So great were the difficulties to be surmounted that up to the opening of this new highway, on July 6, 1915, no passable road along the river existed between Portland and Hood River. The great mountain buttresses, which came almost to the water’s edge, and the intervening ravines effectually blocked the way. It was determined that a boulevard following the river was not impracticable, but careful estimates placed the cost at more than $50,000 per mile. Realizing that such a highway would be a great drawing card for the city as well as the entire Northwest, a few leading spirits of Portland began an agitation for its construction. The cost was provided for by a bond issue of two and one-half million dollars and when local politicians showed anxiety to get control of the project, the people thwarted them by taking matters into their own hands. Mr. John B. Yeon, a retired millionaire lumberman with wide experience in handling large bodies of labor, offered to take charge of the construction without remuneration. Other rich Portlanders were alike generous with their gifts of time and money to such an extent that the highway is almost as great a tribute to civic spirit and patriotism as to engineering skill.
The chief engineer, Mr. S. C. Lancaster, had been chosen some time before and, by the munificence of a wealthy citizen, was given the benefit of a trip to Europe to inspect the famous highways there. His selection was a most fortunate one, since in addition to his extraordinary ability as an engineer, he had a true appreciation of natural beauty and the happy faculty of so adapting his plans to the landscape as to preserve and make the most of its scenic features and to turn every superb viewpoint to the best possible advantage.
AROUND TOOTH MOUNTAIN, COLUMBIA HIGHWAY
From photo by The Weister Co., Portland, Oregon
For the Columbia Highway was to be more than a mere wagon road along the river. It was to reveal and emphasize the marvelous beauty of the mighty gorge and to be a source of uplift and inspiration to the fortunate wayfarer who directs his course over it. As a mere utility, possibly it would not be justified; the great navigable river and the railways skirting both its shores might meet all the necessities of transportation and travel. They could not, however, reveal the scenic beauties of the river valley to the best advantage, a mission which the highway serves to perfection. This aim Mr. Lancaster kept in view above everything else, and how well he succeeded only he who truly admires the grand and beautiful and who travels, many times, the length of the highway can fully appreciate.
In addition to exploiting the superb scenery along its course, Mr. Lancaster determined that the new highway must conform to the best traditions of road building. Its construction must be of the solidest and most permanent character; it must have no grade greater than five per cent, no curve less than the arc of a one-hundred-foot circle; it must be guarded by substantial and artistic balustrades and, finally, its surface must equal the finest city pavement in smoothness and durability. That all these requirements were fully met we can testify, if a touring experience covering hundreds of thousands of miles in Europe and this country will qualify us to judge.
The actual construction work was begun in 1913 and at the time of our visit the completed road had reached the western limit of Multnomah County, forty-seven miles from the Portland postoffice. Hood River County had also done considerable work—the famous Storm Crest Tunnel is in this county. Apparently nothing had been done in Wasco County, where we encountered the steep, long grades out of The Dalles. We were told that the plan is to carry this highway the whole length of the Columbia River on the Oregon side, a distance of about three hundred miles, but if the work is to be done by the counties, it will probably be long in the building. There is at present no road closely following the river east of The Dalles beyond Celilo, twenty miles distant, where the government has expended four millions of dollars in building locks around the falls of the Columbia. This and many other scenic wonders beyond The Dalles make it most desirable from the tourist’s point of view that the projected highway may be carried to completion as soon as possible. It may seem that I am dealing too minutely with the inception and history of this wonderful road, but I feel that such details are not out of place in a book dealing with Oregon. The splendid achievement of this community in carrying forward this great enterprise is one that should be widely heralded as an example and inspiration to others.
FROM INSPIRATION POINT, COLUMBIA HIGHWAY