Page:Tioga Road (HAER No. CA-149) written historical and descriptive data.pdf/15

 began work on the partial reconstruction and realignment of the road in 1933. The Tioga Road project was the first Yosemite National Park project to utilize the relief programs. The Bureau of Public Roads was reorganized during this period as the Public Roads Administration, a division of the Federal Works Agency.

During 1933, there was renewed activity at the Tioga Mine, which had been abandoned for half a century. Antoinette Swift, widow of Rudolphus Swift's son Edward, leased the mine to a New York City consortium, the Tioga Mining Company, which resumed operations in August. The new operators found the mine tunnel and some of the buildings in remarkably well-preserved condition. After clearing the mine of gas, the company began extending the tunnel. However, this effort proved unsuccessful as well, and the property was sold for back taxes on Mrs. Swift's death in 1949.80

The 1934 work season did not open until July. Willis & Sons had 163 men at work, seeking to make up lost time, and completed the grading work on the Tioga Pass-Cathedral Creek section by the end of August; the company also finished the work on the new Tuolumne Meadows Bridge. The final work on the road segment was completed on 15 October, seventeen days behind schedule. The contractor was assessed $850 for the delay. The old road was then obliterated by park crews, who spread boulders and trees to hide the old right-of-way. Workers also tried to hide the gravel causeway leading to the new Tuolumne River bridge with 6" of pine needles.81

Funds for more reconstruction work were made available through a compromise with the City of San Francisco over road requirements in the area around the Hetch Hetchy Reservoir. When the city published its proposed plans for the mammoth Hetch Hetchy project in 1912, it offered to undertake the construction of wagon roads, trails and "scenic drives" in the northwest corner of the park. Congress passed the Raker Act the next year authorizing the water supply and hydro-power project. One of its provisions was for the city to expend $1.5 million on the construction of roads and trails in the area. However, the city was very slow to comply with this provision. The National Park service found such work as was done to be unsatisfactory. City officials insisted that they were only obligated to meet the 1913 road standards in effect when the Raker Act was passed. Despite continual protests from the Park Service, the city did little road work in the area over the next two decades. By the early 1930s, the Park Service reached a settlement under which in return for $1.25 million from the city, the NPS would take responsibility for road and trail work in the area. The money was not restricted to the Hetch Hetchy area (by this time the NPS had decided not to extend more roads in the area) but could be used anywhere in the park. After considerable study of possible alternatives (including a circuit road around the reservoir), the Park Service decided to appropriate much of the money for the reconstruction of the Tioga Road eastward from Crane Flat.82

The Idaho construction firm Morrison-Knudsen won the contract for the section between Crane Flat and White Wolf in August 1934 and planned to begin work in September. Due to uncertainty over the ultimate route for the road's central section, the eastern end of the project was shifted from White Wolf to McSwain Meadow, a little to the west. Morrison-Knudsen established a construction camp at Gin Flat in August; another camp was later established at Tamarack Flat.83 Their work did not begin in September as planned, but by October they were fielding 125 men on clearing and grading operations.84 An early encroachment of winter weather suspended operations not long afterwards.

Construction work was closely monitored by the park engineer and landscape architect, who wanted to avoid the scarring of trees during blasting