Denton, TX: Pic of Old US Shields on Square

[Brian556]

Notice that US 380 is posted here without a "TO" sign, even thought 380 doesn't/didn't pass through the square. It's predecessor, SH 24, did pass through the square until 1951, when it moved to what is now 380 between Denton and McKinney. I'm wondering if SH 24 signage was just replaced with US 380 signage without the thought that "hey wait, this route doesn't go through here anymore"

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=597854890252511&set=gm.722972267731077&type=1&theater

[usends]

Notice that US 380 is posted here without a "TO" sign, even though 380 doesn't/didn't pass through the square.

Based on a number of historic photos I've seen over the years, I've become convinced that it was once a common practice in Texas to sign nearby highways from the courthouse/central business district, including routes that didn't technically pass through the CBD.  A few examples can be seen on this page...
http://usends.com/Focus/Waco/index.html
...the first and third photos, with descriptions in the adjacent text.  Anyway, if so, then perhaps that helps to explain the US 380 sign in the Denton photo you shared.

[Brian556]

Based on a number of historic photos I've seen over the years, I've become convinced that it was once a common practice in Texas to sign nearby highways from the courthouse/central business district, including routes that didn't technically pass through the CBD.  A few examples can be seen on this page...
http://usends.com/Focus/Waco/index.html
...the first and third photos, with descriptions in the adjacent text.  Anyway, if so, then perhaps that helps to explain the US 380 sign in the Denton photo you shared.

Thanks. That really helps my understanding of this.

However, in the 80's, there was a sign assembly WB Eagle at Locust that said: "NORTH 77 377 380 --->" This was south of the square by several blocks, and made no sense because 380 is E-W, so it should have said : NORTH 77 377 TO 380 --->.

[bassoon1986]

I just found this one as well in that FB group, Brian. I don't know what year though. From 1968.

It has North US 77 with Gainesville and Okla City,
TX 24 with Decatur and McKinney,
and TX 99 with Pilot Point and Whitesboro

So were these the days 24 went through the square or is this the practice usends spoke of? This is on Hickory Street at Locust facing east (actually the SE corner)

[bassoon1986]

And an older one. 1957, same shot as above

[Brian556]

SH 24 went through the square until about 1951, when the section due east out of Denton was built. Prior to that, it ran concurrently with US 77 to Lake Dallas, where it headed east on Main St. Because of this, I had thought that the SH 24 signs remained on the square as a legacy, But then again, it could have been due to that signing practice. I really can't be sure.

SH 99 existed 1060-1969.

[agentsteel53]

SH 99 existed 1060-1969.

I cannot parse this typo.  if you mean "1960-1969" - I have seen an embossed 1921-1935 route 99 shield from Texas.

[Brian556]

Quote from angentsteel53:

I cannot parse this typo.  if you mean "1960-1969" - I have seen an embossed 1921-1935 route 99 shield from Texas.

I meant 1960-1969. The Denton-Whitesboro Highway was SH 10 up until 1960, when it was changed to SH 99 to match OK 99 due to the two highways being connected by the then-new Lake Texoma Bridge. If you have seen a SH 99 shield that was from before that time period, it had to mean that that number was previously used on a completely different road somewhere else in TX. This is odd because there is no SH 99 in the TX HWY Designation files prior to 1960. These files go back to 1939; so maybe it was before that.

[NE2]

99 was definitely used before 1939, since numbering was sequential.

[Henry]

Gotta love that nostalgia!

[agentsteel53]

These files go back to 1939; so maybe it was before that.

from Wikipedia:

http://In 1926, SH 99 was a minimal highway from Alpine to San Angelo. By 1936, this route was transferred to SH 10. In 1960, a new route was made for SH 99, going from Denton to the Oklahoma line, replacing the old routing of SH 10. SH 10 then was changed to SH 99 to match OK 99 at its border. In 1968, this route became US 377.

so, looks like three completely separate 99s have existed.

fixed img tags to quote tags ~S