Julie Brink shared a presentation on the Yellowstone Trail at their regular meeting on Tuesday evening.
Julie works out of the Museum of Fulton County, and is assisting with educating the public about the Yellowstone Trail.
The Yellowstone Trail was one of the first major roadways in the northern part of the country designed to be used with automobiles.
The trail was started in 1912 in the center of the country and the first construction headed west. The western portion was completed all the way to the coast in 1915.
Work going toward the east coast was completed through Ohio in 1916 and reached the east coast in 1919.
This northern route in the United States went all the way from Plymouth Rock to Puget Sound. The original trail was completely funded with private funds and significant volunteer labor.
The construction process at the time involved leveling the surface and removing obstacles. A horse drawn tool was developed for the leveling process and named “the main drag”.
This term was often used when referring to a roadway. Without pavement the original roadways became very muddy in wet weather, and it was not uncommon for autos to get stuck.
In 1925 Ohio began numbering roads and the original names became obscure. During the numbering process the Yellowstone Trail was called State Route 2 so most of us are familiar with the road and it intersects many of the small towns and cities in Ohio.
Julie told the club that a new sign has been developed and approved to help mark this roadway.
They are also encouraging individuals who have property adjacent to the trail to assist with the identification process.
The Museum of Fulton County has stencils to lend to those who would like to participate in the marking process.