The Oregon Department of Transportation (otherwise known as the ODOT) is a department of the Oregon state government responsible for systems of transportation.

History

The first State Highway Commission was created on June 3, 1913 and was composed of Governor Oswald West, Secretary of State Ben W. Olcott and State Treasurer Thomas B. Kay. On January 12, 1915 James Withycombe became Governor and replaced Oswald West on the Commission. The 1917 Legislature redesigned the State Highway Commission, with appointed citizens replacing the top state elected officials. The new commissioners held their first meeting on March 6, and it was then known as the Oregon Highway Division. Interestingly, Oregon beaches were designated as highways at the time (which led to the highway division's later involvement in the exploding whale fiasco). As Oregon's transportation needs started to grow the division started to expand and in 1919 the division employed their first State Bridge Engineer, Conde McCullough. By 1920 Oregon had 620 miles of paved roads and 297.2 miles of plank roads for a population of 783,389, and by 1932 the work that had been started on the Oregon Coast Highway (also known as U.S. Highway 101) in 1914 was completed, except for five bridges, which meant greater responsibility for the division. This work was complete when the construction of the bridges over the Yaquina, Alsea, Siuslaw, Umpqua and Coos Bays were completed, closing the last gaps on the highway. By 1940, the highway division was managing more than 7,000 miles of state, market and country roads in Oregon, with nearly 5,000 miles being hard surfaced.

On Christmas Eve of 1964, Oregon was affected by massive flooding and the division was forced to close U.S. Highway 99 and several bridges in the area. According to the Melford Mail Tribute, the division's Highway Engineer, Forrest Cooper, said 28 highway bridges were out and many highways looked doubtful whether they would continue to be opened.

Several unusual events occurred in the department's history. In 1958, the division changed its slogan to the unintentionally funny "Oregon Freeways. ..Symbol of 2nd Century Progress" and in 1967 ODOT celebrated its 50th anniversary, even though it was by then fifty-four years old. On November 12, 1970, the department gained notoriety after they attempted to dispose of a rotting beached grey whale by using half-a-ton of dynamite to blast it off the beach, as one might remove a boulder. They were given responsibility for this task because, as mentioned above, Oregon beaches were designated as highways when the division was initially formed.

Slogans

• 1913 - "Get Oregon Out of the Mud"
• 1957 - "Building Oregon Thru Better Highways"
• 1958 - "Oregon Freeways. ..Symbol of 2nd Century Progress"
• 1961 - "Freeways are Easier"
• 1967 - "Fifty Years of Building Better Highways in Oregon" (not actually technically correct, as the department was formed in 1913)
• 1978 - "Keep Oregon Green and in the Black"
• 1986 - "ODOT on the Move"

Directors

• John Fulton - July 1, 1969 - December 31, 1970
• George Baldwin - January 1, 1971 - June 30, 1971
• Sam Haley - July 1, 1971 - July 8, 1973
• George Baldwin - July 9, 1973 - April 30, 1976
• Bob Burco - May 1, 1976 - January 8, 1979
• Fred Klaboe - January 9, 1979 - December 31, 1981
• Fred Miller - January 1, 1982 - February 16, 1987
• Bob Bothrnan - February 17, 1987 - June 30, 1991
• Don Forbes - July 1, 1991 - ??
• Bruce Warner - ??, ?? to present

State Highway Engineers

• H.L. Bowlby - June 3, 1913 - March 31, 1915
• E. I. Cantine* - April 1, 1915 - May 21, 1915
• John L. Lewis - May 22, 1915 - August 27, 1915
• E. I. Cantine* - August 28, 1915 - January 19, 1916
• John L. Lewis - January 20, 1916 - April 10, 1917
• Herbert Nunn - April 10, 1917 - March 31, 1923
• Roy A. Klein - April 1, 1923 - February 28, 1932
• R.H. Baldock - March 1, 1932 - August 15, 1956
• W.C. Williams - August 16, 1956 - November 30, 1961
• Forrest Cooper - November 30, 1961 - June 30, 1970
• R.L. "Rod" Porter - July 1, 1970 - December 31, 1971
• Tom Edwards - January 1, 1972 - December 31, 1972
• I. Fred Klaboe - January 1, 1973 - May 31, 1976
• H. Scott Coulter - June 1, 1976 - August 4, 1985
• Lawrence W. Rulien - September 9, 1985 - March 1, 1988
• Don Forbes - February 22, 1988 - January 31, 1992
• Bill Anhorn - February 1, 1992 - ??

External link

• Oregon Department of Transportation homepage
• ODOT museum
• General timeline of transportation and the Oregon State Highway Division