Highway Hijinks: Oregon’s Sleepy Response to Roosevelt Road Bond

July 16, 1919, was a day of reckoning for Oregon’s Roosevelt highway program. According to L.J. Simpson, a state booster from North Bend and one of the few millionaires in Oregon, the people of the state were not following up on the program with the fervor expected. Simpson, who had been in Washington working on behalf of the highway league, sounded the alarm, warning of a lack of support from Oregon’s citizens. In a stark message broadcast across the state, Simpson reminded Oregonians that their vote for the $600,000 bond issue was only half the battle. He emphasized the need for government support to cover the remaining expenses, a vital necessity in binding the road. Simpson implored the state chamber and the Portland Chamber of Commerce to rouse the people to action, highlighting the consequences of inaction. As the people of Oregon slept on the prospect of their Roosevelt highway, Simpson’s words struck a chord, but would it be too late to awaken the masses?