Library, U of fi ,
Highway Special ^Edition
West Side Pacific
Ikrnonia
Attend the Big Road
Meeting at Vernonia
Monday, April 8
VOLUME 7
i.ifiM
______________________________________________ ______________ VERNONIA, OREGON,
Saglc
T*
FRIDAY, APRIL S, 1929
D!
At the Joy Theatre At
2 O’clock p.m. The
Public is Invited
-
L
MEET ATVERNONIA MON., A PRIL 8
Mj//
Highway Will
, Benefit Many
Oregon Cities
Traffic Over Longview
Bridge to Be Great
See Few Obstacles
Meeting
Will
Be
l:ei<!
in
Joy
Theatre; Recently construct­
ed
Here
were
Detailed
preparations
made yesterday to call a meet­
ing of all the road enthusiasts
in the towns touched by a north
and south road leading directly
from Eugene, north to the Can­
adian line, through Longview,
Wash.
With the hope that a road as­
sociation could be formed by
representatives from the various
towns along the route, a meet­
ing has been called to be held
in Vernonia on Monday, April
<8, at 2 p.m. in the Joy theatre.
This theatre was recently con­
structed and accords excellent
accommodations for a crowd of
650. Prominent speakers will be
on hand to fully explain all the
benefits accruing to the various
sections through which the road
will pass, and it is believed that
the sentiment will be great at
the meeting to arouse enthusiasm
which will mean the completion
of a through road, graveled and
with low grades, which will link
western Oregon and western
Longview
Washington at th«
bridge.
Wesley Vandercook, who has
made a long detailed study of
the traffic situation in the north­
west, will be on hand to explain
the probable volume that can be
expected to pass through each
section of the state covered by
this road.
Other speakers will point out
the agricultural advantages to
be derived from the increased
settlement of the country due
to the completion of this project.
The Longview bridge builders
are under contract to complete
the structure in less than one
year. In the opinion of many
»who have made a study of the
‘ situation, every day that passes
before the through route is com­
pleted north and south means
that the status quo in regard to
the tourist trade and settlement
of land of these various sections
will remain the same, whereas
the completion of the road means
in the neighborhood of 500,000
to 750,000 cars per year passing
through these sections.
Effort Being Made
In Washington County
ficient funds to practically fin-
ish the job in 1930.
the
Roadmaster Jones told
people in the Banks-Buxton dis­
trict that they could hasten tile
construction materially if they
would vote special road taxes in
their respective road
districts
and aid the county through the
sections benefitted.
Washington county has decid­
ed to relocate practically all of
the road between Banks and
Buxton on account of the fact
that as it is now located it winds
over the tracks of the S. P. &
S. Ry. and the Southern Pa­
cific Ry. which practically makes
it prohibitive as a state high­
way. The actual work has been
held up on part of this section
by reason of the fact that some
of the property owners through
whose farms the road is relocat­
ed have refused to deed the
rights-of-way to the county and
has forced it to start condem­
nation proceedings.
The matter of right-of-way
has been practically adjusted at
the present time and the county
road department of Washington
county road department of Wash­
ington county will proceed to
complete the road as soon as
weather permits.
Rainier Delegation
Meets With Vernonia
Chamber of Commerce
The regular meeting of the
Vernonia Chamber of Commerce,
held yesterday, was well attend­
ed by a delegation from the
Rainier Commercial club, who
came in the interest of the com-
pletion of the West Side Pacific
highway from Eugene tothe Can­
adian line through Longview.
of
Judge Wood,
president
Rainier Commercial club, Jos.
McKay, J. A. Schunesen, and
W. E. Proctor represented Rain­
ier, with Mr. Proctor, secretary
of the Commercial
club,
as
spokesman.
W. E. Proctor quoted Wesley
Vandercook, chief engineer for
the Longview bridge, as stating
that the bridge would be com­
pleted about January 1, 1930.
A meeting later in the after­
noon of the executive committee
of the Vernonia Chamber of
Commerce with the Rainier Com
mereiai club members was held,
at which time the joint com­
mittees decided to issue a special
edition the Eagle called “Special
edition of the West Side Pa­
cific highway,” which would be
used to inform people living
along the route of the proposed
extension, that the big
road
meeting would be held in Verno­
nia Monday, April 8, at 2:00
p.m. at the Joy theatre, where
numerous speakers well inform­
ed on the road situation would
address the gathering.
Dean Rogers, president
of
Corvallis Chamber of Commerce
and Dean of school of engineer­
ing of Oregon State Agricultural
college, has been invited to ad­
dress the meeting, as also E. C.
Apperson, chairman of highway
commission and banker of Mc­
Minnville.
Loyal Graham of Forest Grove
and Senator Norblad of Astoria
have also been invited as other
well known good roads boosters
of Oregon.
At a recent meeting of the
Washingnton county court, at
which delegates from northern
Washington county and Colum­
bia county were present, the
court assured the delegates that
every effort was being made to
connect the remaining uncom-
pleted sectioni s between Banks Rainier at Northern
Forest
and Vernonia on the
Terminus of Highway
road.
Grove-Vernonia market
The court stated that they were
The city of Rainier has the
in favor of the project; but good fortune of being located
• were limited somewhat by the at the northern terminus of the
small amount of the funds avail­ proposed extension of the West
able and that they were not Side Pacific highway at the
authorized to expend money on junction of the lower Columbia
this road which was apportion­ river highway. Its location is
ed or voted for some other ideal from the standpoint of be
roads in the county.
ing accessible to the tourist and
It was pointed out by the will share to a large extent the
Washington county roadmaster enormous development of the
that there were approximately Columbia river district.
three tnd one half miles of the
It is just across the Columbia
road uncompleted at the present river from the new city of
time, but that the county would I Longview. Wash., and its growth
have sufficient funds during the will undoubtedly keep pace with
year 1929 to construct approxi- the development of the city on
mately two miles of the remain­ the opposite side of the Colum-
ing section. This money would bia. Located on the gently ris-
be expended in constructing a I ing slopes of the south banks of
mile on each end of the remain- i the Columbia george it offers
ing sector. The rest consisting ideal home conditions and the
of one and a half miles, would cities of Longview and Kelso
be near the summit of the can be seen across the river to­
divide and would be the most gether with a great expance of
difficult part of the project; but the Columbia valley in both di-
* that the county woj W have suf-1 rections.
Enthusiasts
For Project
Interviewed
All Towns Expected To
Cooperate
Responses
Procter
and
Warm
Vandercook
Profitable Week
Proposed
Along
Spend
the
Route
Wesley Vandercook, who holds
the position of chief engineer of
the Long-Bell Lumber company
and who is promoting the con­
struction of the Longview-Rain­
ier bridge, and W. C. Proctor,
of the Proctor-Martin company
of Longview and Rainier, made
a trip this week through Ver­
nonia to Forest Grove and Wil­
lamette valley points to deter­
mine the sentiment of the people
in the various sections concern­
ing the proposed extension of
the West Side Pacific highway
through Forest Grove Vernonia
to Rainier. They reported that
at all of the various places vis­
ited there was practically no op­
position and everyone interview­
ed expressed themselves as be­
ing favorable to the project.
At Forest Grove they inter­
viewed Loyal Graham, ex-state
representative, who expressed
himself in favor of the road, and.
stated that it was the one single |
project that would develop the
western Willamette valley more
than any other proposition. The
highway committee of the Forest
Grove Chamber of Commerce.
Called a meeting and adopted a
resolution favoring the early
construction of the road and ex­
pressed themselves as willing to
use their efforts to put the pro­ Traffic Will Be Passing Over $5,800,000 Structure
ject over.
By January 1, 1930 According To Wesley Van­
At McMinnville they
inter­
viewed Mr. Apperson of the Mc­
dercook, Chief Engineer of Longview Bridge
Minnville bank and he was very
enthusiastic in his support of
According to advices received out being impeded in any way.
the proposed road and agreed
to have a large delegation at from Wesley Vandercook, pro­
The central span will be 1000
the meeting to be held in Ver­ moter of the Longview-Rainier feet between piers which will
Bridge,
the
project
will
be
com
­
nonia April 8. At Corvallis,
permit the largest of ocean go­
Dean Rogers of the school of pleted about January 1, 1930. ing ships to pass through. The
The
concrete
piers
upon
which
engineering of the Oregon State
bridge will be without a draw
college, was approached on the will rest the huge cantilever or lift and will, according to the
now
being
poured
structure
are
proposed route and he expressed
promoters, have a capacity to
himself in favor and would at­ and the actual placing of the take care of any future traffic
spans
will
begin
within
a
short
tend the meeting in Vernonia
that will develop, The northern
and do his utmost to see the time.
approach will be from Oregon
This is one of the longest way, and will be a _ gradual in-
project completed. At all other
points along the West Side Pa­ spans of its kind in the United cline from the southern part of
cific highway as far south as States and will when completed Longview to the northern span
Junction City they met with the connect Longview, Wash., and of the bridge. The southern ap­
same ^response and everyone Rainier, Ore., which are now be­ proach will be on practically a
agreed to be at the meeting at ing served by a ferry between level grade to the Lower Colum­
Vernonia on the 8th of April to the two points.
bia river highway. It is planned
perfect an organization for the
In granting the permit to con- to make two approaches on the
the purpose of constructing the struct this bridge, the war, navy south side so as to permit an
northern section of the highway. commerce departments of the approach either from the east
Upon their return to Vernonia United States government were or west. A large crew of men
they held a meeting with local very desirious that the structure are now employed in the con-
business men and were very en­ when completed would in no structing of the piers and work
navigation is being rushed as fast as ma-
thusiastic about the . recention way interfere with
they had been accorded and ex­ up the Columbia river to Port­ terial is available.
pressed themselves as certain land and inland points and re­
From the traffic reports f ur-
that with the right organization quired that it be placed at such nished by the engineers at the
a
height
above
the
Columbia
at the head of the project it|
time the bridge was projected
would become a certainty within river that ocean going shipping it is estimated that approximate'-
would pasB under the span with- ly 500,000 automobiles will pass
the near future.
over the bridge during the first
year following its completion.
Huge Bridge Well Under
This fact alone will divert thous­ Road Adjacent
ands of automobiles into Colum­
and Washington counties
Construction Between bia
and all points along the west To V ernonia
Pacific highway, according
to its proponents.
Rainier and Longview side
Is Completed
VANCOUVEfT
ANACOflîTS
1
PORT
1 OWNS L ND
1VFPETT
Topography map
in perspective
showing Colum­
bia River Long­
view bridge, the
Columbia river
radiation point
of the principal
arterial highways
of the Pacific
northwest.
Log of Route
Shows Shortcuts
A log of the proposed exten­
sion of the west side Pacific
highway from Forest Grove
through Vernonia to Rainier will
show the relative distance be­
tween the terminus of the com­
pleted sections, the sections now
uncompleted and the saving in
distance that would be accom­
plished if the proposed exten­
sion was completed.
Starting at Junction City,
where the east and west side
Pacific highways diverge,
the
route would follow the west side
Pacific highway north to Cor­
vallis where the Corvallis-New­
port intersects the west Side
highway.
This would form a
junction at that point which
would accommodate the travel
wishing to go to the coast by this
route or wishing to reach the
west side Pacific highway from
the coast route.
The route would then
run
north through Monmouth
and
Rickreal to the city of McMinn­
ville. At Rickreal a junction is
made with the west side Pacific
highway through
Salem
and
eastern Willamette valley points
would be made accessible by
traveling ten miles from Rick­
real to Salem on the east side
highway. At McMinnville the
west side Pacific highway in­
tersects the McMinnville Tilla­
mook road by the way of Sheri­
dan and makes this route within
easy reach of traffic coming up
the Roosevelt highway and wish­
ing to cross to the west side Pa­
cific highway and proceed north.
A connecting link is also form­
ed at this place with the east
side Pacific highway. The route
would then run north through
Carlton and Yamhill to the city
of Forest Grove, which is is now
the terminus of the West Side
Pacific highway.
From here to the northern
end at Rainier the road would
have to be re-constructed and
approximately 13 miles would be
new construction. The section
from Forest Grove to Banks is
now located on a very good
grade and is surfaced with oil
macadam. From this point north
to the town of Buxton the routs
would have to be practically re­
located the entire distance of
seven miles. According to pres­
ent plans the road would follow
the west side of the Southern
Pacific railroad right-of-way to
Buxton. This is relatively easy
construction as the entire dis­
tance
is
through
developed
farms and very little grading
would have to be done.
From Buxton the route would
follow the valley of Dairy creek
to a point about three miles
north of Buxton where it would
pass under the S. P. & S. R. R.
tracks and thence run north to
Scofield. The section of the road
from Buxton of the road from
Buxton to Scofield has been re-
cently completed and is on an
excellent grade of market road
standards.
Scofield is the northern ter­
minus of the completed section
of the road in Washington coun­
ty. From here the road would
follow the general direction of
the present puncheon road used
by the early settlers in this sec­
tion to the Columbia
county
line, a distance of about three
and a half miles. From the Co­
lumbia county line to Vernonia,
a distance of about seven miles,
the road is in very good con­
dition with the exception
of
about a mile at the southern
and which will be rocked during
the present season. From Verno­
nia the proposed road would run
to Pittsburg, which is of market
road standards construction and
is surfaced with oil bound mac­
adam with the exception of one
mile of concrete pavement near
the city of Vernonia.
The route from Pittaburg to
Apiary would be entirely of new
construction and would be the
the most cot Uy of the route to
complete. Various preliminarys
Would Straighten Curve*
And Resurface
»90,000 Per Year
Section of Road From Washing­
ton
County Line To Pitts­
burg
Is
Completed
Road district 9, comprising
the section of the proposed
Forest Grove-Rainier extension
of the west side Pacific high­
way surrounding and extending
from the northern Washington
county line to Pittsburg, has
voted a 10-mill special tax which
will be expended in the improve­
ment of this section.
It is proposed, according to
the budget adopted at the meet­
ing of the taxpayers, that this
money be used in straightening
out curves and resurfacing and
oiling part of the five miles be­
tween Vernonia and Pittsburg.
The road from Vernonia south
to the Washington county line,
about seven miles, has been re­
cently graded and the remainder
of the unsurfaced section, about
one and a half miles, will be
surfaced this year.
This will
complete the road to the Wash­
ington county line and with the
early improvement of the Wash­
ington county section consisting
of about three and one-half miles
will make the Nehalem valley
territory accessible from the
northern part of
Washington
county.
The improvement of this sec­
tion has taken on an added in­
terest in view of the fact that
it is directly in line with the
proposed northern extension of
the west side Pacific highway
and practically all of the work
heretofore completed will be used
on the proposed extension.
All of the seven miles of the
road between Vernonia and the
northern Washington county lino
and the section of the road be­
tween Vernonia and Pittsburg
will be of state market road
standard construction and ac­
cording to the highway engineers
is on a much better grade and
alignment than many of the pres­
ent state highways.
The Vernonia district is spend­
ing approximately $90,000 a year
in road construction and has,
during the past few years, de­
veloped one of the best market
road systems in the state. This
has been aided materially by the
fact that it was in a rich tim­
bered area and the taxable val­
uation was sufficient to raise th^
funds needed for the improve­
ments.
According to the present plans
adopted by the taxpayers in
their budget at the last special
road tax meeting, the present
market road system will be prac­
tically completed this year. This
will relieve the necessity of
spending any additional sums of
money for the present designated
roads and give the county court
an opportunity to appropriate
what money is available to im­
prove and construct the remain­
ing portions of the proposed
road from Forest Grove to Rain­
ier.
surveys have been made and
from the information compiled
by the engineers the distance
from Pittsburg to Apiary is es­
timated at from nine to twelve
miles, depending on which route
the distance is computed.
But in none of the surveys is
the distance estimated at more
than twelve miles. From this
point the road would lead to
Rainier over the Rainier-Apiary
market road a distance of eight
miles. This would make th* dis­
tance between Vernonia and
Rainier on the proposed rout*
approximately 23 miles and the
distance to Forest Grove along
the proposed route a distance of
26 miles or a total distance from
Forest Grove to Rainier of 49
miles, • ■