Historic Sites and Points of Interest in Placer County

Truckee Trail T-47: Ascent to Lake and Valley

Truckee Trail T-47: Ascent to Lake and Valley

Truckee Trail T-47: Ascent to Lake and Valley
Vestige of the Lincoln Highway Roadbed

2 September 2014
(Click Photos to Zoom)
Truckee Trail T-47: Ascent to Lake and Valley
Old Lincoln Highway
Near Yuba Pass
39°19'07.7"N 120°33'53.1"W

Truckee Trail - Ascent to Lake and Valley

"Traveled six miles down Eubah then took to the left over the mountain passed a lake on our left on top of the mountain [Crystal Lake] drove ... to a valley on our left [Six Mile Valley] and encamp" - William P. Thompson, Aug 28, 1850

The marker, which is located near a vestige of the Lincoln Highway, can be reached from I-80 Exit 164 (Eagle Lakes).

The Lincoln Highway

The Lincoln Highway, conceived in 1912 and formally dedicated October 31, 1913, was the first road to cross the United States. It ran from Times Square in New York City to Lincoln Park in San Francisco passing through thirteen states: New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Nebraska, Colorado, Wyoming, Utah, Nevada, and California.

In 1925, the US Bureau of Public Roads eliminated named trails and highways, and Lincoln Highway became drab series of numbers: US 1, US 30, US 40, US 50.

One of the last actions of the Lincoln Highway Association before it closed, was to order the casting of 3,000 concrete markers, to dedicate the highway to the memory of Abraham Lincoln. A rectangular head on top of a hexagonal shaped post, the markers featured the Lincoln Highway logo, a bronze medallion and arrows to indicate the route of the memorial highway. The US Bureau of Public Roads allowed the placement of these markers along the length of the old highway.

According to the 1916 edition of the Lincoln Highway Association Official Road Guide, a trip from the Atlantic to the Pacific was "something of a sporting proposition" and might take twenty to thirty days. Motorists were advised to top off their gasoline at every opportunity and to wade through water before driving through to verify the depth. Recommended equipment included chains, a shovel, an axe, jacks, tire casings, inner tubes and sundry tools. Firearms were not necessary, but west of Omaha full camping equipment was recommended.

Source: Lincoln Highway Association and others.

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