Yellowstone Trail

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About Yellowstone Trail

This group is for photos of places and things along the historic Yellowstone Trail. Pictures from both the present and the past are welcome.

1) Images should be taken within a couple blocks of the route of the Trail. With this particular road, however, it's not always easy to tell exactly where the route went, especially in larger towns and cities. Do your best to adhere to this guideline. Maps of the trail and mile-by-mile information for most states are available below (click on the desired state name) or at the Yellowstone Trail Association Website.

2) Historic photos and old postcards from the towns are welcome.

3) Water towers in the towns along the trail are welcome.

4) Geotagged photos (added to your flickr map) are preferred so those of us who are so inclined can find the place and go there. It is not required, but very strongly encouraged!

5) No porn or nudie pictures or any offensive type stuff! This is a "Safe" group. Photos that fit into this category will be removed.

ENJOY!



The Yellowstone Trail
"A Good Road from Plymouth Rock to Puget Sound"
The Yellowstone Trail was the first transcontinental automobile highway through the upper tier of states in the United States. It ran from Massachusetts to Washington state and was one of the earliest transcontinental automobile routes in the world. The Trail had significant social, political and economic effects on both the local communities and the nation during its short life from 1912 to 1930.

The Yellowstone Trail Association was formed in October 1912 and was active until 1930. The creation of the Yellowstone Trail was a grassroots effort, not a governmental effort, and not the effort of a few wealthy business leaders, as was the Lincoln Highway through the Lincoln Highway Association, which was formed the next year. The Trail Association had small town chapters and state chapters to oversee routing. Local "routing committee men" went out into their counties to find the best roads available and then talk county governments into spending tax dollars on that route. Membership in the Trail Association was offered to delegates and towns all along the route. These people paid dues to have their towns advertised in Trail literature to draw tourists. They often headed local volunteer groups to mark the route with either yellow stones or the official yellow circle and black arrow of the Association. State or regional meetings were held.

With the eventual numbering of roads in the U.S., the need for names decreased and the need for colored markers to mark the named roads ceased. Then came the Great Depression. Merchants and towns could no longer afford to pay dues to a road association. State maps replaced the need for associations. The Yellowstone Trail and all other named trails lost their allure to other modern U.S Routes by 1930.

Today, there are areas where there are no signs that the trail ever existed, and there are are other areas that have embraced the trail and are still trying to promote it. A new Yellowstone Trail Association was formed in October 2003 to increase public knowledge about the Trail, acquire information about the Trail and its historical context, preserve artifacts along the Trail, provide a medium of communication and support among members, promote heritage tourism and sponsor Trail-related events.

Visit the new Yellowstone Trail Association for more detailed history and information.




Map of the Yellowstone Trail (click for larger image)


Towns and Cities on the Yellowstone Trail
(Click the state name for access to mile-by-mile info and maps)

Washington (E to W): Opportunity, Dishman, Spokane. North Route (post-1925): Reardon, Davenport, Creston, Wllbur, Almira, Hartline, Coulee City, Farmer, Douglas, Waterville, Orondo, Wenatchee, Cashmere, Blewett, Liberty, Cle Elum. South Route (pre-1925): Spangle, Rosalia, Thornton, Steptoe, Colfax, Dayton, Waitsburg, Walla Walla, Pasco, Kennewick, Grandview, Sunnyside, Granger, Zillah, Toppenish, Yakima, Ellensburg. North & South Route Joined: Easton, Lake Keechelus, North Bend, Snoqualmie, Fall City, Redmond, Kirkland, Seattle.

Idaho (E to W): Mullan, Wallace, Kellogg, Kingston, Cataldo, Coeur d'Alene, Post Falls.

Montana (E to W): Baker, Plevna, Westmore, Ismay, Mildred, Fallon, Terry, Miles City, Fort Keogh, Hathaway, Rosebud, Forsyth, Finch, Sanders, Hysham, Meyers, Custer, Pompey's Pillar, Worden, Huntley, Billings, Mossman, Laurel, Park City, Columbus, Springtime, Reed Point, Grey Cliff, Big Timber, Hunters Hot Springs, Livingston, Emigrant, Gardiner, Bozeman, Gallatin Gateway, Belgrade, Central Park, Manhattan, Logan, Three Forks, Willow Creek, Jefferson Island, Cardwell, Whitehall, Butte, Rocker, Warm Springs, Deer Lodge, Garrison, Drummond, Bearmouth, Bonita, Clinton, Bonner, Missoula, Frenchtown, Huson, Nine Mile, Alberton, Superior, St. Regis, Cabin City, Henderson, Deborgia, U. S. Nursery, Saltese, Taft.

North Dakota (E to W): Haynes, Hettinger, Bucyrus, Reeder, Gascoyne, Scranton, Buffalo Springs, Bowman, Rhame, Marmarth.

South Dakota (E to W): Big Stone City, Milbank, Marvin, Summit, Ortley, Waubay, Webster, Holmquist, Bristol, Andover, Groton, James, Bath, Aberdeen, Ipswich, Beebe, Roscoe, Bowdle, Java, Selby, Glenham, Mobridge, Wakpala, McLaughlin, McIntosh, Watauga, Morristown, Keldron, Thunder Hawk, Lemmon, White Butte.

Minnesota (E to W): St. Paul, Minneapolis, St. Louis Park, Hopkins, Glen Lake, Excelsior, Victoria, Waconia, Young America, Norwood, Glencoe, Sumter, Brownton, Stewart, Buffalo Lake, Hector, Bird Island, Olivia, Danube, Renville, Sacred Heart, Granite Falls, Wegdahl, Montevideo, Watson, Milan, Appleton, Correll, Odessa, Ortonville.

Wisconsin (W to E): Hudson, Roberts, Hammond, Baldwin, Wilson, Knapp, Menomonie, Eau Claire, Chippewa Falls, Cadott, Boyd, Stanley, Thorp, Withee, Owen, Curtiss, Abbotsford, Colby, Unity, Spencer, Marshfield, Auburndale, Blenker, Milladore, Junction City, Stevens Point, Stockton, Amherst Junction, Amherst, Sheridan, Waupaca, Weyauwega, Fremont, Readfield, Dale, Medina, Appleton, Menasha, Neenah, Winchester, Butte des Morts, Oshkosh, Van Dyne, North Fond du Lac, Fond du Lac, Byron, Lomira, Theresa, Addison, St. Lawrence, Slinger (Schleisingerville), Richfield, Menomonee Falls, Milwaukee, Cudahy, South Milwaukee, Racine, Kenosha.

Illinois (W to E): Zion City, Waukegan, North Chicago, Lake Forest, Fort Sheridan, Highwood, Highland Park, Glencoe, Winnetka, Kenilworth, Willmette, Evanston, Chicago, South Chicago.

Indiana (W to E): Whiting, Hammond, Hessville, Gary, South Gary, Hobart, Valparaiso, Wanatah, Hanna, Plymouth, Bourbon, Warsaw, Winona Lake, Pierceton, Larwill, Columbia City, Fort Wayne, Harlan.

Ohio (W to E): Hicksville, Farmer, Bryan, Stryker, Archbold, Wauseon, Delta, Crissey, Toledo, Stony Ridge, Woodville, Fremont, Clyde, Castlia, Sandusky, Huron, Vermillion, Lorain, Clifton Park, Cleveland, Painsville, Geneva, Ashtabula, Conneaut.

Pennsylvania (W to E): Girard, Erie.

New York (W to E): Ripley, Fredonia, Farnham, Buffalo, Batavia, Churchville, Rochester, Auburn, Seneca Falls, Geneva, Canandaigua, Syracuse, Chittenango, Oneida Castle, Utica, Herkimer, Little Falls, Fonda, Amsterdam, Schenectady, Albany.

Massachusetts (W to E): Pittsfield, Lenox, Lee, West Becker, Chester, Russell, Woronoco, Westfield, West Springfield, Springfield, Indian Orchard, Palmer, Warren, Brookfield, Spencer, Tafts Corner, Leicester, Worcester, Shrewsbury, Northboro, Marlboro, Sudbury, East Sudbury, Wayland, Weston, Boston, Quincy, Weymouth, Assinippi, Hanover, North Pembroke, Kingston, Plymouth



LET'S GROW THIS GROUP!

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<b>This image would be a nice addition to the <a href="http://www.flickr.com/groups/yellowstonetrail/">Yellowstone Trail</a> group.
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This image would be a nice addition to the Yellowstone Trail group.
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Graphical Invite Code (use at your discretion - copy between the lines):
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<b>This image would be a nice addition to
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/groups/yellowstonetrail/"><img src="http://deckernet.com/gifs/YellowstoneIcon-48.jpg" /></a>
The <a href="http://www.flickr.com/groups/yellowstonetrail/">Yellowstone Trail</a> group.
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/groups/yellowstonetrail/">www.flickr.com/groups/yellowstonetrail/</a></b>

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Will look like:

This image would be a nice addition to

The Yellowstone Trail group.
www.flickr.com/groups/yellowstonetrail/

http://www.flickr.com/groups/yellowstonetrail/