”On April 14, 1864,  ‘The Oregon Central Military Road Company’ was organized with the following incorporators: W. H. Hanchett, Martin Blanding, A. W. Patterson, J. G. Gray, E. F. Skinner, Joel Ware, D. M. Risdon, S. Ellsworth, J. B. Underwood, A. S. Patterson, B. J. Pengra, T. Mulhollan, Harvey Small, A. S. Powers, J. L. Brumley, J. H. McClung and Henry Parsons, the capital stock being fixed at thirty thousand dollars, but December 19th raised to one hundred thousand dollars. An approving act confirming the action of the former legislature granting lands was passed, October 14, 1864, and the work proceeded with, the first part of the road from Eugene City to Butte Disappointment, a distance of twenty miles, being commenced May 2, 1865, and, saving ferries and bridges, completed by the middle of the following July. That part of the thoroughfare from Butte Disappointment to the Pine Openings in the Cascade mountains, a distance of forty-four and three-fourths miles was begun in May 1864, and almost completed by November 15, 1865. On November 29, 1865, Mr. B. J. Pengra, the superintendent of construction made an exhaustive report to the President and Directors of the company in regard to the explorations made and the topography of the country through which the road should pass, but unhappily we are debarred from making any quotations from it for want of space. We should here state that as early as 1852 a party composed of Messrs. Spores, Cady, Diamond, Macy and Louderback attempting to find a connection through the mountains failed in doing so and returned. Later in the year Diamond and Macy alone made a second attempt, and on July 19, 1852, ascended the mountain that now bears the name of Diamond Peak, stated to be five thousand five hundred and ninety-five feet above the level of the sea, which afterwards became a principal point of observation in the survey of the Oregon Central Military Road.”

Reference Data:

Illustrated History of Lane County, Oregon, by Albert G. Walling, 1884, pages 348-9