
The Iconic Mitchell Point Tunnel Returns!
Dec. 7, 2022 at 7 pm
Lecture Description
In 1915, a groundbreaking (literally!) and iconic tunnel was constructed in the U.S. Piercing basalt cliffs, the tunnel’s five arched windows were cut from solid rock and offered sweeping views of the main attraction – the Columbia River Gorge. The original Mitchell Point Tunnel made news headlines across the country and opened the Gorge to the relatively new contraption called the automobile. Soon a steady stream of Model T’s motored through the hairpin turns of the highway and experienced the awe-inspiring scenery for themselves. But modern needs eventually took precedence. In 1953 the tunnel was deemed unfit for current transportation methods, closed, and filled. In 1966, to make way for the construction of highway I-84, the tunnel was destroyed.