Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-07-14
WESTWARD DRIVING
UNLIKE OLD DAYS
Oregon TraiI.Scenes Recalled
in Season of Sight.
seeing Trips.

Motorists along the Eastern sea-
beard nowadays, having in past sea-
sons taken trips throughout their own
country, who have a good two months
to spare for wandering, find the ideal
way to spend this vacation period is
to point the nose of their car westward
into the setting sun. While 1t Is pos
Sible, says the Automobile Club of
coast to coast and back again In less
than two months, this amount of time
allows for a leisurely trip with plenty
Of opportunities for sightseeing along
the way.
One of the most interesting ways to
reach the Pacific Coast is via the Old
oregon Trail, called by the Indians
THE Big Medicine Road" This trail
follows the same route that was used
by the first pioneer wagon train that
came out to the West Coast In 1843.
To do honor to these first pioneers and
the others that came after in the years
1852 and 1853 an association was
formed in 1922 in Baker, Greg, called
the Old Oregon Trail Association. The
purposes of the association are as fol-
lows: To perpetuate the name Of the
Old Oregon Trail by having that name
designated by the States through which
it passes and also designated by the
Congress of the United States as a
national highway, and by so doing do
honor to the memory Of the brave
pioneer men and women who faced the
perilS of a savage land to carve out
new homes for themselves In the Ore
gon Country" and to make Of 1t Aner1-
can territory; to permanently mark
the road with the design of the OK
Team and Covered Wagon so that its
history may be preserved and be a
constant reminder to the younger gen.
Grafton Of the hardships endured by
those who blazed the way and laid the
foundation of our present-day civili-
cation.
Traverses Old Trail.
No mention of the Old oregon Trail
is complete without some word about
Ezra Meeker, who at the age of "a, In
the year 1906, outfitted himself with an
OK team and a prairie schooner and
left his home in Puyallup, Wash, to
retrace the trail he had traversed as
a boy In 1852. AS he went he marked
the trail with substantial stone monu-
mentSA clear through to the Missouri
River. He kept on and drove his oxen
down Fifth avenue In New York City
and on to Washington, where he was
met by Theodore Roosevelt, then Presi-
dent of the United States.
From Washington, D. c., to Washing
ton, Pa, the route runs via Rockville,
Frederick, Hagerstown, Cumberland and
Uniontown. From Washington to
Wheeling, w. Va, and then over the
Ohio River into the State of Ohio and
through GAINESVILLE to Columbus. Here
the route turns northward, but, OF
course, still westward, and runs through
Kenton, Lima to Fort Wayne
and across this State via Warsaw, VAL
paraiso and Hammond to Chicago.
From Chicago to the Mississippi River
the route runs across Illinois via Joliet,
Dayton, La Sale, Atkinson, Moline,
Rock Island, then across the river to
Davenport. From here to Council Bluffs
we pass through Iowa City, Grinnell,
Des Moines, Stuart, Lewis and Oakland.
Council Bluffs was one of the two
principal Quitting points in the early
days for the settlers leaving for oregon.
The former name of the town was
GAINESVILLE.
From Council Bluffs the route follows
the north bank of the Platte River
through Omaha, Nebr.; Lincoln, Fair
mont, oxford, Lamar to Sterling. Here
the route turns northward into Wyo-
ming, running through Cheyenne, Lar
nLIlCt N0COLNuLC 10OW, xtnW1AAcg w GILL
suffer to Granger. From here up into
Pocatello the route runs via Oakley,
Sage, Montpelier and Georgetown.
From Pocatello the route follows the
south bank of the Snake River through
American Falls. Twin Falls to Buhl.
Between here and the town of Hager-
man we cross over the Snake River
and run on the north bank to Boise,
Nampa and Parma, where the Snake is
again crossed, and thence through Vale,
Baker, up to Pendleton and Umatilla
on the south bank of the Columbia
River, thence through The DalleS to
Portland, the terminus OF our route.
Trail as Crude Route.
This Old Oregon Trail as traversed
by the settlers was not laid out by engi-
neers, no grades were established, no
streams were bridged, but it wound its
way as best it could across the hills
and through the gullies and across the
streams. In the Springtime, when the
hills were green, when the streams were
full and fresh, the game plentiful, the
Old Trail was one Of adventure, ro-
sun Of Summer beat down, the grass
all withered, the game departed, the
streams dry and alkaline, the Old
Trail lost its glamour and became q
way of hardship, suffering and death.
How different this same route Is to-
day traversed by tourists in their high
powered cars! Roads will be found
ood-hard-Surfaced in the East. mac.
adam, gravel and dirt in the middle
section, and paved again in the West.
Suitable accommodations for all classes
will be found along the way. And some
Of the finest scenery in3this country will
be found en- route. The Columbia River
Highway. the western terminus Of the
greatest highways. Stops should be
made at The Dalles, Hood River, Cas-
cade Locks, Eagle Greek, Bonneville,
Horsetail Falls, Oneonta Gorge, Multi
nomah Falls, Wahkeena Falls, Shop
perds Dell, Latourell Falls and Crown
Point before reaching Portland. After
a stopover In the later town, 1t Is de-
cidedly worth while to continue down
the highway through Astoria to Sea-
side.
Portland, the Rose City Of the Pacific
beautiful residences In districts Of sur
passing beauty, miles Of shaded streets,
lined with hedges Of the worlds finest
roses. Each year IN the middle Of
June Is held q rose festival. Portland
Is located the same distance from the
sea as Philadelphia, and 1t has an ex-
ceedingly fine fresh water harbor. The
Columbia River entrance Is excelled by
few ports in either depth or width OF
channel.
Portlands location, together with It's
delightful climate and excellent hotel
accommodations make it an ideal stop
ping place for the tourist on the Pacific
Coast. Magnificent scenery, colorful
and fascinating, surrounds Portland.
within @ few minutes, or, at the most,
within few hours, 1t is possible to be