake River at the State line into
Oregon, near Ontario, over a free
bridge, and begins its run of 528 miles
across the State. From Fruitland an
alternate road runs north on the east
side OF Snake River to Weiser, crosses
Main Street Bridge, and joins 80 on
the west side of Snake River. The
highway passes through Baker, in the
center of eastern Oregon mining re-
gion: through La Grande, through the
Umatilla Indian Reservation, and
through Pendleton to Umatilla on the
Columbia River. From La Grande,
about 221 miles from Boise, on the
west side Of the Grande Ronde Valley of
| the Blue Mountains, the WalloWa Noun
tains are reached. The highway from
La Grande to Pendleton is through the
picturesque Blue Mountain region. Pen
dleton, about $50 miles from Boise, is
the distributing center for the sur
| rounding rich wheat-raising country
The annual Pendleton roundup in Sep
| tember attracts thousands of visitors.
From Umatilla Route 30 follows the
scenic Columbia River to Astoria, prac-
tically at its mouth, and is a testimony