Lang Canyon
Route 2
Lyn Topinka, Columbia River Images
According to "Oregon Geographic Names" (2003, McArthur and McArthur):
"Lang Canyon (GILLIAM) ... Lang Canyon drains into the Columbia River from the south at a point about five miles west of Arlington. When the OR&N was built east of The Dalles in 1881, a station named Langs was established at the mouth. The canyon was named for Thomas Stackpole Lang, a native of Maine who came to Oregon in 1875 and for a time engaged in the sheep business in the vicinity of Heppner. He loaded wool on the Columbia River boats by means of a chute or tram in the canyon that now bears his name. Thomas Lang held a number of prominent positions in Maine, both in business and in politics. The later years of his life were spent at The Dalles, and for four years he was receiver of the U.S. Land Office at that place."
Columbia River Images: Jones Canyon and Lang Canyon, Oregonhttp://columbiariverimages.com/Regions/Places/jones_canyon.html Accessed July 15, 2020
"Leaving the 1950s road on to the 1920s road."
Photo by Steve Hart, July 12, 2020https://www.facebook.com/groups/483015922488601/permalink/757187768404747/
"The two versions of the highway parallel for a bit."
Photo by Steve Hart, July 12, 2020https://www.facebook.com/groups/483015922488601/permalink/757187768404747/
"Curving away to the east."
Photo by Steve Hart, July 12, 2020https://www.facebook.com/groups/483015922488601/permalink/757187768404747/
"There's very little asphalt here, but I think this is one section."
Photo by Steve Hart, July 12, 2020https://www.facebook.com/groups/483015922488601/permalink/757187768404747/
"Just because it's beautiful."
Photo by Steve Hart, July 12, 2020https://www.facebook.com/groups/483015922488601/permalink/757187768404747/
Past and Present Views Along the Columbia River Highway
Kirk J. Poole, July 13, 2020:
All asphalt?
Steve Hart, July 13, 2020:
It's colored like asphalt, but it was tiny gravel. I'm wondering if some different kind of asphalt was used here that just disintegrated over time. there were lot of ant colonies in the roadway and all brought up the dark tiny gravel. Other colonies away from road brought up sand and buff colored rock.
Kirk J. Poole, July 13, 2020:
Appear the quality control cheated some, and left a very thin layer of asphalt. As we know by now, the 1914 to 1927 asphalt varied greatly in quality. I wonder if this warrenite from 1926? It held up much worse than the bituminous mixes of asphalt.
Aaron F. Litt, July 14, 2020:
The original pavement was really thin out there... (see the photo below of the nearby Route 2 cut at Woelpern)
https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=10158732455777662&set=pcb.757187768404747 https://www.facebook.com/groups/483015922488601/permalink/757187768404747
"Our historic photo of the day was taken to show the construction underway on a new section of the Historic Columbia River Highway west of Arlington. This is the view looking east toward Lang Canyon which was located to the right of the small bridge visible in the distance about half way down the road. Although this photo is undated, it appears to have been taken sometime in the 1930's. There is a photo of Lang Canyon looking east on Columbia River Highway prior to the construction online at http://tinyurl.com/nl3sm9c.
"Here is a link to the best view I could get of what this area looks like today: https://goo.gl/maps/QZSFC [Image Below]. If you look closely you might be able to make out the old highway road running along the south side of the railroad tracks. Although this road appears to no longer be in use the remnants of it are still visible today. Have any of you taken the train through this portion of the Gorge? If so, do you remember seeing this area? We look forward to your comments and hope you all have a wonderful weekend! -smile emoticon Austin"
OHD #1135 - New construction looking east toward Lang Canyon on Columbia RiverPosted on the Oregon State Archives Facebook Page, March 27, 2015https://www.facebook.com/OregonStateArchives/photos/a.332597276807385.77905.328291870571259/858680004199107
"I think this is a burned pole building of some sort. The concrete would have been anchors for the burned poles."
Photo by Steve Hart, July 12, 2020https://www.facebook.com/groups/483015922488601/permalink/757187768404747/
"The square unburned end was probably in the ground."
Photo by Steve Hart, July 12, 2020https://www.facebook.com/groups/483015922488601/permalink/757187768404747/
"This corral was also burned and never repaired."
Photo by Steve Hart, July 12, 2020https://www.facebook.com/groups/483015922488601/permalink/757187768404747/
"Getting closer..."
Photo by Steve Hart, July 12, 2020https://www.facebook.com/groups/483015922488601/permalink/757187768404747/
Kirk J. Poole, July 13, 2020
Roadbed looks good...
https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=10158732445507662&set=pcb.757187768404747
The next two photos give a really good sense of how high the water level was raised behind John Day Dam at this point in the Gorge. In the modern photo, the Columbia River Highway is the lower grade on the far side of the seepage pond.
Oregon State Archives / Oregon Department of Transportationhttp://arcweb.sos.state.or.us/images/records/state/odot/highway/956.jpg
"Sweeping around the turn to enter the canyon. Banked for Model A speed. More on the background in a bit."
Photo by Steve Hart, July 12, 2020https://www.facebook.com/groups/483015922488601/permalink/757187768404747/
Past and Present Views Along the Columbia River Highway
Kirk J. Poole, July 13, 2020:
It's wide enough for a small pullover here. Nice superelevation!
https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=10158732450987662&set=pcb.757187768404747
Steve Hart, July 14, 2020:
In the old photo, there are actually three grades. The middle is the highway. In my photo, the lower grade is underwater.
Aaron F. Litt, July 14, 2020:
That lower one is a well-engineered road, but clearly not CRH. I wonder if there was a train stop there at one point? It's not on the 1934 map, though...
https://www.facebook.com/groups/483015922488601/permalink/757598815030309/
"Heading west out of the canyon"
Photo by Steve Hart, July 12, 2020https://www.facebook.com/groups/483015922488601/permalink/757187768404747/
"Coming further around the curve we see our first view of a fill that wasn't obvious in the satellite photo."
Photo by Steve Hart, July 12, 2020https://www.facebook.com/groups/483015922488601/permalink/757187768404747/
"Clearer view of the fill."
Photo by Steve Hart, July 12, 2020https://www.facebook.com/groups/483015922488601/permalink/757187768404747/
"There's a newer farm road crossing the highway here, but we can see the road going into a cut that's way too big for a simple tractor road."
Photo by Steve Hart, July 12, 2020https://www.facebook.com/groups/483015922488601/permalink/757187768404747/
Kirk J. Poole, July 13, 2020
This was sure a no man's land to early motorists!
https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=10158732451082662&set=pcb.757187768404747
"In the cut, curving to the left."
Photo by Steve Hart, July 12, 2020https://www.facebook.com/groups/483015922488601/permalink/757187768404747/
Lang Canyon Bridge
"And voila, there's the fill continuing the curve to the left. This is one of those patented CRH curves. In the foreground is a deep gash where a bridge would have been."
Photo by Steve Hart, July 12, 2020https://www.facebook.com/groups/483015922488601/permalink/757187768404747/
"And, woah, the bridge is still there! Well at least pieces of it are still there."
Photo by Steve Hart, July 12, 2020https://www.facebook.com/groups/483015922488601/permalink/757187768404747/
"Wider view of the fallen bridge"
Photo by Steve Hart, July 12, 2020https://www.facebook.com/groups/483015922488601/permalink/757187768404747/
"Fallen bridge"
Photo by Steve Hart, July 12, 2020https://www.facebook.com/groups/483015922488601/permalink/757187768404747/
"Bridge rubble"
Photo by Steve Hart, July 12, 2020https://www.facebook.com/groups/483015922488601/permalink/757187768404747/
"Another view"
Photo by Steve Hart, July 12, 2020https://www.facebook.com/groups/483015922488601/permalink/757187768404747/
"Twisted piping tangled with the bridge"
Photo by Steve Hart, July 12, 2020https://www.facebook.com/groups/483015922488601/permalink/757187768404747/
Lang Canyon Trail & Stone Culvert
"This was a real surprise. While walking a trail that looked like a cowpath, I found this small culvert complete with stonework. The hole was completely filled with tumbleweeds and I had to dig it out. No way this was put in for cattle. My guess is that back in the day there was a pullout here, maybe a picnic table. This small culvert carried water underneath a short path. Possibly built by the CCC?"
Photo by Steve Hart, July 12, 2020https://www.facebook.com/groups/483015922488601/permalink/757187768404747/
"Wider view of the culvert, showing high quality trail construction."
Photo by Steve Hart, July 12, 2020https://www.facebook.com/groups/483015922488601/permalink/757187768404747/
Past and Present Views Along the Columbia River Highway
Kirk J. Poole, July 13, 2020:
Oh yeah, that's road grade...
Steve Hart, July 13, 2020:
Only 4 or 5 feet wide.
https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=10158732452322662&set=pcb.757187768404747
"At this point I decided I was tired, dehydrated and sunburned enough. It was time to start back for the car, 3 miles away. I'll document the east side of the canyon from a distance. Here's the highway coming off the fill and headed east. Lots of grading was done on that side."
Photo by Steve Hart, July 12, 2020https://www.facebook.com/groups/483015922488601/permalink/757187768404747/
"Another view of the eastside grade."
Photo by Steve Hart, July 12, 2020https://www.facebook.com/groups/483015922488601/permalink/757187768404747/
"The grade is hard to see through the trees, but it's there."
Photo by Steve Hart, July 12, 2020https://www.facebook.com/groups/483015922488601/permalink/757187768404747/
"At the river there are two grades, but the upper one is way too steep to be the highway. That's got to be a later route built for farming or fire prevention purposes. The highway continued to the river, turned to right and started upstream, following a route that's now under water."
Photo by Steve Hart, July 12, 2020https://www.facebook.com/groups/483015922488601/permalink/757187768404747/
Links
Columbia River Images: Jones Canyon and Lang Canyon, Oregon
Includes ... Jones Canyon ... Lang Canyon ... Missoula Floods ...
http://columbiariverimages.com/Regions/Places/jones_canyon.html