Ruthton Park

At one point I suspected that this was the original HCRH route, below, but that seems very unlikely now. There is quite a bit of debate, apparently, about the route into town from the west, but, most likely, the old pavement is buried by I-84 now.

Below, it looks like Ruthton Park was called Clifton Park, and the CRH ran right through the middle. This would support the pavement in the parking lot as being old CRH pavement, and it would tell us that half the old park is under the freeway grading...

April 14, 2014

According to the new map above from 1931, Ruthton Park was called Clifton Park, and the CRH ran right through the middle. This would support the pavement in the parking lot as being old CRH pavement, and it would tell us that half the old park is under the freeway grading...

ODOT, Cultural Landscape Inventory: Shellrock Mountain to Ruthton Point - Historic Columbia River Highway

Ruthton Point & Ruthton Park: Summary

These two short fragments lie between Mitchell Point and the city of Hood River - “Seventy thrilling miles of pavement from the city of Portland” (Williams 1923, pg. 117). The 1920s Columbia Gorge Hotel, mentioned in most period guides as the culmination of tours of the highway, is a short way east of Ruthton Park. From here, tours would explore the Hood River Valley, a landform created by the gradual flattening out of lava flows. These lava flows form a series of terraces above the river rising to the valley. The historic highway followed the edge of one of these terraces to connect Mitchell Point with Hood River.

Both the climate and the landscape context change east of Mitchell Point. Here it is drier and more open, with more oak and pine mixed into Douglas fir forest. Land use in this area is primarily agricultural and suburban private development, in contrast to the recreational public lands to the west. The 1939 aerial photograph reveals field outlines that are still present in the current landscape, creating a greater historical continuity of context for these sections than for the others included in this report.

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The Ruthton Park segment consists of less than 100 feet of pavement west of Ruthton Park, where the roadbed is replaced by the small parking lot of the park. The area is notable for a spectacular view of Ruthton Point from the edge of the cliff above the river.

Topography

The historic topography of both fragments in this section is obscured by I-84. ... The Ruthton Park fragment lies immediately below and to the north of the frontage road. Its edge is now buried under the embankment of the road above.

Buildings and Structures

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The short Ruthton Park segment has a low, battered stone retaining wall along its entire length, that is now completely hidden by fern and moss. A number of medium to large, squared boulders, which show scaling or blasting marks, are placed at more or less regular intervals along its south edge.

Their provenance and date are not known. The parking lot at Ruthton Park also has a few of these boulders along its south edge, along with four concrete bollards of the style used in the 1940s (R. Hadlow, personal communication, December 2009). The stone drinking fountain in Ruthton Park is of unknown date.

Circulation

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The Ruthton Park segment pavement is in poor condition. It is overgrown with moss, shrubs and trees. The edges of the roadbed are buried or have been lost to the construction of the frontage road immediately above it. This segment ends in trees and rock at just before a small seasonal drainage cuts across it, at the fenced boundary of Ruthton Park itself.

Views and Vistas

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The cliff top area south of the Ruthton Park fragment provides a lovely panoramic view of Ruthton Point and the Columbia Gorge – perhaps one of the single most historically intact views on the highway.

Archaeology

The cliff top adjacent to the Ruthton Park fragment has a rectilinear space and stone remnants that may reflect a previous development. The 1939 aerial shows a building to the east, so this may have been parking or a garden area. There is a stone structure in the drainage between Ruthton Park and the road fragment that may have been a structure associated with the highway, or with the development in the area.

The above photo is probably actually taken from where Ruthton Park is today. Not sure if that used to be part of the hotel grounds or not, but I don't think it was. I am pretty sure the park was there, and larger, back to 1931, at least.

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