Kittitas Trailhead - Washington Historical Markers on Waymarking.com

At the Kittitas Trailhead in the Iron Horse State Park there are two signs with history information. This one is about the trail and contains a large section on the trail’s history. Text of the Sign:
The John Wayne Pioneer Trail
follows the historic Milwaukee Road right of way across Washington from Cedar Falls to the Columbia River. Iron Horse State Park covers more than 100 miles of it. The trail was named after the late actor, who symbolizes for many the positive spirit of the West. The right of way continues as the “Milwaukee Road Corridor” on the east side of the Columbia River to the town of Tekoa, near the Idaho border. Washington State Department of Natural Resources manages the eastern portion of the trail.
This major east-to-west corridor began as a footpath across the Cascades, beaten down by Native Americans who used it to hunt, fish, and trade goods. Then explorers, pioneers, and settlers arrived. Some stayed to build homes where resources were plentiful.
But the Milwaukee Road changed the landscape along this route far more than the other newcomers. Wherever the railway built a depot, a community developed around it and prospered. The railway created jobs, new industries, and economic stability. When the Olympian Hiawatha - the nation’s longest electrified train - raced down this line between Chicago and Seattle in 1947, it took only 45 hours.
Despite all the advances of the 20th century, this trail is a footpath once again. But unlike the route’s earliest travelers, you’ll be sharing it with the high-teck world. So enjoy the irony: While vou’ve come here to slow your pace and ponder an era now past, a high speed fiber optic line lies beneath you, carrying the latest telecommunications.

A description of your visit, and more pictures would be great!