Our Highway 99 Adventures are hitting the road! Well, sort of. We have been working on getting some materials for distribution ready and we finally have a brochure for Region 3 – the San Joaquin Valley. Due to space limitations, we had to pick one location from each county. If you’d like some copies to distribute at your business or otherwise, let us know and we’ll send some out. They promote the Association as well as a select set of locations along the road.
For the other regions, we could use your help. Now that we have a basic format, we’d like some help in choosing which locations to put for each county. Check out our “Highway 99 Adventures” pages and let us know what you think we should put in our other brochures.
We are also looking for donations to help support this new advertising campaign. If you’d like to donate, visit our Donations page. Any contribution is welcomed and appreciated.
Old routes, destinations, and even locations that have long since disappeared from maps sometimes reappear or never really disappeared on road signs. These “ghosts” appear in many forms, if you know what to look for. Mind you, some are more obvious, as shown in the photo below where a piece of overlay, or “greenout” fell off in early 2023, showing the old sign message.
US 99 revealed on the Ventura Freeway (State 134) in 2023, since covered. Courtesy – Michael F Ballard
Sometimes the sign is on full display where the message was just modified, such as these signs along 99 where either US was replaced with STATE or the shield shape was modified.
“State” 99, formerly US 99. Courtesy -Michael F Ballard
Note the different holes around the S and both t’s in State, which were to hold U and S. Courtesy – Michael F Ballard
Sometimes not all of the old text was removed. In this case, US 60 remained but, if you look closely, you can spot the holes for a 70 and 99 to the right of the 60.
Old sign at Hess Blvd and State Route 62 in 1998. Courtesy – Michael F Ballard
Note the holes to the right of the 60, which formerly held up a 70 and 99. Courtesy – Michael F Ballard
In some instances, the old route is “peaking out” from under the overlay. Instances of this could be found in Atwater and Beaumont until not all that long ago.
Atwater US 99 “ears” in 1998. Courtesy – Michael F Ballard
US 60 peaking out from under a State Route 60 overlay at Beaumont. US 99 followed the 10. Courtesy – Michael F Ballard
Other signs had complete overlays placed but was still obvious that there was something more. Usually in these cases, the alignment of the shields was a clue or the different colored panels that were placed.
Late 1990’s view of the former Verbenia Ave exit sign on westbound I-10. Note the panel to the right of the 10 shield. It is covering a US 99 shield. Courtesy – Michael F Ballard
Another angle on the Verbenia Ave sign with the overlay panel still quite obvious. Courtesy – Michael F Ballard
Signage at the west end of 6th St in Beaumont. Everything except the 10 is an overlay here. US 60 is covered by State Route 60. The light colored panel to the right of the 10 covers US 70 and US 99. Courtesy – Michael F Ballard
As you can see, there are many ways old routes can be found on signs. Even if covered, document everything you find. You really never know when one of these will be replaced or might perhaps reveal a “ghost” from the past. If we have missed. let us know and we’d be happy to showcase it on our site, with proper credit of course.
I wanted to give some updates on the Pine and Palm. I recently had a meeting with Caltrans District 6 to discuss the project and what our intentions are for the landmark trees.
Signage
We explained that, while we appreciated and liked their idea of planting more trees along the southbound side of the roadway, we would like to see a marker or sign placed in both directions to help commemorate the site and increase public awareness of the landmark itself. They agreed this would be a good idea in concept but were uncertain if it could gain approval as the signs as proposed may not be MUTCD compliant. The main issue was with the graphics of the pine and palm itself, as they are not standard for signage. Should the sign be approved, that portion of the sign would likely have to be removed. There is precedent for such a sign in Oregon which marks the 45th Parallel along I-5. The Pine and Palm are similar in nature, though not as specific, so that should help us in our quest for approval. We look forward to finding a way to make this happen.
Median Barrier
Caltrans also is looking into putting something on the median barrier itself, which has been done in many other locations through the state. These, in addition to the signs and new trees, should help mark the site and its significance. We are confident we can make something happen at the Pine and Palm site, even if it takes longer than construction.
Existing Trees
The existing trees may not likely survive, unfortunately, due to the problems of moving such plants. If they are moved, those accepting the trees may have to bear the costs of the move, which can be prohibitive to some. Their disposition isn’t likely to be known for a while and we will try to keep everyone informed as to where they end up. For now, we have until early 2026 before they are torn down, so make sure to enjoy them while they last.
The Caltrans project calls for planting 15 new pine and palm trees along the southbound side of the roadway 330 feet south of the existing location.
Caltrans Proposal for new trees in relation to the existing trees
Design Help
As a side note, we are looking for an artist to design a “Pine and Palm” logo for placement on t-shirts and stickers which we’d like to sell. Let us know if you’re interested in helping us with this project. We are looking to get things started soon.
The historic Pine and Palm in the Heart of California is planned to be removed in the next year and we need your help to save them!
Caltrans is planning to widen Highway 99 through the area to six lanes, which will necessitate the removal of the historic site. As a mitigation, they plan to plan 15 pines and palms along the southbound side of the highway. While a nice gesture, the elimination of the historic site is alarming and problematic. They are not proposing any additional measures at this time.
We propose the trees be relocated and saved if possible. We also propose that signs be placed at the location to mark the historic site and bring it further into public view. They could be relocated to the shoulder or possibly to a local museum. These trees, in one form or another, have marked the transition between Northern and Southern California since the 1920’s and they must not be lost to “progress”. Help us save these historic trees by writing to Caltrans District 6 and tell them you want to see these trees saved as well as the location marked properly. You can also contact the state Assembly and Senate representatives to assist in this effort.
While we have a design for the sign already, we are open to additional submissions. We intend to hold a public vote on the sign design in the near future.
We need your help! Contact us or donate if you’d like to get involved in our efforts!
Reference the “South Madera Six-Lane Project” and the Pine And the Palm when contacting them. Tell them the Historic Highway 99 Association of California sent you!
