This Oregon tunnel has huge windows overlooking the Columbia River Gorge – here’s the history

Simon Benson’s $75,000 Gamble on Mitchell Point Tunnel

In 1913, a lumber baron and a highway dreamer changed the Columbia River Gorge forever. After Washington turned down Samuel Hill’s road plan, he took his ideas to Oregon instead.

The state soon formed its Highway Commission while engineer Samuel Lancaster mapped out 21 miles of scenic road. When funds ran short, Simon Benson stepped in, buying $75,000 in bonds from his own pocket.

The crown jewel came at Mitchell Point, where John Elliott built a 390-foot tunnel with five windows cut through solid rock.

This marvel, finished in 1915, became America’s first major roadway tunnel and shaped how we build park roads today.

Samuel Hill Couldn’t Convince Washington to Build His Dream Highway

Samuel Hill tried to get Washington State to build a scenic highway along the Columbia River’s north bank, but they refused.

He didn’t quit. Instead, he went to Oregon, the last western state without a highway department. Oregon was the shot to a Swiss-style scenic road.

From 1909 to 1913, Hill spent $100,000 building his Maryhill Loops Road to show off different paving types.

His test road sat on his huge property, winding through hills with gentle curves.

Oregon Lawmakers Took a Field Trip to See Hill’s Road

Governor Oswald West brought all Oregon lawmakers to Maryhill in 1913. Hill showed them a full-size model of his roads to make his point.

The lawmakers loved what they saw – the first asphalt road in the Pacific Northwest with smooth curves that avoided steep climbs. The visit worked.

Oregon created the State Highway Commission that year, setting up the system needed to build real highways.

The lawmakers went home excited about bringing modern roads to Oregon.

Multnomah County Stepped Up with Cash for the Highway

County officials decided the state should design the route instead of county engineers. They set aside $75,000 to start construction – big money in 1913.

This teamwork between state and county was new in road building. The county used bonds to pay for the work and picked retired lumber boss John B.Yeon as roadmaster.

Yeon worked for free, bringing his business skills to the massive project connecting Portland to the Columbia Gorge.

Lancaster Mapped Out a Road That Worked With Nature

Engineer Samuel Lancaster started his survey from Chanticleer Inn in September 1913. He spent five months mapping 21 miles to the Hood River County line.

Lancaster made strict rules – no slopes steeper than 5 percent and no curves tighter than 200 feet across. He planned for 18 feet of macadam pavement with 3-foot gravel shoulders on each side.

His approach fit the road to the land rather than blasting through it, creating a route that showed off the gorge’s beauty.

Hood River Voters Said Yes to Highway Bonds

Hood River County voters approved a $75,000 bond in mid-1914 to build the section west of Hood River city.

The county struggled to sell these bonds because of the remote location and rough terrain. The vote showed local support despite real doubts about whether such a road could be built.

The money problems put the whole eastward highway at risk before work could start. Without buyers for the bonds, the project faced a dead end.

Simon Benson Saved the Project with His Own Money

Lumber businessman Simon Benson bought the entire $75,000 Hood River County bond within a month. He also promised to pay any extra construction costs beyond the bond amount.

His quick action saved the highway project from possible money troubles. Benson’s personal investment showed how private money could help build public roads.

The wealthy businessman saw the highway as good for both business and Oregon, using his own fortune when government funding fell short.

The Mitchell Point Challenge Needed Swiss-Inspired Engineering

State Highway engineer John Arthur Elliott surveyed the Mitchell Point section in 1913-1914. The old wagon road there had 23 percent slopes over a mountain saddle, much too steep for cars.

The Oregon-Washington Railroad already took all the flat land between the cliff and the Columbia River. Elliott found his answer in Switzerland’s Axenstrasse tunnel, built in 1865 with windows above Lake Lucerne.

He needed to bring that European idea to Oregon.

Workers Started Drilling Through Solid Rock in 1915

Construction began in March 1915 on a 390-foot tunnel with five arched windows cut through the basalt cliff. Engineers faced the tough job of building both a bridge approach and the windowed tunnel through solid rock.

The Mitchell Point section became the hardest and most expensive part of the entire Columbia River Highway. The project was America’s first major roadway tunnel using modern construction methods.

Crews worked through spring and summer to create an engineering marvel.

The Tunnel with Windows Opened to Traffic in 1915

The Mitchell Point section opened in early September 1915, costing about $47,000. The price made it one of America’s most expensive road sections per mile at that time.

The tunnel had five arched windows that gave drivers amazing views of the Columbia River as they drove through. American engineers matched the famous alpine roads of Europe.

Tourists came from across the country to drive through the “Tunnel of Many Vistas.

Benson Helped Expand the Highway Across Oregon

Simon Benson became chairman of the Oregon State Highway Commission in 1917.

He pushed for the first $6 million bond to build a complete highway system across the state. The Columbia River Highway grew to stretch 200 miles from the Oregon Coast to Pendleton.

When the national highway numbering system started in 1926, the road became part of US Route 30. Benson’s leadership turned a local scenic drive into a key link in America’s growing road network.

The Highway’s Design Changed How America Built Roads

The National Park Service adopted Lancaster’s design standards as the foundation for its “Lying Lightly on the Land” philosophy.

The Columbia River Highway became the model for future national park roads throughout America. The highway earned National Historic Landmark status for its significance to our national heritage.

Lancaster’s engineering principles shaped scenic highway construction for decades.

His approach balanced practical transportation needs with preserving natural beauty, creating a legacy that still influences road design today.

Visiting Mitchell Point Tunnel, Oregon

You can reach Mitchell Point Tunnel from I-84 Exit 58, which takes you straight to the parking lot with just 18 spaces, so get there early on weekends.

The paved trail works for wheelchairs and strollers, and you can bring leashed dogs. There’s a plaza with picnic tables and an overlook at the trailhead.

If parking is full, you can walk 2.7 miles from Viento State Park instead.

This article was created with AI assistance and human editing.

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