As the Bridge of the Gods neared completion in the fall, estimates for the opening date depended on favorable weather. An opening ceremony planned Saturday, October 23, 1926 became a celebration of the joining of the spans.
The completed Bridge of the Gods.
Finally, on Tuesday, October 26, 1926, workers and residents gathered for the official opening celebration. As the noon whistle blew, brother and sister Theodore Iman and Flora Iman Foster walked to the center of the bridge and shook hands. The siblings were selected for the ceremonial first meeting because Theodore was born in Cascade Locks and Flora in Stevenson before statehood. Following the handshake, everyone ran to the center line to meet and celebrate the Bridge opening.
The first car held driver Walter Miller; Union Bridge Company superintendent B.A. McClain and secretary Jessie Findlay; chief engineer R.M. Murray and his family, and Oregonian journalist Frank Perkins and his family.
The first car to drive across the bridge was a Chevy sedan. While the steel work was finished, the wooden decking was not. They laid down planks to drive across.
The Bridge of the Gods was originally decked in wood. It had whitewashed wooden guard rails that matched the style of the Columbia River Highway. The toll booth was placed in the middle of the span with turnouts for drivers to enjoy the view. Tolls were set at 50 cents, with a free return trip if drivers came back within three hours.
The Bridge of the Gods was an immediate success as an economic asset. Drivers were excited to experience the scenic loop without transit by ferry. Business went so well that management was able to make double bond payments within 10 years.
