UMATILLA COUNTY
The highway problem of Umatilla County is of greater magnitude than it would seem to be at first consideration. The fact that the County is well supplied with rail transportation only renders the demand for highways more urgent. Soil conditions are generally unfavorable for good natural roads although gravel deposits suitable for highway construction are found in most localities.
The County has made constant efforts towards an improved system of roads, but with 3,000 miles of county roads to care for and with considerable bridge work in the program, the available funds are found to be entirely inadequate. The main roads or trunk highways through the County have had the benefit of a large percentage of local funds but owing to a large mileage and character of improvement necessary, there remains a great deal yet to be done.
When the State of Oregon voted to expend $6,000,000.00 in surfacing roads constructed by the counties, Umatilla County was among the first to take advantage of the State aid. The State Highway Commission extended additional aid through the Post Road Fund, but these plans were later cancelled owing to requirements of the U. S. Office of Public Roads.
The State Highway Department has surveyed the Old Oregon Trail for the entire distance across the County and 42.2 miles of the Oregon-Washington Highway have been surveyed. In addition a considerable mileage of reconnaissance surveys have been made preliminary to definite location.
In 1917 and 1918 the State Highway Department expended $162,625.56 in constructing eleven miles of pavement near Pendleton. The cost of maintenance on this road has been divided equally between the State and County.
Funds were set aside by the State Highway Commission in 1917 to macadamize the 40 mile section of Old Oregon Trail from Pendleton west to the Morrow County line. War conditions caused a postponement of this improvement. The funds are still intact and work will proceed as soon as conditions will permit. Following are statements showing amounts of State funds expended in Umatilla County and funds appropriated to be expended in 1919.
| Expended in 1917 and 1918 for paving on Wild Horse Road and Pendleton-Reith Section | $ 162,626.56 |
| Appropriated to be expended in 1919 on macadamizing Old Oregon Trail from Pendleton to Morrow County line near Umatilla | 180,000.00 |
Wild Horse Paving
The State Highway Commission on June 29, 1917, let a contract to the Warren Construction Company for paving a ten mile section of the Wild Horse Road northeast of Pendleton and one mile of the Old Oregon Trail leading west from Pendleton. The pavement laid was bitulithic and the subgrade was an old macadam road built by the County. The macadam road was of insufficient width for supporting a 16 foot pavement, which condition required widening of the grade, re-ditching and the placing of extra crushed rock for base.
The widening of the road bed was done with County funds expended under the direction of the State Highway Department. The work of widening the grade cost the County, $9,975.00 for the 11 miles.
ON THE PAVED ROAD BETWEEN PENDLETON AND ADAMS IN UMATILLA
COUNTY. PAVED IN 1917
Paving work begun in July, 1917, and an excellent pavement of the standard two-inch bitulithic type was secured, with a six inch crushed rock base. The total cost of this work was $162,626.56 or $14,784.22 per mile. M. O. Bennett was the engineer in charge and Chas. Noble was the inspector on this work. Following is a detailed cost statement:
DETAILED COST STATEMENT—WILD HORSE PAVING
| Standard Bitulithic Pavement, 103,543.79 sq. yds. at $1.29 | $ 133,571.49 | |
| Broken Stone loose measure. 10,994.8 cu. yds. at $1.87 | 20,560.28 | |
| Crushed stone. 115,600 lin. ft. at 5c | 5,780.00 | |
| Extra work on road approaches | 104.91 | |
| $ 160,016.68 | ||
| Engineering and Inspection | 2,609.88 | |
| Total | $ 162,626.56 | |
Wild Horse Grading
When plans were made in 1917 for the Wild Horse paving. 16 feet was the width decided upon. Upon investigation it was found this would require widening of the old road bed from one foot to five feet, re-ditching for a large part of the 10 miles and the replacing of several culverts.
This work was done under the direction of the State Highway Department and the entire cost was defrayed from County funds. The total cost to the County was $9,975.00. Oscar Cutler of the State Highway Department was resident engineer in charge.
Pendleton-Pilot Rock Section—Grading and Macadamizing
Upon the completion of the survey by the State Highway Department of the section of the Oregon-Washington Highway between Pendleton and Pilot Rock, the Umatilla County Court started grading. Where the construction is light the road grader was used to great advantage. Through the aid of the Division Office of the State Department new right-of-way was secured in some places and the alignment of the road naturally improved.
During September and October, 1918, the section between Pendleton and the County Poor Farm was graded and macadamized on a six per cent development over Grave Yard Hill. This work, both grading and macadamizing is of excellent character and will soon be opened to traffic. W. C. Crews, engineer for the State Department made the relocation on this section and was resident engineer during construction. The following is a statement showing quantities and total and unit costs:
| Item and quantity | Total cost | Unit cost | |
| Excavation, 4,795 cu. yds | $ 3,164.70 | $ .66 | |
| Gravel, 2,000 cu. yds | 2,600.00 | 1.30 | |
| Concrete Bridge | 1,600.00 | ||
| Total cost | $ 7,364.70 | ||
An additional four miles from the County Poor Farm south was graveled by the County with an expenditure of $2,000.00.
Survey of Columbia River Highway and Old Oregon Trail
During 1917 and 1918 the State Highway Department made a location survey over the entire east and west route across Umatilla County, excepting the six mile section between Pendleton and the Indian Agency. On this six miles a base line survey only was made.
The section of this road between the Morrow County Line and Pendleton is a part of the Columbia River Highway and has a total length of 40.5 miles. It passes through Umatilla, Hermiston, Stanfield, Echo and Reith. From Pendleton east the road is known as the Old Oregon Trail.
The survey in the east end of the County begins at the Umatilla Indian Agency, follows the general direction of the present road up Cabbage Hill, passes through Meacham and ends at the Union County Line near Kamela. A five per cent grade was secured on the Cabbage Hill climb. The total length of this section is 26.8 miles. R. H. Baldock and Oscar Cutler were the locating engineers on this work. The plans for this survey are practically complete.
Survey of Oregon-Washington Highway
The State survey of the Oregon and Washington Highway extends from the end of the pavement ten miles northeast of Pendleton, through Pendleton, and Pilot Rock to the Morrow County Line west of Butter Creek. This survey was made in 1917 and a section south of Pendleton was relocated in 1918. The total length of this line is 42.2 miles. R. H. Baldock and Oscar Cutler were the locating engineers on this work and the revision was made under the direction of W. C. Crews.