Santiam Wagon Road
Encyclopedia
The Santiam Wagon Road was a freight route in the U.S. state
of Oregon
between the Willamette Valley
and Central Oregon
regions from 1865 to the 1930s. It is considered one of the most important historical routes in the state. Officially known as the Willamette Valley and Cascade Mountain Wagon Road, the Santiam Wagon Road was built between 1861 and 1868 and operated as a toll road until 1915. In 1925, the toll road was turned over to the State of Oregon
for use as a highway. U.S. Route 20
closely follows the original route of the wagon road.
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
between the Willamette Valley
Willamette Valley
The Willamette Valley is the most populated region in the state of Oregon of the United States. Located in the state's northwest, the region is surrounded by tall mountain ranges to the east, west and south and the valley's floor is broad, flat and fertile because of Ice Age conditions...
and Central Oregon
Central Oregon
Central Oregon is a geographic region in the U.S. state of Oregon and is traditionally considered to be made up of Deschutes, Jefferson, and Crook counties. Other definitions include larger areas, often encompassing areas to the north towards the Columbia River, eastward towards Burns, or south...
regions from 1865 to the 1930s. It is considered one of the most important historical routes in the state. Officially known as the Willamette Valley and Cascade Mountain Wagon Road, the Santiam Wagon Road was built between 1861 and 1868 and operated as a toll road until 1915. In 1925, the toll road was turned over to the State of Oregon
Government of Oregon
The government of the U.S. state of Oregon, as prescribed by the Oregon Constitution, is composed of three government branches: the executive, the legislative, and the judicial...
for use as a highway. U.S. Route 20
U.S. Route 20
U.S. Route 20 is an east–west United States highway. As the "0" in its route number implies, US 20 is a coast-to-coast route. Spanning , it is the longest road in the United States, and the route sparsely parallels Interstate 90...
closely follows the original route of the wagon road.