Historic Highway 99 Association of California
Dedicated to the preservation of California's Main Street – former US Highway 99
On Thursday, April 14, 2022, I will be giving a presentation on the history of US 99 through the San Gorgonio Pass to the San Gorgonio Pass Historical Society. Their meeting will be held at the Cherry Valley Grange at 10478 Beaumont Ave, Beaumont, CA (corner of Cherry Valley Blvd and Beaumont Ave). Presentation starts at 7 pm and is open to all. Come join us!
Grapevine Canyon, or Canada De Las Uvas, was named for the wild grapes that grow on its slopes by Spaniards in the 1700′s. The town of Grapevine has been a major stop along this highway ever since the Ridge Route was built in 1914. This first alignment was one of the most torturous sections of US 99 in Southern California. It had more than a few very sharp curves, some of which ended up with names such as “The Loop” and “Deadman’s Curve”. Both of those curves still exist today, though partially removed and cutoff from the new roadways. In 1915, the grade was oiled creating a more solid, albeit temporary, roadway. Grapevine Grade received its first concrete pavement in 1919, a “full” 20 foot slab with curbing and little in the way of a shoulder. The original location of the “town” of Grapevine was at the bottom of the grade. It consisted of a motel, store, gas station, and restaurant. In 1926, work commenced to “daylight” some of the sharper curves along the grade, which increased sight-distance and did help to reduce collisions. It didn’t, however, reduce the curvature of the road.
In 1933, a new alignment of US 99 was built. It ran along the current southbound lanes of I-5 for most of the grade. Deadman’s Curve and the Loop were eliminated at that time. When the concrete was first poured, only two lanes were built. About a year later, the third lane was added making the center lane the passing lane. Since the original location of Grapevine was bypassed, it was partially relocated onto the new grade, this time in the canyon. While it was rather conveniently located, it did suffer from one fatal flaw. It was near the bottom of a very long, steep grade, and on the outside of a curve. As a result, runaway trucks smashed through on a few occasions.
Shown above, a small section of concrete is visible adjacent to the southbound lanes of I-5. A small color difference can be noticed between the two lanes that are visible. This difference is due to age. The lanes to the left were constructed in 1932 when Grapevine Grade was realigned, bypassing the original 1914 Ridge Route grade. This was built as two lanes as a temporary measure to expedite the opening of the new route. Right after it was opened, a third lane was added, the lane on the right, creating a three-lane roadway with a common passing lane in the center, or “suicide lane”. This condition persisted until 1943 when the road was widened yet again to four lanes. In 1958 – 1960, these lanes were bypassed by the current southbound lanes of I-5. Today, they remain as one of the last remnants of the 1932-1958 version of Grapevine Grade.
To be continued in our May / June 2022 Newsletter
Join us on Tuesday, March 8, at 6pm for a presentation on Lake Shasta and Environs by Michael Ballard. We will be sharing photographs from our November 2021 trip to the Lake Shasta area showing the low lake level as well as some additional photos of the surrounding area.
Please register for the presentation using the link below:
https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZApc-2hqz4jHtJ5mqJslfq-rk81UMiHvNrQ
Just south of Madera, 1.75 miles south of Ave 12, and 2.1 miles north of Ave 9 (or more specifically at 06-MAD-99-05.7), there lies a pine tree and a palm tree in the median of Highway 99. It has been there since the 1920’s and marks the former halfway point in California. The Palm Tree, a Canary Island Date Palm, represents Southern California and the Pine Tree, a Deodor Cedar, represents Northern California. In 2005, the pine tree fell down but was replaced by Caltrans in 2007 as this is a somewhat historic marker.
We, the Historic Highway 99 Association of California, intend to have signs placed in both directions at this location to mark the historic site. While it might not exactly be the “halfway” point in California, it is close enough and has been there since the 1920’s. We are looking to work with local agencies such as the County of Madera, Caltrans District 6, City of Madera, and others to gain support and assistance with this effort. We already have a design for the sign and cost estimates for its fabrication.
If you would like to be involved in this project (03-MAD21002), let us know! We can use help either through donations of labor or money. Any donations are likely tax-deductible as we are a 501c3 organization.
One of our members and local historians, Evan Decker of Santa Clarita, has brought to our attention something concerning a park in his area. William S Hart Park, the former home of the silent film actor, is currently a park owned and administered by Los Angeles County. This arrangement is due to the stipulations in the will of William S Hart, who deeded the land and associated structures in perpetuity to Los Angeles County.
The City of Santa Clarita, in an effort spearheaded by the current major Laureen Weste is looking to take over the park. By itself, it would seem like a “home rule” sort of issue, which can be a good thing. However, the City of Santa Clarita has a poor track record of preserving history and keeping it safe. This has been shown with the “disneyfication” of the central business district of Newhall, among other things. We feel this change would be a detriment to the historical value of Hart Park and would not be to its best interest.
If you would like to help with preventing the City of Santa Clarita from taking over William S Hart Park, Even Decker has set up an online petition to sign. He also strongly recommends contacting the office of Los Angeles County Supervisor Kathryn Barger and tell her you’re against this project.
We, the Historic Highway 99 Association of California, only want to help preserve and protect the history along Highway 99. Newhall was one of the towns along the earliest alignment of US 99. Hart Park represents a part of that early history.
Please sign the petition created by Evan Decker to tell the City of Santa Clarita that you want the park kept as-is and not in City hands.
As we slowly ramp up our efforts to get Historic Route signage placed in various cities and historic locations such as the Pine and Palm, we need your support. You can do this by becoming a member, donating money, or by volunteering with our Association. We are a 501(c)3 non-profit corporation and your donations may be tax deductible. Why not help reduce your tax burden for 2023 by donating prior? We can also use your help with some of our projects, website, and our newsletter. Having someone local to act as our ambassador or liaison would be of great help. We are also working out how to handle renewals for existing members. Initially, we had planned to have all memberships expire at a specific time. At this time, we are looking to have memberships expire at the end of the month initially obtained. We will be sending out a letter to our current members to explain how to renew. Join now and help us grow!
We do wish to thank all those that have donated and become members thus far. Our most recent project in Madera couldn’t have happened without your support!
Recently, a section of 1930 US 99 was rediscovered in the Santa Clarita Valley. Thought lost since the 1960’s, a small section of the 1930 “Newhall Alternate” was found along a residential street south of Lyons Avenue. This roadway, at least a portion of it, represents one of the few remaining sections of the 1930 roadway north of Calgrove Blvd. In 1967, I-5 was constructed here and the new road was shifted a little to the west, leaving this road, now known as Hawkbryn Ave, as a frontage road. Traces of the 1930’s concrete can still be detected today. This section was discovered using comparisons between aerial photography and the construction plans from 1949 and 1967.
Despite having traversed this area many times, I never thought to look here. Always keep your eyes open, for you never know what you might find.
Join us on Tuesday, March 8, at 6pm for a presentation on Lake Shasta and Environs by Michael Ballard. We will be sharing photographs from our November 2021 trip to the Lake Shasta area showing the low lake level as well as some additional photos of the surrounding area.
Please register for the presentation using the link below:
https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZApc-2hqz4jHtJ5mqJslfq-rk81UMiHvNrQ
Historic US 99W Zoom Presentation
At the January 11th Zoom Meeting, I will be presenting the story of Historic US 99W from Sacramento to Red Bluff. As you know, US 99W no longer exists today by that name, but nearly all of the original route does still exist, some of it was also used by the Lincoln Highways northern route.
This presentation will follow the Historic US 99W Travel Guide that I wrote in 2019. We will cover the route and things to see and do in each on the 5 counties that US 99W passes through. The story will be told through maps and pictures, some historic.
I hope you will join me,
Mike Herman
Historic US Highways
To register, please use the link below. Meeting will be on January 11, 2022 at 6 pm:
https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZErf-uurzwjHdwKCnCdcXpnBxmcpYR9Tuf2
The 1927 Harlan D Miller / Dog Creek Bridge near Delta, California, just north of Lake Shasta, is one of the more scenic and unique bridges on US 99 in California. It isn’t something you can see easily either if you’re travelling I-5 as the canyon is just curved enough to hide it. Despite all this, it is well known.
What isn’t well known is how to get there. It is on public land and is very much accessible. To keep it this way, we strongly encourage heeding any “private land / no trespassing” signs you may encounter in the area. Always respect the adjacent landowners as they can make it a lot tougher for all of us.
With this in mind, the question is always “How do you get there?” Well, we are here to tell you the legal and proper way to do it.
Access to the bridge is initially off of I-5 at Delta / Vollmers / Exit 707. Either direction you come from, go to the north side of the freeway (RIGHT if northbound, LEFT if southbound) and follow Delta School Road to its terminus. There, you will find parking. Please respect the landowners and DO NOT BLOCK their access points. There is plenty of available parking. Disregard the “NO RIVER ACCESS” signs, as you’re obviously not seeking such.
Once parked, proceed south. There are two paths. Take the one to the right, following a narrow roadway down until you reach the freeway right-of-way. At that point, go to your left (southerly) still following the path. There will be some trees that have fallen across the path. Follow the best course, usually to the right, across these trees. After you pass, you’ll see a still well-defined path, sometimes with remnant paving and stone arch railing adjacent. Now you’re following Historic US 99. Keep going along the path. Not long after you’ll see the bridge. The distance from parking to the bridge is only 0.4 miles, which isn’t much.
At the bridge, it is up to you. One thing to watch for are holes in the bridge. At the south end, there are “core sections” taken from the bridge. As such, these holes are an issue and should be addressed with caution. Please, do not add to the damage to the bridge and always use caution around it.
To return, use the same path. Now you know how to get to the famous Harlen D. Miller Bridge, otherwise known as the Dog Creek Bridge. For an additional view, take a trip down Fenders Ferry Road, just west of I-5, and see the view below the bridge. It is worth the effort! There is a bonus 1920’s concrete span on the way.
A section of intact 1926 US 99 concrete remains near Cherry Valley Blvd on Roberts Road, for how long we do not know. We initially posted a 99 Alert back in January 2021. In all likelihood, it will be removed due for a housing tract in the next couple of years. We can, however, push to get at least a portion preserved. There are contractors date stamps along the roadway which we would like to see saved. We need your help and your voice to do this. Caltrans and the Riverside County Transportation Commission are proposing changes at the Cherry Valley Blvd / I-10 interchange, which would directly impact the old alignment.
The Riverside County Transportation Commission and Caltrans will be holding a public meeting via Zoom regarding the adoption of environmental study documents on January 13, 2022 between 1700 and 1900 (5 pm to 7 pm). Please help! Your voice is important! The meeting can be access via the link below.
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/85829724839%C2%A0
For additional information on the project and to comment on the project, check out the following link:
https://rcprojects.org/cherryvalley
Beginning in 2022, our meetings will now bi-monthly as well as our newsletters. Our next meeting will be on January 11 at 1800 (6 pm) via Zoom. We are also looking for presenters! If you would like to share your knowledge about US 99 history or something along the way, let us know!
Historic US 99W Zoom Presentation
At the January 11th Zoom Meeting, I will be presenting the story of Historic US 99W from Sacramento to Red Bluff. As you know, US 99W no longer exists today by that name, but nearly all of the original route does still exist, some of it was also used by the Lincoln Highways northern route.
This presentation will follow the Historic US 99W Travel Guide that I wrote in 2019. We will cover the route and things to see and do in each on the 5 counties that US 99W passes through. The story will be told through maps and pictures, some historic.
I hope you will join me,
Mike Herman
Historic US Highways
To register, please use the link below:
https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZErf-uurzwjHdwKCnCdcXpnBxmcpYR9Tuf2
As we slowly ramp up our efforts to get Historic Route signage placed in various cities and historic locations such as the Pine and Palm, we need your support. You can do this by becoming a member, donating money, or by volunteering with our Association. We are a 501(c)3 non-profit corporation and your donations may be tax deductible. Why not help reduce your tax burden for 2023 by donating prior? We can also use your help with some of our projects, website, and our newsletter. Having someone local to act as our ambassador or liaison would be of great help. We are also working out how to handle renewals for existing members. Initially, we had planned to have all memberships expire at a specific time. At this time, we are looking to have memberships expire at the end of the month initially obtained. We will be sending out another message soon to explain how to renew. Join now and help us grow!
We do wish to thank all those that have donated and become members thus far. Our most recent project in Madera couldn’t have happened without your support!
We are working on an article about the town arches along Highway 99 and we need your help. We are seeking photos of the following arches:
The photos should show preferably the entire arch. If there is a dedication plaque nearby, we could use help with that as well.
We restarted our online discussion forums for Historic Highway 99. Come join in! Tell your Highway 99 stories, discuss your favorite place along the road, learn about the history, and more!
https://historic99.org/forums/
Things are looking up! We have a few projects in the works at various levels now. In Madera County, we are working on posting signs to mark the Pine and the Palm along Highway 99. Design of the sign is now complete and we are looking into costs for posting the sign. We are also looking into getting it designated a “Historic Landmark”, which is something we will need help with. We intend to work with local historical societies, Madera County, and Caltrans to get this done.
We will also be working with Caltrans District 2 to have Historic Route signs posted along State Highway 263 between Yreka and Hornbrook along the Historic Shasta River Canyon alignment. After surveying the route, we have determined that six signs should be posted. These signs would be posted at the 3/263 junction, 1931 Pioneer Bridge, and at the 96/263 junction. We can use help with raising funds for the three signs we plan to get posted.
If you have an idea for a project for the 99 Association or would like to get involved, let us know!
Mt Shasta is one of the most scenic mountains in California. At 14, 162 feet in elevation, it is also the fifth highest peak in California and the tallest volcano in California. It last erupted in 1786. On a clear enough day, the peak can be seen from well over 100 miles away. Some of the best views can be had along US 99 from Dunsmuir to Yreka and US 97 just north of Weed. Where is your favorite view of the mountain?