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Yakima Valley Regional Library - Clippings, White Pass Highway

Unknown newspaper, October 30, 1946 - "New Coast Link 7th For South"

The White Pass highway has been graded to the Cascades summit. "Several miles of road remain to be constructed on the west side before through traffic can use the road." The article is apparently from a north central Washington paper, as it quotes an Okanogan county representative: "We cannot understand why the south half is entitled to so many highways to Coast points while the north half has none."

Yakima Herald, Sunday, September 3, 1950 - "New White Pass Highway Will Possess Scenic Mountain Grandeur"

The article includes photos of construction and scenes along the route. Boosters hope that the route will provide a second all-weather highway from Yakima to Puget Sound, supplementing the Snoqualmie Pass highway. Highway engineers are not sure whether the highway will be kept open year-round. It is unlikely that it could be kept open in winters such as those of the last two years.

Unknown newspaper, July 21, 1951 - "Sunday Travel Permitted On New White Pass Road"

"The highway is open only on Sundays now. That's the only time when equipment is not working on the road. The other six days workers are putting finishing touches on the highway for the official dedication on August 12."

Seattle P-I, Friday, August 10, 1951 - "White Pass Highway Dedication Sunday"

A dream for more than 30 years, the new White Pass highway will be dedicated on Sunday, August 12, 1951. "Although constructed primarily as a commercial route across the Cascade Mountains, White Pass Highway, just completed at a cost of 6-1/2 million dollars, will open up one of the finest outdoor recreation areas in the state."

Unknown newspaper, December 6, 1951 - "Group May Ask Winter Traffic"

The new highway was recently closed for the winter after a heavy snowfall. Neither money nor equipment are now available for winter maintenance of the pass. Highway engineers will make frequent checks on the depth of snow during the winter to help decide whether to keep the pass open in the future. Meanwhile, the Yakima Chamber of Commerce is polling businesses on both sides of the mountains to see if there is enough commercial traffic to justify keeping the highway open in winter. (This explains why ski area development at the pass did not begin until 1952-53.)

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