POSTMARKS FROM THE TRAIL
Take a road trip back in time:
Pacific Highway/US99
Story and photos by Michael Perry
 Most of us take the speed of highway travel
for granted. A trip to Portland that takes 45 minutes today took two hours
60 years ago. Whether or not you can recall the days before Interstate-5,
re-tracing the route from Longview to Portland on what remains of the Old
Pacific Highway is interesting. Read about it (here) or use the detailed
driving instructions (Sidebar) and take the trip yourself.
In the early days: concrete ribbons
The Washington State Legislature began designating State roads prior
to 1900. What became the Pacific Highway and, later, Highway 99 was originally
called State Highway 1. In those early years, individual counties were
responsible for constructing highways, while the State helped with surveying
and gave some engineering advice, but very little money. Washington’s
Highway Department was created in 1905, and Oregon’s in 1913. Each
state proposed highway systems, undoubtedly trying to incorporate the
crude roads that already existed.
The first concrete highway in Washington was a four- mile stretch near
Toledo, poured in 1912. Early roads were typically a single ribbon of
15-foot wide concrete slabs. Auto-mobiles were not common in 1912;
only 725,000 cars had been produced in the United States between 1897
and 1912, and many of those were no longer running. Horse-drawn buggies
were still the main method of transportation.
Uncle Sam gets on board
After World War I, the Federal Highway Act was passed in an attempt to
complete (and connect) highways. By 1923, the year Longview was built,
the Pacific Highway in Washington and Oregon had been paved border to
border, from California to Canada. Increasing numbers of cars forced
a continual evolution of the highways. Highway crews widened the pavement,
straightened curves and decreased grades. In 1926, a national system
of highway numbering was instituted, with north-south routes designated
with odd numbers and east-west with even. The Pacific Highway became
US Highway 99.
After World War II, President Eisenhower pushed to get the Interstate
Highway Program established, with four-lane freeways replacing two-lane
highways in the 1950s. In many cases, entirely new routes were established.
Sometimes, the existing two-lane roadway was used by adding lanes. Many
sections of the Pacific Highway (US99) became obsolete.
Step back 60 years
Baby boomers and senior citizens (Editor’s note: Is there a difference?)
who have lived here all their lives probably remember the long drive
to Portland (and the even longer drive to Seattle) on US99. Recently,
I spent a day retracing portions that still exist between Kelso and Vancouver.
Surprisingly, there are many miles of original pavement still being used.
Granted, virtually all of it has been covered with asphalt to make the
roadway wider and smoother. And some sections of road were replaced with
frontage roads when Interstate-5 was built on top of the old road. But
I found it is possible to drive most of the way to Vancouver on the Old
Pacific Highway (US99).
Time travel
Perhaps you’d like to make a day trip and step back in time. Detailed
driving directions follow.
The journey begins in Kelso, the “Smelt Capital of the World” 50
years ago. After going through Kelso’s downtown, you will pass by
the Wild Grizzly Casino and Three Rivers Mall on the site of the golf course
the Kelso Elks operated until it was covered with Cowlitz River dredge
spoils after the1980 eruption of Mt. St. Helens. When I-5 was built
in the early 1950s, it cut through the middle of the golf course and
the nine holes east of the freeway became part of Tam-O-Shanter Park.
A frontage road takes you to the Longview Wye. In 1923, when Robert A.
Long built Longview, he wanted to attract visitors to his new city. The
Pioneer Bridge was built near the mouth of the Cowlitz where the Harry
Morgan bridges now stand, near the Cowlitz County Landfill (Editor’s
note: you mean, “the dump”?).
Signs of the times
From here, you will drive past a pair of billboards with religious messages
facing the freeway. They’ve been there since the 1950s. For
years, the State Highway Department tried to remove the signs. In an effort
to beautify America, laws were passed in the 1960s prohibiting advertising
along freeways. A loophole allowed the Gospel Sign Shop to keep its billboards,
since the law allowed advertising by on-site businesses. The “signmakers” built
a storage shed and attached a small sign at the bottom of each billboard
proclaiming the religious messages were a “sample” of the
signs they could produce. I always wondered if they ever painted any
signs for paying customers.
A little further is a huge cell phone tower with a miniature version
of the Statue of Liberty nearby, followed a mile further by the Carrolls
Store. Established as Carrollton in 1871 when the Northern Pacific began
laying railroad tracks between Kalama and Tacoma, it became Carrolls
in 1915. The original town, down by the Columbia River, burned down and
was rebuilt near the Carrolls Store. There is a post office in the store, where
you can get a “Carrolls” postmark. The Old Pacific Highway
(US99) continues up over Carrolls Bluff. The houses built on the edge
of the cliff had front-row seats for the Trojan cooling tower implosion
last year.
Antiques and sandwiches
Just before reaching Kalama, the Fireside Restaurant in the Camp Kalama
RV Park is an excellent place to stop if you are hungry. A little
further is one of the last great old barns still standing in this area,
and it appears to be living on borrowed time. If you have the time
and the inclination, there are antique shops in Kalama, along with several
restaurants. The Antique Deli in Henderson’s Antique Mall serves
great sandwiches and delicious cookies.
While in Kalama, you can park and use the pedestrian overpass to cross
the railroad tracks and walk over to the Kalama Marina and totem pole
park. There are four totem poles by the river; one is 140 feet tall and
is the tallest single-tree totem pole in the world. If you are
not up for the jaunt, there is a way to drive directly to the totem poles.
The Old Pacific Highway does not continue all the way to Woodland, so
you must travel on I-5 for five miles to get past Martin’s Bluff. Before
doing that, you can take a few minutes and drive a mile down Dupont Drive,
a dead end section of the old highway that gives you a good feel for what
the old road was like (see cover photo). While some sections have
an asphalt overlay, much of the original 19-foot wide concrete roadway
is like it was 60 or 70 years ago.
The old guard
You rejoin the Old Pacific Highway north of Woodland, then cross the
Lewis River and continue on to LaCenter. This section has remnants of the
old guard railing. The original white painted wooden rails have long ago
rotted away, but the concrete posts stand ready to stop an errant vehicle. LaCenter
has grown a lot in recent years, perhaps due to the casinos. Maybe
you want to stop and try your luck or have a bite to eat?
Pollock Road, a dead end spur south of LaCenter, is a very old section
of concrete road that leads down to the old river crossing. The Old
Pacific Highway (US99) continues south to Salmon Creek, the edge of the
urban sprawl. Salmon Creek Greenway near the I-5 and I-205 junction is
a delightful park with miles of paved trails ideal for walking, jogging,
or bicycling. Plan ahead if you’d like to enjoy a picnic
lunch here.
On the waterfront
Vancouver is not much further. For 65 years, The Holland Restaurant was
the place to stop to eat when making a trip to Portland. Unfortunately,
it closed after 65 years of business. The same family owns Beaches, in
Vancouver, and the Burgerville restaurant chain.
This trip ends at Red Lion’s Inn at the Quay, a great place for lunch
or dinner. Ask for a window table where you can watch the river
and bridge traffic. The drawbridge still opens when needed, but most
boats can pass under the elevated portion of the bridge.
Level, but low
The original 3,538-foot long Interstate Bridge was built for $941,000
and was level all the way across the river. It is hard to imagine why
they built a four-lane bridge in 1917, but obviously, the person in charge
was a real visionary! That bridge carried all the traffic between Portland
and Vancouver until 1958, when a second bridge was built next to it.
The original bridge (the present northbound lanes) was then jacked up
to allow boats to pass under it without opening the draw span. From 1960
to 1966, motorists paid a 25¢ toll to cross the bridge.
In 1939, a stone monument dedicating US99 to Jefferson Davis, President
of the Confederacy from 1861 to 1865, was placed at the Vancouver end
of the bridge; a similar monument was put at the Peace Arch Park at the
Canadian border in Blaine, Washington, in 1941. Both stone markers became
controversial and Vancouver’s was moved to Carnegie Library at
16th and Main in 2002 and removed entirely in 2006.
Another traditional place to eat is the 45-year old Steakburger restaurant
in Hazel Dell, where kids once drove 40 miles to get a double-jumbo steakburger
after school. This was before the days of fast food outlets on every
corner. On a recent trip, I was surprised to find Dr. Munchie there,
eating a mushroom Swiss burger. Dr. M told me that to really enjoy
it, you must order it without lettuce and tomatoes.
A population explosion is occurring in Clark County, so you will have
to imagine how things were in 1940. Ignore the modern buildings as you
drive through the once actively farmed fields. You will still see cattle
and hay fields, of course, but look close and you can also see strawberry
and raspberry fields. Soon, however, subdivisions will likely consume
all the open land. Don’t wait too long to make this trip!
Kelso resident Michael Perry wrote 33 monthly installments
of “Dispatch
from the Discovery Trail,” tracking the Lewis and Clark Expedition’s
adventure during the Bicentennial Commemoration. Now that that “journey” is
complete, he will continue to write stories of local historical interest
along the “trail” of western settlement.
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Step-by-step directions: Old
Pacific Highway trip from Kelso to Vancouver:
Start at City Hall in Kelso, on Pacific Avenue under the east end of the
new Allen Street Bridge;
Drive 0.2 miles south on Pacific to Ash Street;
Turn left on Ash and go 0.2 miles to Grade Street;
Turn right on Grade and go 0.7 miles and cross I-5;
Turn right on Grade Street just past the I-5 overpass (before reaching
Kelso Drive);
Go 0.7 miles on Grade Street (this is the Old Pacific Highway) until it
joins Kelso Drive;
Turn right onto Kelso Drive and go 1.4 miles to the Seattle on-ramp at
the Longview Wye.
Turn left and go 0.3 miles and turn left at the Old Pacific Highway.
Old Gospel Sign Shop is on right at 0.8 miles;
Rose Valley Road is another 0.3 miles;
Statue of Liberty is 0.3 miles past Rose Valley Road;
Maples Drive, on the right 0.9 miles past the Statue of Liberty, may be
the original dirt road.
Carrolls Store is another 1.2 miles.
Island View Drive on the right 0.1 miles past Carrolls Store may be the
original dirt road;
Old concrete bridge railing at right about 0.9 mile past Carrolls School – stop
and look back.
Go past Kress Lake and Kalama Fairgrounds to the Kalama River Road;
Turn right onto Kalama River Road and then left onto Meeker Drive after
0.2 miles;
Fireside Restaurant, located in the Camp Kalama RV Park, is 0.3 miles on
the left;
Old dilapidated barn on the right 1.5 miles past Kalama River;
Downtown Kalama (Henderson’s Antique Mall and Deli, etc.) is a half-mile
past the barn.
Turn right on Elm Street and go under I-5 and park (DO NOT TURN LEFT to
the I-5 on-ramp);
Use pedestrian overpass to cross railroad tracks and walk to the Kalama
Marina and totem pole park.
Return to First Street (Old Pacific Highway) and turn right;
Site of old Cloverdale Store is 2 miles past Kalama, where the modern Shell
mini-mart is located;
I-5 Todd Road interchange (Exit 27) is 0.2 miles further – turn right
and go under the freeway;
Turn left onto Dupont Drive and go 1 mile where it dead ends (this is the
old original pavement);
Return to I-5 interchange.
For the side trip to totem poles – continue straight along RR tracks
on Hendrickson Road for 2 miles.
After returning to I-5 interchange, take the on-ramp towards Portland (this
is Exit 27);
Go 4.5 miles to Exit 22 where you leave the freeway;
Turn left and go under freeway to Old Pacific Highway and drive towards
Woodland;
Continue straight when Pacific Highway becomes N. Goerig Street (follow
concrete flood wall);
Turn left at ARCO mini-mart near I-5 interchange in Woodland and cross
over the Lewis River;
Immediately after crossing the bridge, turn right onto Old Pacific Highway.
LaCenter is 5 miles from Woodland. Notice the old concrete guardrail
posts along the road.
Cross the East Fork of Lewis River and go 0.4 miles to NE Timmen Road where
you turn left;
Look for Pollock Road on left – this dead end section of Pacific
Highway has very old pavement.
Return to Timmen Road and go 3 miles to Ridgefield junction (Timmen Road
becomes NE 10th);
Continue straight, passing thru Gee Creek Watershed about a mile further;
A mile past Gee Creek Watershed is the Battleground intersection – continue
straight at stoplight.
Drive 2 miles further and turn left at 179th and go _ mile to NE 15th where
you turn right;
NE 15th will become NE 20th before you pass thru the Whipple Creek Watershed
to Salmon Creek.
Continue straight across I-205, merging into Old Highway 99 at Salmon Creek;
Turn right at NE 117th and go under I-5.
Salmon Creek Greenway is on your right – stop and take a walk and/or
have a picnic lunch.
Continue on NE 117th for 0.7 mile and turn left at Hazel Dell Avenue (this
is pre-1940 route);
Go 3.5 miles until you reach Main Street where you turn right - it is about
5 miles to Vancouver;
When you get to McLoughlin, turn right (Dulins Café on corner was
the old Holland Restaurant);
Go one block and turn left onto Washington Street – you need to get
in the right lane.
(left lanes lead to entrance ramps to Hwy. 14 (Camas) and I-5 (Portland)
in 0.7 miles)
Stay in the right lane past the on-ramps and go to 4th or 3rd where you
turn right;
Go one block and turn left on Columbia Street and drive under the railroad
tracks;
The Red Lion’s Inn at the Quay is a block past the railroad, on the
right… stop for lunch?
To return home, we will take the post-1940 route through Hazel Dell.
Turn left onto Columbia as you leave the Inn at the Quay and go to 5th
Street;
Turn right onto 5th and get into the far left lane (otherwise, you will
end up in Camas or Portland);
Cross Washington and turn left onto Main Street a block further.
Clark County Museum at 16th and Main is the old Carnegie Library – this
is where the city moved
the old 1939 stone monument that dedicated Highway 99
as the Jefferson Davis Highway.
Continue north on Main until you come to I-5 (you need to be in the right
lane to get to Hazel Dell);
After crossing I-5, the Steakburger Restaurant is about a mile further
on the left (by McDonalds);
It is 4 miles to the I-5 and I-205 junction, which is the end of your trip
down “Memory Lane”
Follow signs to Seattle to get back to Kelso on I-5 - or, retrace the route
on the Old Pacific Highway.
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Peterson Prairie Guard
Station: A perfect spot for snowshoers, cross-country skiiers, snowmobilers
or starwatchers
by Karla Dudley
If you like to walk in the forest and enjoy the
solitude of the wilderness, but still sleep in a bed  at night, consider
an outing to Peterson Prairie Guard Station near Trout Lake in the Columbia
Gorge.
Last winter, after Santa brought me snowshoes for Christmas, my hiking
friends and I were looking for places to “shoe” that
were close to home and yet offered more than just a walk around a lake.
We learned of a former fire guard station located along Forest Road 24
in the Gifford Pinchot National Forest. This little cabin is a jewel hidden
deep in the forest under a dense canopy of Douglas firs. For the “backpacking types,” it
provides a short walk and a sense of being alone in the wilderness. For
the “walk in the woods types,” it offers the security of a
cabin, instead of a tent, and the luxury of “civilized” toilet
facilities rather than a primitive outhouse.
Amenities
Built in 1926, Peterson Prairie guard station was one of the first ranger
stations in the area. The three-room rustic cabin, which s leeps six, has
propane heat and lighting, a bedroom with a double bed, small kitchen and
a living room with two couch/futons and a huge stone fireplace. The kitchen
is surprisingly well-equiped, with its two-burner propane cook top, pots
and pans, dishes and utensils. (Editor’s note: yes, but was there
an espresso machine?) The new vault toilet — an upscale outhouse
with a concrete floor, steel door, regular toilet seat, tissue dispenser
and lighting — is located in a small building just a few steps behind
the cabin and there is plenty of firewood provided.
We began our adventure by driving to Atkisson Snow Park. The roads were
clear all the way, so our tire chains stayed in the bag. After checking
our packs to make sure we had the essentials — water, sleeping bags,
food, and, of course, martini supplies for happy hour — we headed
up the well-marked trail for the 2.5-mile walk to the cabin.
Not your ordinary walk in the woods
The four people in our party had mixed reactions to the trail. The backpackers
thought it was an easy walk; the casual hikers thought it was a hard trudge
(perhaps those lead crystal martini glasses were too heavy). We walked
for the most part on the slightly-uphill, snow-covered forest service road.
The silent beauty of the mountains in the distance and the sense of walking
with only the sound of crunching snow underfoot kept us all quiet as we
trekked into the wilderness. We were in no hurry and stopped often for
pictures. After about three hours, the sight of the little yellow cabin
nestled in a cluster of snow-frocked trees was a welcome sight.
Carl Sagan would love this
We settled in for a cozy winter evening with good wine, a hardy meal, a
crackling fire, lively conversation, and, of course, Scrabble. The night
was cold and crystal clear, with a canopy of brilliant stars adding to
the feeling of being totally immersed in nature,  light years away from
the busy-ness of everyday life.
After a good night’s sleep and the breakfast of champions (Editor’s
note: Breakfast consisted of bacon and eggs, not Wheaties), we packed up
and headed back out. The return trek was certainly easier, with lighter
packs — now emptied of all those beverages and food — and
a slight downhill grade. We were back to the car by mid-afternoon. We all
agreed that this was a perfect way to get away from the world for 24 hours
and still be home in time to prepare for the work week.
Peterson Prairie guard station can be the focal point of a very appealing
outing. If you decide to go, make reservations early, since it books up
fast. There are still a few days left during snow season. Reservations
can be made up to one year in advance.
Karla Dudley teaches piano and is Music Coordinator at St. Rose
Parish School in Longview. She enjoys the outdoors and, with companion
David Bell, often writes for Columbia River Reader about their adventures.
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