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Roads Division documenting ‘Memory Lane’
From January to May, researchers will be collecting information and photographing roadside features of historic significance on more than 25 roads in unincorporated King County. This information – along with community input – will help the division document the story of more than 100 years of transportation development in the region. It will also identify the county’s most interesting and important heritage corridors. Local residents are being asked to help out by contributing their knowledge, memories, photos, and other keepsakes to flesh out the bureaucratic records. Public open house meetings will be held later this spring to share the information compiled to date, and gather memories from local residents. People can contact Ruth Harvey at ruth.Harvey@kingcounty.gov, if they have information or materials to contribute. “We want to understand and document the history of our county roads before it is lost, and do our best to preserve this history in the years ahead,” said Division Director Linda Dougherty. “We hope it will foster an appreciation both for local history and the role our transportation network has played in the region’s development.” The inventory project began last year with extensive research of both old paper records and modern Geographic Information Systems (GIS) files. Then, the researchers drove the county doing a “windshield survey” of more than 75 roads that met certain criteria for historic significance. That list has now been narrowed down to about 25 roads that have retained a significant amount of historic features. Those features vary. Sometimes it’s because the road follows an even-older Native American trail. Or, the road connected key 19th Century agricultural and business centers. In some cases, existing structures – like old barns and historic homes – still grace the nearby landscape. Dougherty said the focus of this project is on the transportation history of our communities, and will not result in any new regulations or restrictions for property owners. The information will also be used by the Roads Division to design future improvements and maintenance projects on the heritage corridors in ways that do not detract from the road’s historic character. Once the inventory is complete, a Web site with driving map and educational materials will be developed. The project is a collaboration between the Road Services Division, the King County Historic Preservation Program, and 4Culture. Funding comes from a federal grant administered by the Washington State Department of Transportation. The inventory project is just one way the Road Services Division is demonstrating stewardship of heritage resources associated with the transportation system. Last year, the Road Division’s Cultural Resources Protection Program received a major achievement award from the National Association of Counties (NACo). It was also selected as the best in the nation in NACo’s “Arts and Historic Preservation” category for its work in meeting and exceeding federal standards to protect archaeological sites and other historic and cultural resources. |
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