David Emmick

Wilderness Roads David Emmick

This is the history of the Olympic Highway and of one the engineers responsible for its construction, Edward Emmick, Resident Engineer for District 3, Washington State Department of Highways. Edward was my grandfather. He came from a long line of road builders going back to the Revolutionary War. Edward was proud of his work for the state on Highway 101 between Quinault and the Hoh River. He worked on the first projects as a surveyor and was promoted to resident engineer in 1929. Edward was promoted to work on the most difficult section, Browns Point to Cedar Creek, along the beach that had applied for an extension. He made center line changes and culvert modifications to address the clay gumbo and cedar swamps of the section and was one of the last two resident engineers on the project when it finished in 1931. This book covers pioneer history, native culture, highway construction and political wrangling. Culturally significant photographs of the coastal Olympic Peninsula together with the photographs and maps from the Washington State Department of Transportation and private photographs not generally available provide a history of the road development and the local people. With the coming centennial of the road opening celebration in 2031, Wilderness Roads: The Building of the Olympic Highway is a timely book covering the exchange of the freedom of the river for the freedom of the highway and the impact on culture and access to the wilds of the Pacific Coast.