History

Dump truck in 1920
A Packard five-ton dump truck carries paving mix for use on the Columbia River Highway near Wyeth circa 1920. The image is from the March 28, 1920 edition of the Portland Sunday Oregonian. (Historic Oregon Newspapers)
The Historic Columbia River Highway has been the subject of many highs and lows in its century of existence. Hailed as an engineering marvel in its early years, it soon fell victim to society's fixation on speed and efficiency and was largely bypassed by a more modern highway. The highway suffered the ultimate indignity in 1966 when the iconic Mitchell Point Tunnel was completely destroyed. But now many sections have been restored and the highway is again celebrated as a "poem in stone."

A Winding Road