Harry Bryan Klineline cannot be considered a Clark County pioneer, but his legacy will remain long after the names of many real pioneers have been forgotten.
Born in Missouri in 1896, Klineline came west to Oregon in 1916 and settled in Vancouver seven years later. He started working for the Clark County Road Department in 1925 and was in charge of its crushing operations for the next six years.
In 1932, he struck out on his own as a private contractor. He started the Klineline Sand and Gravel Plant on Salmon Creek in 1941 and the firm dug the huge pits that were later to form the basis of one of the county’s most popular parks. The ponds are still known locally as the Klineline pits, although the park is now known as Salmon Creek County Park.
During World War II, Klineline supplied gravel to the government and built the roads in Vancouver Barracks.
The late contractor also was owner of 170 acres of farm property that is now the Royal Oaks Golf and Country Club. He was one of the original sponsors when the golf club was established in the fall of 1945.
For his work both for the county and as a contractor, Klineline was known as “the father of Clark County roads.” He died in Vancouver Dec. 29, 1966, at the age of 70.