Redwood Highway
The Redwood Highway was created as a State Highway by a bond issue in 1909. On October 19, 1917, the Board of Supervisors announced plans to secure the right-of-way for the Redwood Highway between Wilson Creek and Crescent City. In July 1919 there was a contract for construction between Cushing and Wilson creeks. In 1923 the section from the head of Richardson Creek to Hunter Creek was built by prison labor. A prisoners’ camp was established on the Del Ponte place.
By the end of 1923 the Redwood Highway, except for the bridge across the Klamath, had been completed and opened to through traffic in Del Norte and Humboldt counties. Between Crescent City and Cushing Creek, the Redwood Highway and the old road followed the same alignment. South of Cushing Creek, the Redwood Highway provided motorists a spectacular view of Crescent City and the Pacific. The highway then skirted the headwaters of Damnation Creek, descending Damnation Ridge to Wilson Creek. Its alignment here was parallel to and a few hundred yards west of the old road. Wilson Creek was crossed several hundred yards above the False Klamath. Between Wilson and Hunter creeks, the Redwood Highway followed the same general alignment as the old road. From Hunter Creek, the Redwood Highway, instead of sweeping toward Requa, continued southeastward striking the Klamath at the mouth of Hoppaw Creek. The roadway on the south side of the Klamath ascended Richardson Creek and intersected the old road near High Bluff. From High Bluff to Orick the alignments were identical, except at two points: between Elk Grove and May Creek. In building the highway only redwoods interfering with construction were felled. Thousands were saved for the American people. This practice was followed when sections of the highway were relocated in the 1930s.
