Blewett Pass is Closed
Highway Contractor Must Stop Auto
Travel to Coast for Two Weeks or More
Leavenworth Echo
August 1, 1919

Contractor Otto Hanson, who is rebuilding the Blewett Pass portion of the Sunset highway, announces that the road was dosed Thursday. July 31st. Mr. Hanson is building eight miles of entirely new road from Ingalls creek to the summit. It is possible that the road may be open by August 15. When finished the new road will be about twice as wide as the old one with a more uniform grades and few curves.

In addition it will be free from all danger, of slides and will be open from two to three weeks earlier each spring than the old road. The following letter has been received by the county commissioners from Superintendent R. Power, representing Contractor Otto Hanson,: "We beg to advise that it will be necessary to close the Blewett Pass road from Ingalls Creek to Mountain Home within the next two or three days.

"Our steam shovel will be operating above the present road very soon, and it will be impossible to keep the road clear for travel, as rocks will be rolling down the hill while our shovel is digging, and it will be too dangerous for public travel. We feel that the temporary inconvenience which may be caused by closing the road now will be more than compensated for by the fact that the traveling public will be protected from possible injury and damage, and our operations will be considerably expedited so that the new road will he completed in shorter time.

"We have a crew of men working on the Kittitas county side of the summit, and their operations will also block the road for a short time. "Even if we tried to keep the road open we could not guarantee any steady travel as our operations might result at any time in unavoidably delaying autos for three or four hours at a time. We assure you that we will open the road to travel at the very earliest opportunity.

Returning Bankers Found The Blewett Pass Closed
Leavenworth Echo
August 22, 1919

A party of returning Chelan county bankers found that Blewett pass is really closed on their way home from the state bankers convention last Saturday night says the Wenatchee World. It had been reported that tourists could get thru at night so Mr. and Mrs. F. W. Schultze, Mr. and Mrs. W. D. Schultze of the Commercial Bank & Trust Co.. and R. B. Field of the Leavenworth State Bank and Attorney Nelson made the attempt to cross over that way. They got clear over the summit and were well on their way down this side considerably after midnight when they ran into a blockade that effectually barred the way.

There was nothing lo do but to return to Ellensburg and traverse the Colockum Pass. They got to Ellensburg at 6 o'clock Sunday morning and after stopping for breakfast they resumed their journey, finally reaching Wenatchee Sunday afternoon. They found Colockum badly cut up by the unusually heavy travel since the Vantage Ferry went out, but were able to get thru without any mishaps.