Oregon Coast Highway
By the time the final links in the Oregon Coast Highway were made in 1936, the highway stretched 394 miles from Astoria to the border of California. It had taken 12 years to complete the construction over stretches of rugged headlands and thick forests. Early travel along the coast was difficult; what roads existed were generally unimproved and often completely impassable during the rainy winter months. In many cases, the beaches themselves served as the only means of transporting freight and passengers. When Maj. Henry Bowlby, the first Oregon State Highway engineer, outlined a proposed system of state highways in 1914, he presented the vision of a coastal highway to the Oregon State Highway Commission. The eventual construction of this highway opened access to the Willamette Valley and beyond for many formerly isolated coastal communities. It also signaled an economic shift that included the promotion of tourism and the accommodation of the flood of visitors anxious to take advantage of the spectacular vistas along the Oregon coast.
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Oregon Coast Highway
By the time the final links in the Oregon Coast Highway were made in 1936, the highway stretched 394 miles from Astoria to the border of California. It had taken 12 years to complete the construction over stretches of rugged headlands and thick forests. Early travel along the coast was difficult; what roads existed were generally unimproved and often completely impassable during the rainy winter months. In many cases, the beaches themselves served as the only means of transporting freight and passengers. When Maj. Henry Bowlby, the first Oregon State Highway engineer, outlined a proposed system of state highways in 1914, he presented the vision of a coastal highway to the Oregon State Highway Commission. The eventual construction of this highway opened access to the Willamette Valley and beyond for many formerly isolated coastal communities. It also signaled an economic shift that included the promotion of tourism and the accommodation of the flood of visitors anxious to take advantage of the spectacular vistas along the Oregon coast.
24.99 In Stock
Oregon Coast Highway

Oregon Coast Highway

by Laura E. Wilt
Oregon Coast Highway

Oregon Coast Highway

by Laura E. Wilt

Paperback

$24.99 
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Overview

By the time the final links in the Oregon Coast Highway were made in 1936, the highway stretched 394 miles from Astoria to the border of California. It had taken 12 years to complete the construction over stretches of rugged headlands and thick forests. Early travel along the coast was difficult; what roads existed were generally unimproved and often completely impassable during the rainy winter months. In many cases, the beaches themselves served as the only means of transporting freight and passengers. When Maj. Henry Bowlby, the first Oregon State Highway engineer, outlined a proposed system of state highways in 1914, he presented the vision of a coastal highway to the Oregon State Highway Commission. The eventual construction of this highway opened access to the Willamette Valley and beyond for many formerly isolated coastal communities. It also signaled an economic shift that included the promotion of tourism and the accommodation of the flood of visitors anxious to take advantage of the spectacular vistas along the Oregon coast.

Product Details

ISBN-13: 9781467103374
Publisher: Arcadia Publishing SC
Publication date: 05/20/2019
Series: Images of America Series
Pages: 128
Sales rank: 1,039,528
Product dimensions: 6.40(w) x 9.10(h) x 0.50(d)

About the Author

Author Laura E. Wilt is an Oregon librarian. She enjoys doing historical research and loves spending time on the Oregon coast. This book features historic photographs from the archives of several state agencies and local historical societies.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments 6

Introduction 7

1 The Beginnings 9

2 Construction on the Northern Coast 15

3 Construction on the Central Coast 31

4 Construction on the Southern Coast 45

5 Jeweled Clasps along a Matched String of Pearls 61

6 Pushing toward the Sea 73

7 Oregon State Parks and the Highway Department 91

8 Lighthouses of the Oregon Coast 103

9 Impact of the Oregon Coast Highway 109

10 The Final Chapter 119

Bibliography 127

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