Mullan Road - Fort Benton, Montana to Walla Walla, Washington
Posted by: 
BruceS
N 47° 37.173 W 116° 31.036
11T E 536273 N 5274129
This road, surveyed between 1853 and 1854 and constructed between 1858 and 1862, was the first major engineered highway in the Pacific Northwest. Its 624 miles connected the Missouri River Basin to the Columbia River Basin, thereby greatly accelerating the development of the Northwest as an integral part of the United States.
Waymark Code: WM2BXR
Location: Idaho, United States
Date Posted: 10/09/2007
Views: 105
"The Mullan Road was designed to facilitate the movement of troops and supplies across the Rocky Mountains between the Missouri River basin in the Great Plains and the Columbia River Basin at the Columbia Plateau during times of Indian hostilities. But because peace was reached with the Northwest Indians early on, the road was used only once (in 1860) for military means. Instead, it became a popular thoroughfare for emigrants and fortune-seekers during the Montana and Idaho gold rushes of the 1860s.
Unlike the Oregon Trail and other famous trails of the same period, Mullan Road's route was selected based upon engineering reconnaissance surveys, and a road was actually constructed. Light grading and occasional bridging sufficed on the prairies, but substantial grading and bridging were required in the mountainous sections.
Facts
Although fords were used wherever feasible, over a hundred wooden bridges were built, varying in length from a few feet to well over a hundred feet in length. Because there was virtually no money for maintenance, however, most bridges were washed out after a few spring runoffs.
During the engineering reconnaissance survey, a sextant was used for determining astronomical positions, an odometer for measuring distances, a barometer for estimating altitudes, and spirit levels for determining precise altitudes and profiles along various alternative routes." ~ ASCE website
Location:
The location of this waymark is near July 4th Pass in Idaho where in celebration of July 4th 1861, Mullan's crew carved the year in a large white pine.
Type of structure/site: Road
Date of Construction: 1858-1862
Engineer/Architect/Builder etc.: Captain John Mullan
Engineering Organization Listing: American Society of Civil Engineers
Primary Web Site: [Web Link]
Secondary Web Site: [Web Link]
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