Historic Hood River
I-80 Construction
12-11-2017
Notes
Here’s the early stages of construction of I-80 (now I-84) through Hood River. You can make out the Columbia Gorge Hotel in the foreground on the cliff, and work back to the present exit 62, where you;ll see clearing and early roadway construction. You can also make out the roadway beyond the Hood River White Salmon Interstate Bridge, where the fill is in place toward Koberg Beach.
This Wednesday Scott Cook and I will be presenting a “Sense of Place” lecture at the Columbia Center for the Arts. This is an unscripted, “anything can happen” event. Don’t miss it!
Category: Downtown Hood River
Tags: 1950s, aerial view, Columbia Gorge Hotel, Columbia River, construction, I80N, I84
Tags: 1950s, aerial view, Columbia Gorge Hotel, Columbia River, construction, I80N, I84
Buzz
Bought two tickets to this event. If I can figure out how to get them I will be there. Thought maybe we could meet for lunch on Wed. if anybody interested. Maybe the old char-broiler restaurant west of town. Anybody interested?
Kenn
Very interesting picture, curious who did the aerials and if there are more..
Buzz, wish I could be there, can I assume whoever makes the suggestion is buying for all ?
Buzz
Believe L.E. made the suggestion a few weeks back that we get together. If she chooses to buy for all that would be her prerogative.
Judy
Charburger ain’t what it used to be. Just my opinion.
Check YELP.
Buzz
If people would rather go someplace else, just tell me where to go. I know nothing about best places in Hood River.
L.E.
Jeesh, I was studying this amazing photo and then read the comments. I went from spell bound to my wallet getting lighter.
What happened to the good old days when a guy would be insulted if a woman paid for his meal?
Actually, I would love to get together. I don’t know if I can make it on Wednesday but I would sure try.
Back to the photo……is that the Calkins Farm in the center?
I had no idea the bluff looked that unstable. When you are at Ruthton Park, you feel like you are on solid rock.
Longshot
When getting on the interstate heading eastbound at Exit 62 there is a chimney to one’s right above the on ramp. Is that the house whose roof shows up white in this photo? What is the history of the house?
There is an elevated water tank in the upper center of the photo. Was this for the hotel?
Jeffrey Bryant
The Irving or Frankton Cemetery is on the knoll near the center of the photo behind the house.
Dale Nicol
Longshot, I believe the chimney is from the old Crag Rats building.
Charlott
The lone chimney is indeed the remains of the old Crag Rat Hut. It was left there when the organization relocated to their new building in Pine Grove.
Scott
Not to be confused with the I-80 that runs from San Francisco to Teaneck, NJ, the freeway that is today I-84 was originally signed as I-80N. Original plans called for the freeway to be called I-82, but by the time they had decided to abandon the I-80N name, I-82 had already been constructed and signage for I-80N changed to I-84 which breaks the freeway numbering convention since I-84 is actually to the south of I-82.
L.E.
From the October 22, 1937 Mt Adams Sun
"Do You Know….That Hood River may be left "out on a limb" when the new watergrade highway is built between Troutdale and The Dalles, according to a statement made by engineers of the state highway department this week. Because residents of Hood River are said to have objected to the survey of the state engineers, which would have switched the highway from Oak street to Cascade Avenue, that route has been abandoned and, in its place place, it is now the tentative plan of the state highway commission to locate the highway north of the railroad tracks entirely outside of either the business or residential section of Hod River."
Hod is their misprint, not mine.