Introduction
A century ago, in the early afternoon of October 25, 1923, a large enthusiastic crowd of several hundred people threw a man’s body off the Interstate Bridge in Vancouver, Washington. As the Vancouver Barracks Regimental Band played a funeral dirge, newsreel cameramen and photographers captured the body suspended from a pole in midair moments before it was hurled into the Columbia River. The body, dressed in a hat, goggles, duster, and boots, was weighed down with old road signs and canvas bags filled with broken automobile springs. Oddly, the man’s face was rigid but still smiling despite his impending demise. As the body dropped and sank into the rushing water, the crowd quickly piled back into their automobiles, since the lift span needed to open and allow a boat to pass. The long line of automobiles continued on their way to the Hotel Multnomah in downtown Portland, where the mourners held a wake for the dearly departed man.
Fortunately, even though it looked like a man’s body, it wasn’t real: it was just a mannequin, dressed up as a fictional character named “Old Man Detour”. The entire event was just an elaborate publicity stunt, with the crowd “burying” the effigy in the Columbia River to celebrate the official opening of the Pacific Highway. The macabre event that took place at the Interstate Bridge on the afternoon of October 25, 1923, is perhaps one of the most bizarre publicity stunts to ever take place in Washington State and is probably the strangest event to ever take place at the Interstate Bridge. But before we return to the rather tasteless mock “burial” of “Old Man Detour”, let’s first look at some Pacific Highway history.
From Trails to Railroads
The earliest roads established by European Americans in the Washington Territory often followed preexisting Native American trails. During the Treaty Wars of 1855–1856, the U.S. Army paid for the construction of a military road connecting Cowlitz Landing, situated on the Cowlitz River near the present-day city of Toledo, and Fort Steilacoom on Puget Sound. Completed by 1857, this road was little more than an unimproved Native trail. Even after the completion of the entire military road between Fort Vancouver and Fort Steilacoom in August 1861, overland travel between the European American settlements west of the Cascade Mountains was relatively rare. The few travelers who took the wagon road between Fort Vancouver and Fort Steilacoom complained incessantly about the poor condition of the meandering route between the two military posts. Until the construction of railroads in the Washington Territory during the 1870s and 1880s, watercraft remained the fastest and most reliable means of transporting both people and goods between population centers (Alsobrook, et al. 2022: 164–166, 212–215).
After Washington became a state in 1889, road construction continued to be a low priority, and state-level funding for road improvements was practically nonexistent. However, during the early 1890s there was a tentative attempt by the legislature to create a road network in the state. In 1893, State Road No. 8 between Lyle in Klickitat County and Washougal in Clark County was designated as the first official state road in Washington State (Alsobrook, et al. 2022: 220). However, by the late 1890s, there was still no organized network of roads or highways in Washington State. The wagon roads that did exist were little improved over the rudimentary dirt roads established during the early territorial period, and paved roads between cities did not yet exist (Washington State Good Roads and Transportation Association 2023). By the late 1890s, railroads were the dominant means of intercity transportation in Washington State, and by 1900, over 3,800 miles of track crisscrossed Washington State (Seattle Post-Intelligencer 1900:4).
The Good Roads Movement
Prior to the invention and widespread use of automobiles, bicyclists were among the earliest advocates for improved roads. In 1880, the League of American Wheelmen (now known as the League of American Bicyclists), was organized. The League of American Wheelmen lobbied both for improved roads and the legal right of cyclists to use those roads. The invention of the safety bicycle in the 1880s helped popularize cycling as both a sport and recreational activity, and by the early 1890s, there were over one million bicyclists in the United States. Despite the muddy roads common in the Pacific Northwest, cycling became popular throughout Washington State. As the popularity of cycling grew, cyclists began lobbying their local governments to pay for road improvements so they could enjoy their sport year-round. For example, during the 1890s, bicycling clubs in Vancouver, Washington, convinced the county commissioners to construct bicycle paths along county roads, which were some of the first publicly funded road improvements in Clark County (Alsobrook, et al. 2022: 219).
During the 1890s, the “good roads” movement gradually evolved from the niche interest of recreational cyclists into a broader and more cohesive nationwide effort. In 1892, the League of American Wheelmen began publishing the Good Roads Magazine to further their cause for improved roads. However, at about the same time, “good roads” supporters began to see their movement as a way to improve the lives of rural residents, particularly farmers. This shift in attitude along the “good roads” advocates mirrored the populist trends of the early Progressive Era in the United States (1896–1917), with the Grange, a national agricultural organization, eventually becoming one of the most vocal supporters of rural road improvements (Kelly 2023; Wilma 2003b).
Washington State Good Roads Association
In late 1899, Samuel “Sam” Hill (1857–1931), former railroad executive and prominent Seattle entrepreneur, invited 100 men to Spokane, Washington, to discuss forming a “good roads” organization in Washington State. Only 13 of the invitees came to Hill’s meeting, which was purportedly held in an abandoned church (Meyers 2019). In addition to Hill, the attendees included Walter A. Bolinger (1864–1944), Methow; R. L. Cline (dates unknown), Bellingham; John J. Donovan (1858–1937), Bellingham; Cornelius H. Hanford (1849–1926), Seattle; John P. Hartman (1857–1945), Seattle; Lee Monohan (1859–1951), Renton; William P. Perrigo (1846–1930), Redmond; W. H. Perry, (dates unknown), Richmond Beach; Claude Ramsey (1868–1930), Seattle; Eli Rockey (1861–1933), South Bend; A. L. Rogers (1859–1929), Waterville; Frank Terrace (1853–1944), Orillia; and Reginald H. Thomson (1856–1949), Seattle (Starmont 1948).
On September 14, 1899, Hill and the 13 other men founded the Washington State Good Roads Association (WSGRA) (Wilma 2003a). Their timing was auspicious, since the first automobile in Washington State arrived less than one year later and marked the beginning of the automobile age in the state (Lange 1999). Over the following years, the WSGRA held annual meetings and lobbied Washington State officials to build a state highway system, though not everyone was initially receptive to their cause. One significant challenge was that during the late 1890s and early 1900s, road funding and construction in Washington State fell under the jurisdiction of individual county commissions. The county commissioners selected alignments to best serve the needs of their county and there was no coordination between counties over the connection of road alignments across county lines. When the WSGRA first began lobbying Washington State officials to fund and build a state highway network, the disgruntled county commissioners derisively referred to the members of the organization as “unbalanced hobby riders”, apparently since several of the wealthier WSGRA founders were also early adopters of the automobile, which was initially dismissed as a plaything of wealthy men. However, the efforts of the WSGRA eventually paid off, and in 1905 the state legislature created the Washington State Highway Department and the State Highway Fund to plan, design, and pay for the development of the state highway network (Alsobrook et al. 2022: 222; Wilma 2003a).
The first automobiles were expensive machines which usually only the very wealthy could afford. However, by 1910, automobiles had become more affordable due to mass production techniques. As more and more people could afford to own their own automobiles, membership in local and national automobile clubs, like the American Automobile Association (AAA) increased dramatically. The AAA became another vocal advocate for road improvements across the United States and bolstered the efforts of the WSGRA. As automobile ownership became more commonplace, the WSGRA, along with the local and national automobile clubs, began pushing for the construction of interstate highway routes. In 1910, automobile clubs from California, Oregon, Washington, and British Columbia, along with members of the WSGRA, met in Seattle and formed the Pacific Highway Association, with the goal of constructing a continuous highway route along the Pacific coast between British Columbia and California. After a few years of stalled efforts, construction of the Pacific Highway in Washington State began in 1913 (Alsobrook et al. 2022: 222–224).
Completion of the Pacific Highway
In late October 1923, the WSGRA held their twenty-fourth annual convention at Olympia, Washington. Their 1923 convention would be like no other in the history of the organization, for even though meetings and other routine business was on the agenda, the hundreds of delegates and invited guests were also there to celebrate the official opening of the Pacific Highway in Washington State. The WSGRA had been a tireless supporter of the Pacific Highway since it was first proposed in 1910, and after almost a decade of construction, the entire route of the Pacific Highway in Washington State was finally fully paved and ready for traffic (Alsobrook et al. 2022: 224; Pacific Builder and Engineer 1923).
In late September 1923, workers rushed to finish the last section of concrete paving near Kelso, Washington, so that it would be ready for traffic in late October after it cured for the required 30 days (Olympian 22 Sep 1923:4; 28 Sep 1923:2). The construction work on this section of the Pacific Highway during the summer of 1923 caused motorists traveling between Olympia and Portland to detour around Clark County and take the Longview ferry across the Columbia River, instead of crossing the Interstate Bridge at Vancouver. These inconveniences were personified as “Old Man Detour” in the press, an abstract representation of the frustrations the detours caused to motorists. The exact origins of the curious moniker are unknown, and the phrase doesn’t appear in Washington newspapers until early October 1923 (Olympian 2 Oct. 1923:1, 2 Oct. 1923:3).
The Chamber of Commerce in Vancouver, Washington, was especially angry at “Old Man Detour”, since the detour around Clark County meant fewer motorists stopped and spent money in the city’s hotels, restaurants, and other businesses. In early October 1923, newspaper articles about the preparations for the WSGRA convention at Olympia reported that the Vancouver Chamber of Commerce, along with the Prunarians, a local civic booster organization, in concert with the Rotary and Kiwanis Clubs, planned to “bury” “Old Man Detour” in the Columbia River to celebrate the official opening of the Pacific Highway. An automobile caravan from Olympia to Salem, Oregon was planned for Thursday, October 25th, and the newspapers announced that “Old Man Detour” would be thrown off the Interstate Bridge when the caravan reached the Columbia River (Columbian 2 Oct. 1923:1, 2 Oct. 1923:3, 5 Oct. 1923:1).
In the days leading up to the WSGRA convention in Olympia, workers constructed two large wooden gates across Main Street (present-day Capitol Way S) just north of 9th Avenue (present-day 9th Avenue SE). These gates would temporarily block traffic on the route until the conclusion of the opening ceremonies, when they would be swung open to mark the official opening of the Pacific Highway (Olympian 23 Oct. 1923:4). Three blocks of nearby city streets were also roped off as parking areas for the hundreds of automobiles expected to arrive during the convention (Olympian 24 Oct. 1923:4).
By Tuesday, October 23, 1923, several hundred convention delegates and other invited guests from British Columbia, California, Oregon, and Washington filled every available hotel room in the city, including all 155 rooms of the Hotel Olympian at 6th Avenue and Washington Street (present-day Legion Way SE and Washington Street SE), which served as the convention headquarters (Pacific Builder and Engineer 1923). The crowds forced the convention organizers to construct a temporary campground to accommodate latecomers unable to find lodging (Olympian 23 Oct. 1923:4).
At noon on Wednesday, October 24, 1923, a large crowd of dignitaries and onlookers gathered at the temporary gates across Main Street for the formal opening of the Pacific Highway. They listened to speeches given by Governor Louis F. Hart of Washington, Governor Walter M. Pierce of Oregon, and the Honorable Dr. W. H. Sutherland, Minister of Public Works for British Columbia. During his speech, Governor Hart declared: “May these gates never close to progress, to prosperity and to good will between the nations and states represented.” Governor Hart concluded his address with the dry remark: “I hereby formally dedicate this great highway extending from Vancouver, B.C. to Tia Juana [sic], Mexico, or, as a lady friend of mine said, from liquor to liquor.” (Olympian 25 Oct. 1923:1, 25 Oct. 1923:4; Bellingham Herald 26 Oct. 1923:14).
The Auto Caravan
The following morning at 8:30 AM, 176 automobiles left Olympia in a long caravan and headed south to Vancouver, escorted by 35 motorcycle officers from the Washington and Oregon highway patrols. Governor Hart, Governor Pierce, and Minister Sutherland each rode in their own automobiles along with other officials and a few hundred other motorists whose names are unknown to history. One of the automobiles served as the hearse for an effigy of “Old Man Detour”, who would be “buried” in the Columbia River by the Vancouver Prunarians. As the caravan progressed southward, people in every community turned out in droves to cheer the procession of automobiles on its way. The caravan stopped briefly in Chehalis, where the motorists were reportedly showered with apples. By late morning, the procession reached Kelso, and shortly thereafter, the motorists made a quick stop at the Hotel Monticello in Longview for coffee and box lunches. By mid-afternoon, the five-mile-long line of automobiles arrived at the Vancouver city limits. The caravan had grown by the time it arrived in Clark County: highway patrol motorcycle officers counted 355 automobiles as the procession entered Vancouver, escorted by soldiers from Vancouver Barracks and the 7th Infantry band (Capital Journal 25 Oct. 1923:1, 25 Oct. 1923:7; News Tribune 26 Oct. 1923:1, 26 Oct. 1923:2).
At about 3:00 PM, the head of the caravan arrived at the Interstate Bridge across the Columbia River. Automobiles jammed the full width of the bridge as both their occupants and curious onlookers jostled to get a good view Governor Pierce of Oregon made a speech. Samuel “Sam” Hill also addressed the crowd, though it is unclear as to whether he took part in the procession or traveled to Vancouver for the occasion. Frank Branch Riley, the “silver-tongued orator of Oregon”, delivered the eulogy for “Old Man Detour” before the gathered crowd. An army band from Vancouver Barracks struck up a funeral dirge as the effigy of “Old Man Detour” was hoisted over the railing along the west side of the Interstate Bridge. The Prunarian “pallbearers” then released the waxen-faced mannequin into the swirling waters of the Columbia River, where “fish now swim around his corpse”. At some point during the macabre spectacle, the steamboat Robert Young blew its whistle to request passage, but the bridge engineer was unable to lift the span due to the crowd of people and vehicles. As the boat waited, officials hastily shooed the caravan off the bridge, and the procession crossed into Oregon toll-free (Columbian 16 Oct. 1923:1, 26 Oct. 1923:1, 29 Oct. 1923:1; News Tribune 26 Oct. 1923:1, 26 Oct. 1923:2).
The “Burial” of “Old Man Detour”, October 25, 1923. This historic photograph shows the effigy of “Old Man Detour” moments before it was dropped off of the Interstate Bridge into the Columbia River (Author’s Collection).
Epilogue
In a bizarre ending to an already odd tale, “Old Man Detour” refused to stay “buried” in his final resting place just west of the Interstate Bridge. In early December 1923, the mannequin washed ashore on a beach at Lemon Grove near San Diego, California. In the few short months after “Old Man Detour” was dropped off the Interstate Bridge, he apparently lost the old road signs and broken automobile springs that weighted him down, floated down the Columbia River, and then bobbed along the Pacific coast down to San Diego. However, even though the “body” of “Old Man Detour” was found, what ultimately happened to the effigy is still a mystery (Columbian 12 Dec. 1923:4; Oregonian 12 Dec. 1923:1).
WORKS CITED
Alsobrook, et al.
2022 Interstate Bridge Replacement Program Historic Resources Baseline Survey Report, Clark County, Washington (Portland, OR: WillametteCRA, 2023).
Bellingham Herald (Bellingham, WA)
1923 “Governor Dedicates Highway ‘From Liquor to Liquor.” 26 October:14.
Capital Journal (Salem, OR)
1923 “Road Caravan 5 Miles Long Starts Trip.” 25 October:1.
1923 “Road Caravan.” 25 October:7.
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1923 “Prunarians Will Drown ‘Old Man Detour’ Oct. 25.” 2 October:1.
1923 “Prunarians Will Drown.” 2 October:3.
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