White Bird Grade

The White Bird Grade is a historic mountain highway along a former section of U.S. Route 95 near White Bird, Idaho, United States. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as an engineering accomplishment, a "marvel" which was an achievement of the early good roads movement.

White Bird Grade
White Bird Hill in north central Idaho
LocationIdaho County, Idaho,
northeast of White Bird
Coordinates45.816°N 116.253°W / 45.816; -116.253
Area73 acres (30 ha)
Built1920
NRHP reference No.74000740[1]
Added to NRHPJuly 30, 1974

The highway in Idaho County was built 101 years ago in 1920 and upgraded through 1938. Its 1974 NRHP nomination asserts that it "will be remembered as one of the marvels of highway engineering, built when cars did not travel much more than 25 miles per hour (40 km/h)." At the time, a more modern highway was being built through the area.[2] and it opened in June 1975.[3][4][5][6][7]

The contract for the original road, 22 miles (35 km) from the mouth of White Bird Creek at the Salmon River to Grangeville, was awarded in late 1918.[8] Completed in 1921 and first paved in 1938, it rose slightly higher to 4,429 feet (1,350 m), due to the absence of a summit cut. Located to the east, the old road was twice the length and had a multitude of switchbacks ascending a treeless slope.[6][7]

Farmers kept water troughs at a few of the precarious switchbacks for their livestock and folks who frequently traveled the road knew their exact locations, as they were a welcome stop for over-heated cars. Some log trucks would exit the newN US95 in White Bird and take the old narrow, switchback riddled US 95 since the grade was spread out over about 4 extra miles making it much easier on those trucks hauling heavy loads over the grade. There is an annual charity "Just For the Hill of It" bike challenge up the old White Bird Grade.[9]

See also

References
  1. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
  2. Nancy F. Renk (February 22, 1974). "National Register of Historic Places Inventory/Nomination:". National Park Service. Retrieved August 15, 2017. With two photos from 1972,
  3. "Bids called on Whitebird trestle job". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). September 24, 1972. p. 16.
  4. "White Bird Hill bypass due". Spokane Daily Chronicle. (Washington). Associated Press. November 9, 1974. p. 2.
  5. "White Bird road cracking". Spokane Daily Chronicle. (Washington). Associated Press. December 14, 1974. p. 2.
  6. Roche, Kevin (June 17, 1975). "'Goat trail' symbol breaks as Whitebird route opens". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). p. 12A.
  7. "Grade links Idaho". Spokane Daily Chronicle. (Washington). (photos). June 17, 1975. p. 3.
  8. "Road to rival Lewiston Hill". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). November 24, 1918. p. 1.
  9. "Annual White Bird Hill bike ride is June 2", Idaho County Free Press, March 28, 2018
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