Here's a table
of the Washington State Primary Highway System in 1938. This is based
on a Rand Mc Nally atlas of that year-a reasonably reliable source,
since Rand Mc Nally did the maps issued by the state. Besides the
roads shown here, there was also an alphanumeric system for secondary roads.(P-
a, b and
so on; the highest letter used was "U"). A number of these
roads had more than one branch, indicated by a horizontal line
or tablseparatee cells
Distances shown are distances between main points on the road-according to the 1938 atlas. Distances shown with "*" are approximate and based on the 1997 AAA Atlas. Active US highways are shown in RED -bear in mind that the roads shown as "active" may not follow the 1938 alignment.
|
| |
|
Highway |
Route Concurrencies: Main Cities en route; distance |
|
(1) |
US 99-US 830: Vancouver to Kelso -43 miles
US 99: Alternate: Between Burlington and Bellingham-24 miles Bellingham to Mount Baker Lodge-55 miles |
|
(2) |
North Branch: from US 99 in Seattle via Bothell -17 miles
US 10: From Seattle to Teanaway(JN US 97 south) -101 miles US 10-US 97: Teanaway to northern US 97 junction-43 miles US 10: Northern US 97 jn to Spokane via Wenatchee -174 miles US 10: Spokane to Idaho State Line (Coeur d'Alene, ID) -34 miles Coulee Dam Spur : from US 10 at Almira to Grand Coulee-20 miles |
|
(3) |
US 395-US 730: Oregon State
line to Walulla -10 miles
US 395-US 410(west)-US 730 East branch junction-US 410(east) at Wallula to Pasco -17 miles US 410: Via Kennewick to US 97 south junction at Buena -69 miles US 97-US 410: Buena to Yakima -17 miles US 97: Yakima to Teanaway via Ellensburg (jn US 10)-57 miles |
|
(3) |
US 410: US 395-US 730 junction
at Wallula to Dodge via Walla Walla |
|
(3) |
US 410: Dodge(US 295 jn) to Lewiston, Idaho -43 miles |
|
(3) |
Oregon State Line to Walla Walla via College Place -7 miles*
Oregon State line to Clarkston via Fields Springs State Park -35 miles* |
|
(4) Tonasket-Sanpiol Highway |
From Tonasket(US 97) to Republic(jn hwy 4a) -43 miles |
|
(5) Southern Branch |
From US 99 at Marys Corner via Lewis to US 410
east of Mt Rainier National Park - via White Pass 88 miles: about 20
miles NW of Yakima. |
|
(5) Kosmos-Tacoma |
From Southern Branch to Tacoma(N-S road) -66 miles |
|
(5) Paradise Inn Branch |
From Elbe on Kosmos-Tacoma Branch east to |
|
(5) US 410 Branch |
US 410 from Tacoma to Yakima via Puyallup, Enumclaw and |
|
(5) Auburn-Renton Branch |
From US 410 at Auburn via Kent to US 10 |
|
(5) Sumner-Fairfax Spur |
Sumner to Fairfax(northwest corner of Mount Ranier National Park) -36 miles |
|
(6) |
US 195 Spokane to Newport -49 miles |
|
(7) |
Ellensburg to Davenport -157 miles
Spur: SH 7 at Soap Lake north to US 10 west of Coulee near Dry Falls State Park -20 miles |
|
(8) |
US 830 from Vancouver to Maryhill( US 97)
-117 miles |
|
(9) |
US 101 from US 410 jn at Aberdeen
Spur: from US 101 at Uncas(Discovery Bay) to Port Townsend -10 miles US 410 from Aberdeen to Olympia -47 miles From US 410 at Elma to US 99 at Grand Mound -34 miles From US 101 near Cosmopolis to SH 9 at Oakville on the south bank of the Chehalis River -40 miles* |
|
(10) |
From WA 7 at Quincy to Wenatchee -34 miles
US 10 from Wenatchee to US 97 north -5 miles US 97 from US 10(Sunset Highway jn) to British Columbia Border(Osyoos-jn route "A") -143 miles Coulee to Brewster:
-50 miles(total)* |
|
(11) |
US 395 from Pasco to US 10 junction west of Spokane -142 miles |
|
(12) |
US 101 from Astoria Ferry Landing at
Mc Gowan
Raymond east of US 101 to US 99 at Chehalis -55 miles US 830 east of US 101 to Kelso-Longview( US 99) -66 miles |
|
(13) |
US 101 from Raymond to Aberdeen -25 miles |
|
(14) |
From US 101 northeast to Harper(Southworth)
From Gig Harbour to Port Orchard -21 miles |
|
(15) |
from Everett to US 10-US 97southeast of Leavenworth -111 miles |
|
(16) |
From US 97 at
Pateros northwest to Barron |
|
(17) |
Undeveloped road between Marblemount and Twisp. |
|
(18) |
From SH7 southeast of Burke to Ritzville via Neppett |
|
(21) |
From SH 14 west of Port Orchard to Kingston -42 miles |
|
(22) |
From US 10/SH 7 at Davenport to |
Where Are They Now?
The above table
is not much use unless it's put into a modern context. Unless you
have a 1938 atlas or have a good knowledge of Washington State,
you're prolly wondering which road is which. Following is a list of
the roads and their modern counterparts. Significant turns are orange.
Pacific Highway-Most of this road is now Interstate 5. The Mount Baker spur is WA 542. Interstate 5 once was known as the Pacific Highway as well, but Mark Bozanich tells me use of that name has been discontinued.
Sunset Highway-Interstate 90 from Seattle to Cle Elum, WA 970 to Teanaway, US 97 to the US 2 junction southeast of Leavenworth( the former WA 15 junction), US 2 to Spokane, and Interstate 90 to the Idaho line.
Inland Empire Highway West- from the Oregon State Line to south of Walulla, it's US 730-about 3 miles. US 12 takes over northwest into Pasco, and this turns into a freeway which is then multiplexed with Interstate 182 and Interstate 82 into Yakima. A handy note here- the whole length of US 410 in Washington east of Yakima was replaced with US 12. Going north from Yakima, Follow WA 821(not the freeway)into Ellensburg, picking up WA 10 in town. Follow WA 10 to Teanaway, and you've done this branch. WA 10, incidentally is old US 10, which moved south as US 2 was extended west through Washington.
Inland Empire Highway East -Turn east on US 12 at the 12/730 junction. Follow US 12 through Dodge then follow WA 127 north, at it's end, you'll run into WA 26. Follow WA 26 east to the junction of US 195 north of Colfax(the original junction was south of Colfax...); then follow US 195 north to Spokane. For the Lewiston Branch stay on US 12 into Lewiston, ID and pick up US 195 there.
Tonasket-Sanpoil Highway : This one has barely changed since 1938, as regards general alignment. The numbers have changed, tho. The Tonasket-Repubic Section is now WA 20. From Republic south to Wilbur is now WA 21.
National Park Highway System :
Southern Branch
: US 12 from Interstate
5(US 99) to the junction of WA 410,
17 miles northwest of Yakima. In 1938 this highway was
incomplete between these points. The portion between WA 123 and
Rimrock through White Pass is shown as under construction.
North Central Highway : Follow Vantage Street east out of Ellensburg- this turns into Vantage Highway, and leads to Interstate 90 at Vantage(that makes sense then...) via Ginkgo Petrified Forest State Park. Cross the Columbia River on IH 90 and leave by Exit 149 for WA 281. Take WA 281 to Quincy, Turn on WA 28 east, and follow to Davenport.
Evergreen Highway: Take WA 14 east out of Vancouver to the US 97 junction; and then US 97 north to Toppenish, WA 22 to Interstate 82, and Interstate 82 to Yakima. Don't take US 97 on the south bank of the Columbia which was a secondary branch of WA 3 in 1938 and an alternate of US 97 in 1958.
Olympic Highway: For the US 101 section, Follow US 101 around the Olympic Peninsula. For the US 410 section follow US 12 east to Elma, then WA 8 east to the US 101 freeway. US 12 from Elma to Grand Mound Way into Grand Mound comprises the third section; and the south bank of the Chehalis River section is followed by South Bank Road: Accessed by Wakefield Road south out of Elma, and Oakdale Road west from Oakdale on US 12.
Chelan and Okanogan Highway : Follow WA 28 from Quincy to East Wenatchee; WA 286 into and through Wenatchee. Jog right on the miniature US 2-US 97 freeway and then exit on US 97 Alternate(the east bank alignment of US 97 is relatively new). The main US 97 rejoins the road 5 miles north of Chelan. Follow US 97 to the Canadian Border. Blue Lake to Brewster : Follow WA 17 north to WA 172. Follow WA 172 west to Douglas County Road "C" NE. Follow this north to Bridgeport Road(county).Follow Bridgeport Road to WA 17 just south of Bridgeport. Follow WA 173 NW from WA 17 just N of Bridgeport, into Brewster.
Columbia Basin Highway : Follow US 395 north out of Pasco; Blanton Road at Ethiopia; rejoin US 395 at Connell, leave again on Lind Road north of Connell, follow Lind Road to Folkes Road, Cross WA 26, staying on Folkes Road. Rejoin US 395 and follow it to Interstate 90. At Interstate 90 , don't turn with 395, but follow First Ave. through Ritzville; it turns into Danekas Road . This road extends to Sprauge; turns back into First Ave, then Old State Road east of WA 23. Follow Old State Road to the Columbia Basin Hwy west of Fishtrap.The Columbia Basin Hwy joins WA 904 in Tyler. Follow WA 904 to the Cheney-Spokane Road about a mile NE of Cheney; this ends at US 195. East of Ritzville, the road parallels a railway.
Ocean Beach Highway : This still follows the original roads described in the table above. Only the numbers have changed. US 830 is now WA 4, WA 12 is now WA 6.
Willipa-Gray's HarbourHighway : No change in highway number or mileage.
Navy Yard Highway (east-west section): Now posted as WA 3 from US 101 to the WA 16 junction. Take WA 166 into Port Orchard(the WA 16 freeway leaves to the right and turns south for Tacoma), Wind thru Port Orchard on WA 166. When the road returns to a straight east-west tangent, you're on Mile Hill Road: also identified as "Ssr 160" by DeLorme. The tangent is nearly 12 miles, and you turn south for a mile going between Harper and Southworth. The Gig Harbour-Port Orchard Road has been replaced, for the most part by the WA 16 freeway.
Mitchell Highway : This is now US 2 for the entire length.
Methow Valley Highway : This is WA 153 from US 97 at Pateros to Twisp. From Twisp to Manzana, it's WA 20: the North Cascades Scenic Highway. North of Mazama, DeLorme identifies it as CR 9410/Mazama Road until you cross the Lost River; the it's identified by a variety of forest road numbers. The AAA atlas notes Lost River as the point where the pavement ends. Barrons is not shown on the AAA map. The road to Barrons is not named on the Delorme Map, and there's prolly nothing there except a lot of trees.
Cascade Wagon Road : Literally. There wasn't a Trans-Cascade highway until at least the mid-60's(1966, I believe...). This road has no existing analogue, except in spots. The road east from Marblemount follows a Skagit County Road: Cascade River Road, Which goes as far as Mineral Park. The Cascade Trail Branches northeast at Mineral Park, stopping just short of Cascade Pass-which this highway was alleged to have gone over. A southward turn would have this road following the Stehekin River to the junction of Stehekin Valley Road which goes south to the end of Lake Chelan, and is a branch of this non-road. The wagons headed east would bear southeasterly, until they hit National Forest 4400/44, following the Twisp River into Twisp and a junction with WA 20.Personally, I think the folks at Rand Mc Nally were indulging the boys at the Highway Department. Trying to get through this country would require you to rilly live a Grizzly Adams trip.
Primary Highway 18 : There's a catchy name. From the junction with WA 7(current WA 281) to the eastern shore of Moses Lake, this is Interstate 90. Leave IH 90 via WA 171(Exit 176); follow that to WA 17 in Moses Lake(about 2 miles), head south on WA 17 to Wheeler Road(Grant County 3 NE).From there, you can do a tripe face boogie into Ritzville. There are no turns, just a couple of curves at Farrier Coulee. The only other exciting thing that happens is that the road changes names at the Lincoln County Line(it becomes Rosenoff Road), and you run on about a mile of WA 21. This road was not a state highway for long. When US 10 was run through, it followed the current IH 90 alignment. The road was gravel east of Moses Lake(then known as Neppel).
Kitsap Peninsula Highway :This follows WA 3 north of it's junction with WA 16; When WA 3 becomes a freeway, It follows WA 310 through Bremerton, then turns northwest, goes under WA 3, and becomes a local road known as Kitsap and Chico Ways. For 3 miles, it's on the west side of WA 3, then it crosses under again and hangs along the eastern shore of Dyes Inlet and goes through Chico and Silverdale-the "Way" assuming the name of the town. North of Silverdale it becomes Viking Way, then Viking Street, and then WA 3, WA 305 and WA 307 all come together. Head north on WA 3. 7 miles north of that point is the junction for WA 104. Turn east at this point, and follow WA 104 into Kingston.
Coulee Reservior Highway : This is now WA 25. Nothing has really changed...It meets with US 2 and WA 28 at it's southern terminal in Davenport.
SOURCES
1938 Rand Mc Nally "Senior" Road map of Washington(atlas)
1958 Rand McNally Road Atlas
DeLorme's Streets 4.0
Van Issac Anderson(entries in Italics)
Well, I hope this has all been fun and educational. If there are errors in this bit, please e-mail me. I hope you'll get to actually physically go and look for these roads, besides some old and spiffy concrete, you'll also be treated to some really beautiful scenery. For more comprehensive Washington highway information, visit Mark Bozanich's Page.
