Mile Marker 80, Historic Hwy 30, Oregon
N 45° 40.990 W 122° 17.974
10T E 554544 N 5059084
This is mile marker #80, on Historic Hwy 30, which was built between 1913 and 1922.
Waymark Code: WMHRTW
Location: Oregon, United States
Date Posted: 08/10/2013
Views: 7
This is mile marker is located on Historic Hwy 30, which was built between 1913 and 1922.
The Scenic Columbia River Hiway consists of a composite of multiple roads and road projects that stretch from Astoria in the west to Pendleton in the east. The road was first planned as a scenic roadway thru the Columbia River Gorge, and parts of the road are honored for their significance on the the National Register of Historic Places as a National Historic Landmark, other areas have designation as a National Historic Civil Engineering Landmark by the American Society of Civil Engineers, and portions are considered a "destination unto itself" in the program labled as All-American Roads by the U.S. Secretary of Transportation.
HISTORY:
In the early part of the 20th century, the popularity and affordability of personal automobiles prompted a nationwide "good roads movement", which was manifested in Oregon when counties, state and federal funds were pooled and used to construct roads for commerce and also for tourism. Hiway 30 is a portion of the composite road projects called Scenic Columbia River Hiway.
Engineer and Landscape architect Samual C. Lancaster and his good friend (and road promoter) Samuel Hill combined talents and their influence to built roads near Maryhill in Washington state in the fashion of Switzerland's Axenstrasse. The Maryhill road was later used to demonstrate to and convince the state legislature to use a similar design (with rockwork and "windows") for the Columbia River Gorge project. A comprehensive design for the safe handling of rainwater included concrete curbs and gutters which collected water that was directed to the sides of the road by raising the center of the road itself, plus masonry retaining walls to strengthen the hillsides and prevent erosion while providing a visually appealing road that would not distract from the beauty of he gorge.
The section of Hiway 30 which runs from Mosier to The Dalles still retains several of the old concrete post Mile Markers. The section to the west (from Hood River thru the Mosier Tunnels) had been created by Roy A. Klein, and was joined in Mosier and continued on to The Dalles by J. H. Scott who worked for the State Hiway Department. Scott chose to develop a route that followed existing county roads up a winding path to Rowena Crest, and then uses a set of loops in the hiway to bring motorists back to river level at Rowena, where the route then joins the former Oregon-Washington Railroad and Navigation Company railbed to The Dalles.
The Columbia River Hiway consists of a composite of multiple roads and road projects that stretches from Astoria in the west to Pendleton in the east. The last secton of the road to be completed on June 27, 1922 when Simon Benson helped pave the last portion of the road, near Rowena, in a symbolic ceremony. Tourism in the Columbia River Gorge soon became a major economic factor for the area, and continues today.
NOTE: In addition to tourism, the Rowena Crest Loop is world reknown for appearing in numerous car and motorcycle commercials. The signature "loops" in the road (actually curves that nearly double back on themselves) provide a visual and physical stimulous. (Especially when taken at speeds above 30 miles an hour).
Sources:
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visit link)
Historic Columbia River Highway State Trail (OR)
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visit link)