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Celebrating our two-lane highways of yesteryear…And the joys of driving them today!

La Times Article


darthfadar
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Interesting article on some historically significant roads I know next to nothing about.

 

Denny, Mobilene, Kevin,

 

I couldn't resist tossing in a couple of 1925 Ridge Route Maps and a tale of Great Grandfather Keep under the title 1925 Ridge Route & 1896 Newhall Cut.

 

Kevin, you must be pretty close, maybe just a few miles, from the old Newhall/Beale's cut. How about a story and photo?

 

Keep the Show on the Road!

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Well, this would be a first for me. But, I'll give it a try! I've heard that Lake Shasta level is quite low & 5 or 6 Hwy 99 bridges are exposed, no longer covered by the lake. I'll be driving by there in December & I'll try to get a few pix of that area, too.

 

Kevin,

 

Terrific!!!

 

The trip to Shasta would be wonderful as well. A fellow by the name of Jervie Eastman, based out of Susanville (California), photographed those old bridges in the 1930's and 1940's. He was a “real photo” post card producer. He produced post cards as contact prints from large negatives. The details are wonderful...but that isn’t quite the point.

 

The real point is that those bridges exist in wonderful old photos. The University of California at Davis has his outtakes on line. So you can easily get several photos from their on line collection and match them to the “sunken” bridges before you go.

 

You probably know the Redding - Mt Shasta area better than I do, but a winter trip there can be beautiful. If you got some old road shots, all the better. On the off chance it is new to you, I have driven most of the roads, and even RVed a few, not to mention I probably have several old maps, and guides for the area.

 

Thanks again for the LA times lead!

 

Keep the Show on the Road!

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Hi Jim,

 

I hope Mike Ballard pipes in!

 

Shasta lake is actually a reservoir built between 1937 & 1945. From what I gather on the yahoogroups Hwy 99 forum, these bridges were covered by the lake, as it filled.

 

What interests me is whether the bridges were 'demolished & debris left' or 'covered by the water, intact'.

 

Also, Hwy 99 in north Los Angeles County is covered by another reservoir, Pyramid Lake. I've read the highway remnants run deep there

 

Sidenote: Along the same time of 1938 to 1945, the Kentucky River Dam was built & 2 towns were abandoned when the lake started to fill.

 

If you ever get to visit the Kentucky dam, they've got got a nice museum & tour area. In the museum area are pictures of the towns with the water rising. The buildings were standing, even with business signage attached to the buildings. So, that heightens my interest as to what is under Lake Shasta & Lake Pyramid.

 

Kevin

 

 

Wait... pardon the question from the Midwesterner, but how did those bridges end up under Lake Shasta in the first place? jim
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