CONGRATS MELKEMEL FOR FTF - 10-23-2017
History of the Yellowstone Trail......
In 1912, a group of small town businessmen in South Dakota undertook an ambitious project to create a useful automobile route, across America. At a time when roads weren't marked, there were few maps and slippery mud the usual road surface. By 1914, towns would create trail markers along the trail. They painted anything: posts, telgraph poles, rocks, sandstone hoo-doos; they made metal signs with the Trail name and some with only a black arrow on yellow background; sometimes with just a yellow "R" or "L" to guide the traveler to the correct direction. Keep your eyes open and you may spot an undiscovered sign.
The Yellowstone Trail Asn. located a route, motivated road improvements, produced maps and folders to guide traveler, and promoted tourism.
Today, almost all of the route of the YT is on slower, less traveled roads. Some sections, especially in the West, have remained little changed and are a delight to visit. Until 1925, the YT traveled south from Spokane to Walla Walla then up through the Yakima Valley and on to Ellensburg. After 1925 the route changed to travel from Spokane west to Wenatchee.
The concrete that was poured nearly a century ago was something of a cutting-edge experiment in road construction technology. Bidding was competitive and contractors were proud enough of their work that they stamped their name and the pour date into the pavement at regular intervals.
Granger, the dinasour town has marked their section of the Yellowstone Trail with the bright yellow signs and Fun Yellow Boulders plus an informative sign board as you enter Bailey Ave from the East. Here in the Trail winds through the northeastern section of town from (East) Van Belle Rd, passes under the now I-82 Highway and curves right onto Bailey Ave/E St and north onto (Old Hwy 410) Yakima Valley Highway towards Zillah. This section was paved in 1921.
Information Sources:
http://www.yellowstonetrail.org/
http://www.dailysunnews.com/news/2015/mar/26/granger-mark-its-portion-historic-yellowstone-trai/