David Emmick

Wilderness Roads David Emmick

This is the history of the Olympic Highway and one of the engineers responsible for its construction: Edward Emmick, Resident Engineer. Edward was my grandfather and came from a long line of road builders going back to the Revolutionary War. He was proud of his work for the state on Highway 101 between Quinault and the Hoh River. Working on the first projects as a surveyor, he was promoted to resident engineer in 1929 and was one of the last two engineers on the project when it finished in 1931. This is one of the last wildernesses in the United States. Stories of some early pioneer families and the development of the area are included. We've taken many family trips to explore the Olympic Peninsula. Edward carried a typewriter on his back to make notes as he surveyed the land along the Pacific Ocean shore. This image has stayed in my mind as I researched this book - carrying now an iPhone instead of a typewriter along Kalaloch Beach.