12-10-2022, 04:16 AM
"Thanks ironyak & AaronS for the links to historical references and planning information for Saddle Road. I assumed the decision to site the road in it's current location was complex, but I had no idea how many factors and agencies were involved in the process. After reading through that, we're lucky any agreement was reached, and any road was built at all."
I too find the history and progression of Saddle Road interesting. Wikipedia has a few things.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hawaii_Route_200
Apparently the first official start of construction was in 1849, but was abandoned in 1859 due to the eruption in that year. There’s no mention of what happened between 1859 and WWII.
While planning for the defense of the Hawaiian islands in the wake of the attack on Pearl Harbor, the U. S. Army hastily built an access road in 1943 across the Humuʻula plateau[11] of Parker Ranch at 19°41′44″N 155°29′8″W.[12] Since it was not intended as a civilian road, the simple gravel path was built by the Civilian Conservation Corps and the US Army Corps of Engineers in case of an invasion.[13] Military vehicles of all types and treads traversed the Island for the next three years.
Clearly, the US Army simply got ‘er done as quickly as possible with no concern for how long it would last or whether anybody might question it’s path. It was wartime, it wasn’t meant for us.
But the map that Ironyak provided shows a road (or trail?) in 1893. So how did that get done?
I’m guessing that the original Saddle Road was formed by many independent people traveling the distance by foot or horseback over many years and arriving at a path of least resistance. This process may have even started before 1849 project. And by 1943 the path was probably pretty well established.
Am I close?
I too find the history and progression of Saddle Road interesting. Wikipedia has a few things.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hawaii_Route_200
Apparently the first official start of construction was in 1849, but was abandoned in 1859 due to the eruption in that year. There’s no mention of what happened between 1859 and WWII.
While planning for the defense of the Hawaiian islands in the wake of the attack on Pearl Harbor, the U. S. Army hastily built an access road in 1943 across the Humuʻula plateau[11] of Parker Ranch at 19°41′44″N 155°29′8″W.[12] Since it was not intended as a civilian road, the simple gravel path was built by the Civilian Conservation Corps and the US Army Corps of Engineers in case of an invasion.[13] Military vehicles of all types and treads traversed the Island for the next three years.
Clearly, the US Army simply got ‘er done as quickly as possible with no concern for how long it would last or whether anybody might question it’s path. It was wartime, it wasn’t meant for us.
But the map that Ironyak provided shows a road (or trail?) in 1893. So how did that get done?
I’m guessing that the original Saddle Road was formed by many independent people traveling the distance by foot or horseback over many years and arriving at a path of least resistance. This process may have even started before 1849 project. And by 1943 the path was probably pretty well established.
Am I close?