Historic Hood River
Inspection Party
Notes
This Weister photo is identified as an “inspection party” on the Columbia River Highway circa 1914. Our friend Bob Hadlow at ODOT thinks this is probably Eagle Creek. We know the dignitaries include Simon and Amos Benson, John Yeon, JB Coffey, and 5 Multnomah County judges (commissioners). Maybe they are checking to see how their money is being spent, or maybe they needed to escape the city for the day.
2016 will mark the centenary of the dedication of this “King of Roads,” so there will be many celebrations and exhibits to honor that event. Yours’ truly is a member of the advisory board to ODOT on all things Columbia Highway related, so I will be passing along related information. I recently got to tour the wonderful new CRH exhibit in downtown Troutdale (at the south end of town)– check it out next time you’re making an airport run.
The CRH wasn’t paved all the way to the Dalles until 1922, so we get to continue celebrating until 2022! While the focus will be at the west end this coming June, festivities will be moving east later.
L.E.
I notice they put the tall skinny guy out on the end. Not much weight and if the bridge does break, his head will be above water.
I wonder if the upper rope is for a cable car?
Kenn
There was still a suspension bridge at Eagle Creek last time I was there, but thankfully it appeared a bit stronger than this one.
I agree with LE, I see no use for the upper cable unless an earlier cable car.
LMH
The man fourth from the right is thinking, "how did I get myself into this?". "Please let this bridge hold up another 10 minutes."
nels
Right beside the last gentleman to the right is another joint in the bridge flooring. Oh my. The more I look at the construction and ‘railing’ the more I would think it was an act of bravado or courage to walk out on that thing.
Arlen Sheldrake
that anchor tree is groaning but hopefully healthy….. top wire: an early version of a zip line?
Longshot
Kind of hard to believe that that bridge may have represented one of the major routes through the gorge 100 years ago.
Longshot
Perhaps the cable above it would have been for a cable car that predates the bridge. One can find evidence of such cable cars all throughout the west, particularly in remote mining districts.
L.E.
I think the man who is praying that the bridge holds up for another 10 minutes, looks like Sam Hill.
If this site had a built in zoom, we could zoom in and see all of the ropes connected to that tree. Alder?
Plus the two posts to prop up the tree.
Arthur
L.E., you get started learning javascript and we’ll have a zoom feature in no time!
I originally thought that man was Sam Hill, but when I rescanned the image on the better scanner I found he was not. We believe he was a Multinomah County judge.
I don’t know if the ropes are tied to an alder tree, but there is a dogwood in bloom on the stream bank, so we know this is a springtime junket.
Charlott
I agree, Sam Hill is not in this photo.