In 1913, the first shovelful of dirt was turned by Oregon Governor Oswald West on the Siskiyou Summit to mark the beginning of the construction of the long-dreamed-of Pacific Highway through Oregon. At the time, the whole State of Oregon had only 25 miles of paved road. Even after construction of the highway had begun, it was mainly dirt and gravel for quite some time. Federal money did not pour into the project until 1921. Until that time, it was up to the individual counties along the route to come up with the funding to build the roads through each of their areas. By its completion in 1926, however, it was adopted as U.S. Highway 99 and was declared the longest improved highway in the country by 1928. Actually, the history of the highway began long before 1913. This book will cover how the route for the Pacific Highway was determined through its use by trappers and miners and eventually stage lines and the railroad. But, just importantly, it will show how each of the settlements along its route were formed and grew into prospering cities, small rural communities and some that are now considered ghost towns. Join us on our journey through these communities as we wend our way north from the California border where the Pacific Highway first started from that shovelful of dirt. You'll learn about some of the interesting, but lesser-known, aspects of their histories and the people who were instrumental in making them what they are today.

Jo-Brew shares the stories of over 150 individuals' recollections of life along "the gut" "or "Oregon's Main Street", U.S. Highway 99.

Before it was a modern freeway, California’s State Highway 99 was “the main street of California,” a simple two-lane road that passed through the downtowns of every city between the Mexican border and the Oregon state line. Highway 99: The History of California’s Main Street turns back the clock to those days when a narrow ribbon of asphalt tied the state’s communities together, with classic roadside attractions and plenty of fun along the way.

In 1913, the first shovelful of dirt was turned by Oregon Governor Oswald West on the Siskiyou Pass to mark the beginning of the construction of the long-dreamed-of Pacific Highway through Oregon. At the time, the whole State of Oregon had only 25 miles of paved road. Even after construction of the highway had begun, it was mainly dirt and gravel for quite some time. Federal money did not pour into the project until 1921. Until that time, it was up to the individual counties along the route to come up with the funding to build the roads through each of their areas. By its completion in 1926, however, it was adopted as U.S. Highway 99 and was declared the longest improved highway in the country by 1928. Actually, the history of the highway began long before 1913. This book will cover how the route for the Pacific Highway was determined through its use by trappers and miners and eventually stage lines and the railroad. But, just importantly, it will show how each of the settlements along its route were formed and grew into prospering cities, small rural communities and some that are now considered ghost towns. Join us on our journey through these communities as we wend our way north from the California border where the Pacific Highway first started from that shovelful of dirt. You'll learn about some of the interesting, but lesser-known, aspects of their histories and the people who were instrumental in making them what they are today.

From the Columbia River to the Siskiyou Mountains, Highway 99 traverses 300 miles of western Oregon. Big cities and small towns, the level Willamette Valley and steep hills, rich agricultural lands and tall evergreen forests, and rushing rivers all lie along its path. Arising from an early network of emigrant trails, stagecoach routes, and farm-to-market roads, the highway had developed into Oregon's major transportation corridor by the end of the 19th century. The dawn of the automobile age saw an exponential increase in traffic, creating a greater demand for improved roads; these better roads, in turn, created yet more traffic for both business and recreation. Roadside businesses, such as auto courts, restaurants, and service stations, sprang up along the highway to cater to a new type of motorist--the tourist. Today, much of Highway 99 and its predecessor, the Pacific Highway, remain in daily use.

Arriving in the late 1840s and through the 1850s, the members of the Bailey family were early pioneers to Benton and Lane Counties in Oregon and, although their major connection was not with the Lorane area, they had a strong presence in the Siuslaw Valley and other parts of Lane County, Oregon as well. Bailey Hill, the area where several family members settled that eventually took on their name, lies southwest of what was then Eugene City. In the 1850s, it was described as being 5 or 6 miles from Eugene City. Today, there really is a Bailey "Hill," and there used to be a Bailey Hill School District #7. The Bailey Hill Elementary School building still stands today on the corner of Bailey Hill Road and Four Oaks Grange Road, but it is no longer used as a school. The land it sits on was donated by Bailey family members and is still owned by the Eugene School District #4. It's very possible that the adjoining property where Churchill High School is located was part of their property, too, although it came much later. Several of the Bailey family members came through Oregon on their way to the gold fields of California. The gold that one brother found in turn helped to finance the family's movement across the plains from Missouri. According to Harry Bailey's obituary, published on November 6, 1929, when his grandfather, John Bailey, Jr., arrived in Lane County, "the Skinner cabin was the only building here." Several brothers volunteered to serve in the Rogue River Indian Wars that took place in Jackson, Josephine and Douglas Counties to our south from 1855-1856. In the aftermath of the war, in skirmishes with the tribes, two of the brothers lost their lives and one was wounded in separate incidents.