104- The Inland Empire Highway

The History Of The Evergreen State

Authorized and named in 1913, the Inland Empire Highway was a state roadway that ran across central and eastern Washington. It took a tortuous path via Ellensburg, Yakima, Pasco, Walla Walla, Spokane, and Colville to connect the small towns of Virden, northeast of Cle Elum in Kittitas County, and Laurier, on the Canadian border in Ferry County. It was one of the seven Principal Highways in the state by 1915 and was in heavy usage. The course of the highway altered as it was rebuilt and additional roads were built, but it never lost its initial goal of connecting Yakima, Walla Walla, Spokane, Colville, and the majority of other population centers in central and eastern Washington.
The Inland Empire Highway became State Route No. 3 when the state's named highway route system was converted to a numbered one in 1923. For a few decades, the name Inland Empire Highway was still used often and on maps, but by the end of the 1930s, most people only knew the routes' state or federal highway numbers.
Listen now to learn more about the early history of this important Evergreen State highway!
A special thank you goes out to Al Hirsch for providing the music for the podcast, check him out on YouTube.
Find merchandise for the podcast now available at: https://washington-history-by-jon-c.creator-spring.com
If you enjoy the podcast and would like to contribute, please visit: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/Evergreenpod
If you have any questions, episode ideas you'd like to see explored, or just have a general comment, please reach out at [e-mail]
To keep up on news for the podcast and other related announcements, please like and follow:
https://www.facebook.com/Historyoftheevergreenstatepodcast
Find the podcast over on Instagram as well: @HISTORY_EVERGREENSTATEPODCAST
You can also find the podcast over on YouTube:
http://www.youtube.com/@historyoftheevergreenstatepod
Thank you for listening to another episode of the History of the Evergreen State Podcast!