The old fountain may have been moved here from elsewhere... It may be second of three Viento fountains -- again, pure speculation -- moved here when the modern fountain was installed in the public area of the park.

If the hill in the photo above is the remnant of Bluebell Hill, then it seems probable that the original alignment of the CRH went to the left around the foot of the hill. I need to track down some aerial photos of this area to really nail down the route through Viento.

"Bluebell Hill, part of which was destroyed during the construction of the interstate, was one of the most fondly and clearly remembered areas of the park for both Darlene and Valda. Covered by a think blanket of bluebells, the hilltop served as a perch for the children to watch the trains whistling and rolling by. Valda would venture up on the hill to find a licorice fern to snack on and try and catch the small lizards that would dart around."

From the maps, aerial photos, and scouting the location, I am certain that the original HCRH alignment through the eastern part of Viento State Park ran along the current park entrance road and the curved towards the existing loops, under I-84, via an old road grade on the south side of the current campground.

Aerial photos from 2003 & 1939 seem to support this alignment. Notice on the west end of the photo below how the highway runs straight after crossing the location of the interstate, rather than curving as in the map above, match the alignment along the state park road almost perfectly. Unfortunately, the western part of the park is a bit unclear here...

The white paint on the striping here may indicate that this pavement was once part of the HCRH... We see a lot of this yellow, white, yellow layering along the old Route 2 and U.S. 30 sections.

"Sometime between Rexford's innovative striping of the highway and 1954, the centerline color had changed to yellow. By 1958, the U. S. Bureau of Public Roads mandated white... But after only two years, the yellow lines were back - at least on the state highways."

Most likely, the old "grotesque" fountain was at the site of the current modern water fountain right off the parking area...

"For trips in the family car, many commented on the curves of the old highway, and how fast their parents would drive. Most reported getting carsick as a result. One of the most frequent stops as a reprieve from carsickness was the fountain at Viento, remembered for its ornate carvings and figurines."

In the photo above, note the apparent lack of white paint on the stripe in the foreground as the road turns to the north, off the possible CRH alignment. Just noticed this, myself. I'll need to take a closer look the next time I am there.

Following the curve, below, leads across (under? through?) to the end of the first, severed Viento loop.

ODOT, Historic Columbia River Highway Oral History: Final Report

Darlene Stiles & Valda Jones Dryden

Cousins Darlene Stiles and Valda Jones Dryden are the grandchildren of Joseph Oliver Jones and Teresa Wirth. They were interviewed on separate days in May by Kristen Stallman and Sara Morrissey. They were born in Viento and spent much of their childhood in the area.

The most vivid memories that both Darlene and Valda have regarding the Historic Columbia River Highway are when they were traveling down the highway by car with their grandfather, J.O. Jones. Darlene remembers riding with him. “He'd want to ride down the middle of the road. And if somebody would honk at him he'd say, 'Jeez, that person must know me!’ So we'd say 'Grandpa! Why you do that?' and he says, 'Well I want to make sure that my tires stay even.’ He was so funny.” On the other hand, Valda remembers J.O. Jones always wanting to save on gas; putting the car in neutral when going down the hill and just cruising, going as fast as possible around all of the curves to avoid using any fuel. Another family member who liked to drive fast around the curves was Valda’s dad.

“My dad could drive around those curves, 60 miles an hour, you know, 65. He could get around those curves really good. It was quite an experience.” - Valda

Near the highway, where cars, trucks and buses would pull over to stop at one of the service stations or use the bathroom, was a large water fountain, only 10 feet off the road (Figure 3.17). The fountain resembled a demon or devil and was about five feet tall and made of rock. Cold spring water flowed out of the mouth and two small faucets were on each side with stepping stones so adults and children alike could drink the refreshing mountain water. Even Greyhound buses coming from Portland would stop at Viento to let their passengers get a drink at the famed fountain.

“[The fountain at Viento] had the coldest spring water, if people wanted to drink.” – Darlene

Valda remembers riding the Greyhound line to cheer at the Hood River High School football and basketball games. “We always looked forward to getting [to Mitchell Point] to look through the windows as you went through.” Darlene recalls taking the school bus with her friend Jimmy, the son of Japanese asparagus farmers, who lived in near the river at Viento. The children rode the bus together from Viento to Frankton Grade School, along with the other children living in settlements along the highway between Wyeth and Hood River. Darlene still has a little ceramic dog that Jimmy made for her. Jimmy’s family, like many Japanese families in the area, were forced either to go to internment camps or back to Japan during World War II; Jimmy and his parents returned to Japan.

Links

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