Building the Columbia River Highway: They Said It Couldn't Be Done

by Peg Willis

When nine-hundred-foot ice age floods carved the Columbia River Gorge through the Cascade Mountains to the sea, little space was left for man to form a highway of his own. It took an artist-poet-engineer extraordinaire to conquer this reluctant piece of real estate and produce the nation's first scenic highway. Meet Sam Hill, the mover and shaker, and Samuel Lancaster, the polio survivor, who turned modern engineering on its ear to create a "poem in stone." Today, Oregon's historic Columbia River Highway is hidden among the trees, where it meanders past spectacular waterfalls and dramatic views. Ride along with Peg Willis as she explores the beginnings of this miracle highway and the men who created it.

Genres: History, Nonfiction

192 pages, Paperback

First published March 9, 2014

Reviews

[Dj · Rating 4 out of 5]

A book mostly of regional interest for the Pacific Northwest, but specifically the Columbia River Gorge. While the book is about the building of the Highway on the Oregon side of the river, its main focus is on the major players that had a hand in the creation of it. The names in the book are some that even now are recongnizable in the Portland area, names like Benson, Pittock and Meier. The book doesn't get bogged down in Engineering details (and considering what had to be overcome in the building of this highway it well could have), but it does give you enough detail to make the difficulties in the construction clear. The prose is smooth and easy to read through without getting lost in minutiae.
A good and enjoyable read for anyone.

[Steve Davala · Rating 4 out of 5]

Recently I began doing some research into Oregon's history, originally from a trip to Cascade Locks and seeing the history there. This book appeared.

At first I think I just wanted a picture book, to see old timey photos of the progress of the Highway... not knowing anything of the story behind it. The book however gripped me and I read every single word. It tells the tale of the people behind the highway in early 1900s... how they got there, their often harrowing adventures and rise to fame and fortune.

Tales like this make me sad and long to see the highway in its heyday. I read about a tunnel and thought "I can't wait to go see this..." but read that it was leveled in the 50s.

I have yet to see anything upon the old highway, short of Multnomah Falls, but when summer is upon us (and the trails open again due to the fires) I can't wait to look upon the places with new eyes.

[Mitchell Friedman · Rating 3 out of 5]

I picked this one up from the display area at the front of the Lake Oswego Library. I am up and down the Columbia Gorge and quite a bit on the scenic highway, so the subject of it being built intrigues me. But like many subjects, it is not quite big enough to necessarily have a substantial book on the subject. This certainly is not one. It is somewhat clumsily written and really doesn't have a professional quality narrative. It is thin in places, where maps or pictures or geological details or road construction details would improve it. It clearly quotes other works in other place with details that are meaningless to someone without the specific background in mind, usually road construction. Even still it was a fun informative read.

[Alicia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I personally think a bit too much time was spent on the people involved upfront rather than integrating the information into the narrative about the highway, but otherwise, it was quite interesting. I was born and raised in the Pacific Northwest, and have seen quite a few of the places mentioned, but reading it made me want to go through the Gorge again and see the things I've missed and mourn the ones that no longer exist. It's a good read for anyone from the area or someone planning on going for a visit.

[Matt · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was attracted to this book in the Multnomah Falls gift shop and purchased it there whilst in the area for a wedding (at Skammania Lodge). I wish I would have read this gem while planning our trip - we would have explored more along Highway 30 and spent less time at the various Hood River wineries! (Although all three vineyards we visited were wonderful!)

The author knows her subject well. The book is well researched and includes detailed footnotes. The historic photos were a real treat, adding to the description of the roadway construction challenges.

Honestly, I need to return to this beautiful part of the country to explore Highway 30. Sounds like more of the route has been opened to bikers and hikers!

[Paul Lunger · Rating 3 out of 5]

With "Building the Columbia River Highway: They Said it Couldn't Be Done", Peg Willis goes into the history of what is now I-84 & describes the process of building this needed highway. The book at times doesn't quite know what to do with itself across 170 pages especially since it spends a third of itself on people associated with the building of the road & never really ties them in to the final narrative. Willis book is interesting to anyone familiar with that area or not & the book itself does highlight some of the rather unique measures that were taken in the building of the road; however, I'm sure there are better histories of this road than this at times disappointing book.

[Ietrio · Rating 1 out of 5]

Some millennia ago Pharaohs would enslave the population to build very important Pyramids that are still visible today, although the meaning and usage was long lost. Pharaohs of today are enslaving the population and making everyone poorer, but somebody "they" said it couldn't be done. And after all, this is what Pharaohs do. That is what power does to humans. The problem is with disgusting people like Willis who have an option to do something useful to the Society or spend time writing year another ode to the power and might of the Pharaoh.

[Marylin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is well-written and full of wonderful information regarding the Columbia River area!
It was fun and easy to read.
You can tell that the author, Peg Willis really did her research.
I loved all the wonderful photos which added to the reading.
Great book to read!
I highly recommend you pick it up!

[Rita · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice overview of the planning and building of the Columbia River Highway. It has enough details for a novice like me to learn fascinating facts about the times, essential people, and engineering difficulties that I never knew even after all these years of driving through the Gorge.

[Alethea Hammer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun book for anyone familiar with the area and the various fragments of the old highway that are still drivable. Well illustrated.

[Nathan Albright · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book, written by a lifelong resident of the Pacific Northwest, is clearly a labor of love for both the beauty of creation in the Colombia River gorge area between Portland and The Dalles, also for the immense spirit of public service and intestinal fortitude in the face of criticism among those brave and intrepid souls who designed and built the infrastructure of US that remains now as the Historic Colombia River Highway. The author deserves to take a place as one of the local historians of repute when it comes to Oregon history [1], especially as this book is well-written, well-researched with helpful documentation in the endnotes, including some personal interviews, and filled with photos, some of them by the author, which inspire the reader to take the time to travel along the historical road and see the bridges and tunnels and viaducts and curves of a road that was designed by artists even if it was somewhat nightmarish for the engineering of the time. The one sour note is that the author appears to lack a bit of sympathy for the taxpayers who were asked to foot the bill for the beautiful roads and structures, especially in light of the fact that building a road close to talus slopes and waterfalls has made continual maintenance necessary and expensive.

In terms of its contents and organization, the author begins with by generously acknowledging the help she received in writing the book and in her decision both to write about the history of the construction of the Colombia River Highway and its aftermath as well as including some details about the little-known but striking people who designed and built it. It is in fact these people that the book begins by discussing, which are an eccentric arrangement of people, most of whom were wanderers or vagabonds who possessed shallow roots and often highly difficult personal backgrounds, including a family history of mental illness, difficult recovery from typhoid fever and polio-induced paralysis, spousal abandonment, and the like. The first quarter of the book or so is filled with biographical essays about the men and women, two of whom became governors of Oregon, whose names are mostly lost to history, whose tenacity and spirit of public service drove the construction of the Colombia River Highway on. The author then discusses the design and construction of the highway itself, the challenges that were faced, the constraints of seeking to limit the grade to 5 degrees or less, the often beautiful structures like the Chanceleteer's Inn and the Vista House (which was completed at eight times its original budget due to the whimsical and visionary artistic designs made for it), as well as numerous bridges, tunnels, and viaducts which remain elegant and beautiful and functional structures for use by pedestrians, bicyclists, and drivers even today. The book is full of maps and pictures and is written by someone who clearly loves the solving of logistical and engineering problems as well as engineering worth that is both practical as well as aesthetically pleasing.

Given what it is set out to do, to better inform others about who motivated and encouraged the building of the Colombia River Highway, from the Italian and German-American stonemasons involved in carving and placing the marble work, to the loggers and newspapermen and engineers and politicians who were involved in promoting and designing the work, to the woman whose hospitality and gracious hosting smoothed over difficulties and created an atmosphere where seemingly impossible problems could be solved, this book serves its appointed tasks admirably. It is a work of first-rate local Oregon history, it gives credit where it is due to the men and women who made the Colombia River Highway possible, it provides explanations of technical and aesthetic achievement, and it encourages its readers to go out and see the historical highway for itself, and get to know some of the history behind the sights, and an appreciation that thanks to some brave men and women who refused to be daunted by the immense challenge of the task, Eastern and Western Oregon are connected by well-designed roads that allow for the free passage of trade and travelers along the gorge, whether by land or by river, and that the work was done by people whose skill in engineering and design was matched by an appreciation for the wonders of God's creation. Let the same be said of all of us who seek to wrestle with contemporary problems.

[1] See also:

https://edgeinducedcohesion.wordpress...

https://edgeinducedcohesion.wordpress...

https://edgeinducedcohesion.wordpress...

https://edgeinducedcohesion.wordpress...

https://edgeinducedcohesion.wordpress...

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a nice account of the building of the Columbia River Highway. Plenty of photos. I liked her focus on the personalities involved. Some of the engineering stuff went over my head, but gave me an appreciation for the complication of the job. Just the right sized book for an overview.

[Larsen · Rating 3 out of 5]

A non-technical story of the times, people, media, politics, money, and construction which opened a way for early automobiles to drive eastward from Portland near the Columbia River for 300 miles -- the nation's first scenic highway. Until some flood controlling dams were built it was impossible to locate a road in the Columbia River gorge, so the highway at first struggled over and among the cliffs and beautiful water falls -- in a place or two hanging on the side of a cliff. The history of some tourist sites was fascinating. We visited this area last summer, and the book explained some impressive, almost mysterious, sites after we had seen them and wondered about them. The book would have more lasting interest and meaning for local history buffs and others who love and regularly enjoy the area.

[Aaron Litt · Rating 5 out of 5]

By far the best book on the old highway that I've read. A great overview for people who are just getting to know the history of the Columbia River Highway and the Gorge in general, but full of new and interesting tidbits for people more familiar with the material.

I really enjoyed the biographies of the "characters" involved with the construction, larger than life individuals that made the highway possible. While these figures are often mentioned along with a few interesting details about their lives and personalities, Willis takes the time to explore their lives in more detail, which adds an compelling level of insight to the nature of the time period in the region and to the highway itself.

[Susan · Rating 2 out of 5]

The book was interesting, but not a wonderful read. It was a little too... I don't know, pedantic maybe. She started off with brief biographies of people involved with the building of the highway, and when she got to the section about the building of the road, she says that although the actual construction did not start at the western end, she started at the western end and went to the eastern end.

I enjoyed reading about how the road was designed to accentuate the scenery. At the end of the book, the author gives some information about which parts are still available as a hiking/bicycling trail and which parts were incorporated into Interstate 84. The book did make me wish I could bike the part that is still available as a bike trail; for that reason I guess it was worth a read.

[Stephanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a pretty encompassing book about the Historic Columbia River Highway. It didn't do things the way a normal book like this would do things and that made it not sit all to well with me. Over a third of the book was used to set up the main players who made the highway possible instead of introducing each as they appeared in the story. It also presented the information in geographic not chronological order. This created a lot of back and forths even though it was trying to avoid that problem. There was very little about the actual building of the roadway in the grand scheme of things. It was also weird how the roadside popups for lack of a better term are dealt with on their own and not in the geographic pattern of the rest of the book.

[Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this account of the building of the Columbia River Highway. It was an amazing engineering feat in its day. The author did a great job of breaking the task down in chronological order. The writing is impeccable. Since I live in Oregon, I have wonderful memories of the original highway. The story is a fascinating one and should appeal to readers everywhere.

[Elaina Griffith · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fascinating window on the unique history of the Columbia River Gorge. Read it in preparation for a halcyon day's drive on the amazingly lovely scenic highway and beyond. Great research, original photos, and compelling story, but actual writing / editing is average at best. Still the most accessible and current info compiled on this topic.

[Awjtf · Rating 5 out of 5]

I liked this book!

[Ken · Rating 5 out of 5]

Complete account with interesting side tidbits.