From the winding curves of RAINIER HILL (671 alt.) there is a fine view of Longview, Washington, and the narrow roadway of the bridge spanning the river, hundreds of feet below. The summit is reached at 50.6 m. [West of Portland].
"Old Rainier Road."
"Old Rainier Road. Different styles of guard rails going down."
"Old Rainier Road. Different styles of guard rails going down."
"Old Rainier Road. Different styles of guard rails going down."
"Old Rainier Road. Different styles of guard rails going down."
"Old Rainier Road. Different styles of guard rails going down."
This is what I know about how the highway and how it came through Rainier and up into the Beaver Valley area.
Highway 30 came through Rainier on B street all the way to what was called the Longview Y, where one could take the road to the right down and across the big bridge into Longview. At this Y, the highway headed up the windy curves to the top where the elevation was what you stated at around 6XX feet more or less, then on down to Beaver Valley where it crossed it's first bridge over Beaver Creek near Hudson Park.
Now, what I have been told is that at first the highway was plotted to go up off B street on the Fern Hill Road and at the Y in the Road, some 2 miles up, you would veer off to the right on Townsend road and there is where the 8% grade I believe was one of the problems... Plus crossing Nice Creek a zig zaggin to get to The Townsend road. I was also told or I read that this route was used until they could get all the Rainier Curves made and stay within the 5% grade rule. Part of this is word of mouth from old Pioneers when they had meetings back then.