18 The Oregon Surveyor | Vol. 45, No. 5 THE LONG WAY AROUND, PART II Mapping the Old Oregon Trail By Mike Fallert, PLS Welcome back, and I hope you enjoyed the first part of this article. This story started with a Public Records Request (PRR) that came into the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) with someone requesting any mapping or information on the original Oregon Trail. PRRs are a form that most all public agencies have for requesting information. ODOT’s form is located at the following link: https://www.oregon.gov/ODOT/ Get-Involved/Pages/Public-Records.aspx The Oregon Department of Transportation’s standard is 10 business days to communicate with you and either supply the requested records, give you an estimate of the time and cost to produce the records, or let you know ODOT cannot fill the request and the reason. The time required to produce all responsive records may be longer than 10 days. The ODOT Library is filled with old documents, pictures, and other information related to the state highways and waysides, etc. I was intrigued by the information that you are about to read and see and I hope that you are also. As surveyors, map makers, and information gatherers, we get to help keep history alive for others to find. The original mapping of the Oregon Trail on the ground by Oregon State Highway Department engineers occurred in 1959 in preparation for the Oregon Centennial. The work was performed from the Snake River to the John Day River under the direction of Earl Bickmore, of La Grande, with assistance from Larry Smitton and Bob Rennels. The work from the John Day River to The Dalles was performed by Josh Sullivan of The Dalles. Featured Article continues
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