Book Reviews
The
Oroville-Quincy Ridge Route by David
M. Brown
Historical story of the road between Oroville and
Quincy, California
Dave Brown has done scholarly and exhaustive work, resulting in a book that
describes how a pioneering transportation route has evolved over more than a century and a half, changing as needs of the users change and adjusting to
competition from other routes. Written as a research project with citations, it is also designed to interest all readers wishing to know more about travel
in the Feather River region of California.
Here as well is a case study for development of transportation routes throughout mountainous sections of the western United States between 1850 and the present. Techniques for dealing with rugged terrain and handling massive amounts of winter snow on the highway are considered in detail. Among other aspects of the route’s history discussed is the protracted debate about where California would build a highway to link the Oroville and Quincy areas. Above all, events and activities which lead to the road we see today are described, giving the reader a better understanding of how the past continues to shape the present.
The book is rich with maps, charts, and, most especially, historical photos, two of which are featured here.
