BAKER COUNTY
Although Baker County is generally well supplied with railroads there are sections still isolated and much in need of improved transportation facilities. Some of the most fertile and productive areas of the County are not served by rail transportation and depend upon roads for communication with railway points. This situation with the character of the winter season and soil conditions found here render improved highways of extreme importance.
Since State and Federal aid have been made available the people of Baker County are fast coming to a realization of the situation and are making strenuous efforts to co-operate in highway improvement. No bond issues have been voted in this County but an example of their enthusiasm is supplied by the fact that private donations for co-operative improvement of one road amount to $15,000.00.
State and Federal aid were extended in 1918 and the co-operation has resulted in plans for improving three sections of the Baker-Cornucopia Highway. Other roads in the County will receive the consideration of the Highway Commission during the coming season.
Four sections of the Baker-Cornucopia Highway have been surveyed, and plans for three of these are nearly complete. Together the four sections make about thirty-eight miles of location survey. Construction work will begin on this road early in the coming season.
Survey of the Baker-Cornucopia Highway
During 1917 and 1918 the State Highway Department surveyed a greater part of the Baker-Cornucopia Highway. The policy of giving first attention to those portions of the road most in need of improvement resulted in the surveying of four separate sections. These sections are designated as follows: Baker-Middle Bridge; Love Bridge-Black Bridge; Canyon and Sag Sections. These surveys were made under the direction of J. O. Kingsley and W. C. Crews, locating engineers for the State Highway Department.
The Baker-Middle Bridge section extends from Baker to a point near Middle Bridge on Lower Powder River. Beginning at Baker the line follows closely the present main traveled road east for about six miles, thence along the Palmer road to the present crossing at Ruckles Creek, thence down Ruckles Creek to a point about two miles south of Keating, thence easterly, leaving Ruckles Creek, and entering the lower Powder River Valley near Middle Bridge. This survey is 18.64 miles in length. The plans for this work are completed.
The Love Bridge-Black Bridge section covers that portion of the route through the canyon between the Keating and Richland districts. At present all traffic passes through Sparta and over the mountains to the north of the Powder River there being no road through the canyon. This survey is about ten miles long and involves heavy and expensive construction. This project begins at a point about seven miles east of Keating and ends about five miles west of Richland. There is a four-mile section of the Baker-Cornucopia Highway lying between Middle and Love Bridges that has not been definitely located. No office work has been done for this survey.
What is known as the Canyon Section extends through the canyon east of Richland. This survey begins at a point 1.5 miles east of Richland and parallels the Powder River along the north bank for a distance of 4.64 miles. The project ends at the point where the proposed route leaves the Powder River and leads over the mountains toward Pine Valley. Plans are almost completed for this project.
The Sag Section is that part of the road leading north from the divide between Powder River and Pine Valley. This survey which is 4.69 miles long begins at the divide and ends at a point in the edge of Pine Valley two miles south of Halfway. The location follows very near the route of the present road. The office work in connection with this survey is nearing completion.
Baker-Cornucopia Post Road Project
The State Highway Commission requested Government aid in the construction of the Baker-Cornucopia Highway and this request has resulted in the approval by the Federal Office of Public Roads of three projects on this highway. These three projects, namely, Baker-Middle Bridge, Canyon Section and Sag Section have a combined length of 27.97 miles, and the total estimated cost of these constructions is $94,731.00. Baker County will co-operate with the State and Government in defraying the cost of this construction. The following tabulation indicates the amounts and segregations of funds for each project.
| Appropriated for expenditure in 1919 | State Funds | County Funds | Government Funds | |
| Baker-Middle Bridge Section | $ 13,978.00 | $ 15,000.00 | $ 13,978.00 | |
| Canyon Section | 8,249.00 | 6,000.00 | 8,249.00 | |
| Sag Section | 11,639.00 | 6,000.00 | 11,639.00 | |
| Totals | $ 33,866.00 | $ 27,000.00 | $ 33,866.00 | |
No plans have been made for financing the Love Bridge-Black Bridge Section which was surveyed in 1917. This is an important section of the road and will probably receive early attention from the State Highway Commission.