Lincoln Highway, US 48 and US 50 from French Camp west over Altamont Pass

[Max Rockatansky]

I spent much of the morning tracking down the old alignments of the Lincoln Highway, US 48 and US 50 from French Camp west over Altamont Pass.  I don't have my blog worked up by the photos are ready to go, there is actually a surprisingly large amount of Lincoln Highway shields present on the roads:

https://flic.kr/s/aHsmzABcWi

Of note there is a small variation between the Lincoln Highway and what became US 48.  The Lincoln Highway originally went through French Camp and Banta instead of bypassing them.   To that end there is shields for the Lincoln Highway in French Camp and on CR J4 leading towards Banta.  The truncation of US 48 from French Camp to Yosemite Avenue in Lathrop is vexing since most documentation I've seen shows US 99 between Stockton and Manteca splitting into E/W routes by 1929.  The state clearly adopted the right of way that became US 99 W/E by 1928...granted they weren't really signing the highways at the time. 

1926 State Highway Map

https://www.davidrumsey.com/luna/servlet/detail/RUMSEY~8~1~239604~5511901:Map-Showing-State-Highway-System--C?sort=Pub_List_No_InitialSort%2CPub_Date%2CPub_List_No%2CSeries_No&qvq=q:caltrans;sort:Pub_List_No_InitialSort%2CPub_Date%2CPub_List_No%2CSeries_No;lc:RUMSEY~8~1&mi=79&trs=86

1928 State Highway Map

https://www.davidrumsey.com/luna/servlet/detail/RUMSEY~8~1~239602~5511900:Map-Showing-State-Highway-System--C?sort=Pub_List_No_InitialSort%2CPub_Date%2CPub_List_No%2CSeries_No&qvq=q:caltrans;sort:Pub_List_No_InitialSort%2CPub_Date%2CPub_List_No%2CSeries_No;lc:RUMSEY~8~1&mi=78&trs=86

[Max Rockatansky]

I'm still working on my notes for the upcoming blog on this topic.  Any additional insight would be helpful, especially if it includes map links pertaining to US 48:

Here is a simplified timeline of what I have for US 48 which I intend to post on the upcoming blog regarding the route between French Camp west over Altamont Pass.  I'll flesh this out more when I write the actual blog but this is the gist of what I came up with:

1863

-  Construction of the First Transcontinental Railroad began, the Central Pacific Railroad chose a route over Altamont Pass.  The Central Pacific Railroad would be fully completed in 1869.

1910

-  LRN 5 between Hayward, Tracy and Stockton is approved by voters as part of the 1909 First State Highway Bond Act.

https://www.cahighways.org/chrphas1.html

1913

The Lincoln Highway Auto Trail is formally dedicated late in the year.  The Lincoln Highway was subsequently signed from French Camp west over Altamont Pass.

The Lincoln Highway used a slightly different alignment from French Camp west over Altamont Pass than US 48 ultimately would.  The Lincoln Highway used the following route from French Camp:

-  French Camp Road to Ash Street.
-  Ash Street to Harlan Road.
-  Harlan Road through Lathrop to Manthey Road
-  An older crossing via Manthey Road through Mossdale which is up river south of the current roadway.
-  Manthey Road through the present right of way of I-5 to 11th Street/I-205 BL.
-  11th Street to Grant Line Road/CR J4.
-  Grant Line Road/CR J4 to Banta via G Street.
-  Likely 7th Street and F Street through Banta.
-  F Street to Banta Road.
-  Banta Road to 11th Street.
-  11th Street to Byron Road.
-  Byron Road (which becomes CR J4 north of I-205) to Grant Line Road
-  Grant Line Road to Altamont Pass Road
-  Altamont Pass Road over Altamont Pass

The above alignment of the Lincoln Highway between French Camp over Altamont Pass can be seen on the 1917 CSAA Highway Map of California:

https://www.davidrumsey.com/luna/servlet/detail/RUMSEY~8~1~289517~90061476:Automobile-highway-map-of-Californi?sort=Pub_List_No_InitialSort%2CPub_Date%2CPub_List_No%2CSeries_No&qvq=q:california%20highway;sort:Pub_List_No_InitialSort%2CPub_Date%2CPub_List_No%2CSeries_No;lc:RUMSEY~8~1&mi=12&trs=231

The Lincoln Highway appears to have been shifted out of Banta by 1918 onto the 11th Street Bypass which can be seen on the State Highway Map of the same year.

https://www.davidrumsey.com/luna/servlet/detail/RUMSEY~8~1~239613~5511905:Road-Map-of-the-State-of-California?sort=Pub_List_No_InitialSort%2CPub_Date%2CPub_List_No%2CSeries_No&qvq=q:caltrans;sort:Pub_List_No_InitialSort%2CPub_Date%2CPub_List_No%2CSeries_No;lc:RUMSEY~8~1&mi=83&trs=86

The route of US 48 was ultimately selected to be routed from French Camp west over Altamont Pass and by proxy San Jose in 1926.  In the initial planning stages of the US Route system US 48 was planned as US 42 which can be seen on a 1925 Rand McNally Highway map of California and Nevada.

https://www.davidrumsey.com/luna/servlet/detail/RUMSEY~8~1~2159~200005:Rand-McNally-Junior-Road-Map-Califo?sort=Pub_Date%2CPub_List_No_InitialSort

US 48 ultimately appears between French Camp and San Jose on 1926/1927 commercial maps.

http://www.mappery.com/map-of/Highway-Plan-1926-Map

https://www.davidrumsey.com/luna/servlet/detail/RUMSEY~8~1~33782~1171498:Denver,-San-Francisco,-Los-Angeles-?sort=Pub_Date%2CPub_List_No_InitialSort

By 1928 State Maintenance of LRN 4 out of Stockton shifted to Mariposa Road.  This eventually led to US 48 being truncated to Lathrop in 1929 at US 99W but it is possible that the change actually occurred in 1928.  The Lincoln Highway was shifted off of Altamont Pass onto the corridor of US 40.

https://www.davidrumsey.com/luna/servlet/detail/RUMSEY~8~1~239602~5511900:Map-Showing-State-Highway-System--C?sort=Pub_List_No_InitialSort%2CPub_Date%2CPub_List_No%2CSeries_No&qvq=q:caltrans%201928;sort:Pub_List_No_InitialSort%2CPub_Date%2CPub_List_No%2CSeries_No;lc:RUMSEY~8~1&mi=0&trs=1

Most sources also cite 1929 as the year US 101 split into E/W routes around San Francisco Bay.  This led to the truncation of US 48 to Hayward, however this does not appear on any maps until the 1930 State Highway edition.

https://www.davidrumsey.com/luna/servlet/detail/RUMSEY~8~1~239599~5511899:Road-Map-of-the-State-of-California?sort=Pub_List_No_InitialSort%2CPub_Date%2CPub_List_No%2CSeries_No&qvq=q:caltrans%201930;sort:Pub_List_No_InitialSort%2CPub_Date%2CPub_List_No%2CSeries_No;lc:RUMSEY~8~1&mi=0&trs=2

https://www.davidrumsey.com/luna/servlet/detail/RUMSEY~8~1~239601~5511906:-Verso--Road-Map-of-the-State-of-Ca?sort=Pub_List_No_InitialSort%2CPub_Date%2CPub_List_No%2CSeries_No&qvq=q:caltrans%201930;sort:Pub_List_No_InitialSort%2CPub_Date%2CPub_List_No%2CSeries_No;lc:RUMSEY~8~1&mi=1&trs=2

In 1934 US 50 is shown on the Bay Area City Insert section extended to Hayward.  US 48 still appears on the overall map and no extensions of US 50 show on the Stockton or Sacramento City inserts.

https://www.davidrumsey.com/luna/servlet/detail/RUMSEY~8~1~239594~5511896:Road-Map-of-the-State-of-California?sort=Pub_List_No_InitialSort%2CPub_Date%2CPub_List_No%2CSeries_No&qvq=q:caltrans%201934;sort:Pub_List_No_InitialSort%2CPub_Date%2CPub_List_No%2CSeries_No;lc:RUMSEY~8~1&mi=72&trs=83

https://www.davidrumsey.com/luna/servlet/detail/RUMSEY~8~1~239596~5511897:-Verso--Road-Map-of-the-State-of-Ca?sort=Pub_List_No_InitialSort%2CPub_Date%2CPub_List_No%2CSeries_No&qvq=q:caltrans%201934;sort:Pub_List_No_InitialSort%2CPub_Date%2CPub_List_No%2CSeries_No;lc:RUMSEY~8~1&mi=73&trs=83

State Highway maintenance was added in the City of Oakland by 1935 in anticipation of the Bay Bridge being completed.  US 50 was likely extended over all of remaining US 48 in 1935.  More detail can be found on the CA 123/Old US 40 blog.

https://www.gribblenation.org/2019/03/california-state-route-123san-pablo.html

US 50 remained a signed highway between French Camp over Altamont Pass until it was replaced fully by I-5, I-205 and I-580.  More detail can be found on the I-580 blog.

https://www.gribblenation.org/2019/03/interstate-580-from-i-205-west-to-ca-13.html

[Max Rockatansky]

Uploaded some maps of the old US 48, US 50 and Lincoln Highway alignments from French Camp to Mossdale:

French Camp Area

X1 French Camp by Max Rockatansky, on Flickr

Lathrop Area

X2 Lathrop by Max Rockatansky, on Flickr

Mossdale Area

X3 Mossdale by Max Rockatansky, on Flickr

[mrsman]

Amazing how much of  I-5's ROW took over historic routes.  I assumed that the only historic routing in the area was under CA 99 (or its obvious business routes).

[Max Rockatansky]

Amazing how much of  I-5's ROW took over historic routes.  I assumed that the only historic routing in the area was under CA 99 (or its obvious business routes).

What's really weird is how far 99 used to swing west before 1928.  Really in the context of the original roads available US 48 made sense since it met 99 at French Camp.  Things got really weird when US 99 was split into W/E routes from Stockon to Manteca.  Personally I would have just extended US 48 Stockton and called it a day or had US 50 routed to San Jose in the original  run of US Routes. 

[Max Rockatansky]

Finished the rest of the maps for Lincoln Highway/US 48 from Banta westward over Altamont Pass.  The alignment of the Lincoln Highway through Banta was pretty interesting, it shows being straightened circa 1918 on a State Highway Map.

Banta Area

X4 Banta by Max Rockatansky, on Flickr

Tracy Area

X5 Tracy by Max Rockatansky, on Flickr

Altamont Pass Area

X6 Altamont Pass by Max Rockatansky, on Flickr

[hotdogPi]

Which language is your Google Maps in? "Interestatal" is Spanish, but California doesn't begin with a K in Spanish.

[Max Rockatansky]

Which language is your Google Maps in? "Interestatal" is Spanish, but California doesn't begin with a K in Spanish.

Spanish, my fiancé is bilingual and I have a feeling she changed the setting looking something up in Mexico this past week.  I didn't even notice until I drew the 4th map. 

[Max Rockatansky]

Made an error on my first map with the early Lincoln Highway alignment between Stockton and French Camp that I updated.  The Lincoln Highway was actually on Manthey Road and French Camp Turnpike both which have been partially consumed by I-5.

On a side note I knew there was groups that were dedicated to the Lincoln Highway.  What I wasn't aware of was that the Lincoln Highway Associate was so large and had map showing every alignment of the Lincoln Highway:

https://www.lincolnhighwayassoc.org/map/

For what its worth I'm glad to see the rest of my maps agree with the Lincoln Highway Associate as well as my earlier stuff on the Dutch Flat & Donner Lake Road at Donner Pass.

[The Ghostbuster]

Did the original US 48 make sense location-wise, compared to the second US 48 (now Interstate 68), and the present US 48?

[Max Rockatansky]

Did the original US 48 make sense location-wise, compared to the second US 48 (now Interstate 68), and the present US 48?

The corridor was absolutely US Route worthy, not the original numbering was questionable being south of US 50.  The original should have been a 3d of US 99 or part of US 50 from the get-go. 

[Max Rockatansky]

Finished my blog post on US 48/Lincoln Highway over Altamont Pass finally...  My goal this past week was to drive and/or find as much of the original alignments of US 48 and the Lincoln Highway as I could from French Camp west over Altamont Pass.  Surprisingly there isn't a huge variance between the early Lincoln Highway and US 48 but there are some notable differences like the route of former through Banta.  I prepared six maps showing the alignments of US 48 and the Lincoln Highway to go along with a photo route log.  I didn't bother with too much regarding US 50 given the alignment shifted onto New Altamont Pass near the end of the 1930s.

https://www.gribblenation.org/2019/03/hunting-early-lincoln-highway-and-us.html

[bing101]

It's interesting that Lincoln Highway used to take the US-48, US-99 and the former US-50 alignment in San Joaquin county before Lincoln Highway was placed to Solano County when the Carquinez Bridge and US-40 came into play.

http://www.solanoarticles.com/history/index.php/weblog/more/roadway_was_once_a_journey_of_endurance/

Here is the Solano county to Sacramento alignment of Lincoln Highway. In the case of Solano County for the Lincoln highway to be viable the Carquinez bridge and Yolo Causeway were a major factor to bridge the Bay Area and Sacramento Valley together economically.

[Max Rockatansky]

It's interesting that Lincoln Highway used to take the US-48, US-99 and the former US-50 alignment in San Joaquin county before Lincoln Highway was placed to Solano County when the Carquinez Bridge and US-40 came into play.

http://www.solanoarticles.com/history/index.php/weblog/more/roadway_was_once_a_journey_of_endurance/

Here is the Solano county to Sacramento alignment of Lincoln Highway. In the case of Solano County for the Lincoln highway to be viable the Carquinez bridge and Yolo Causeway were a major factor to bridge the Bay Area and Sacramento Valley together economically.

The Carquinez Bridge was a huge game changer for transportation between the Bay Area and San Francisco.  Before the bridge the best route was either the Lincoln Highway or taking the Benicia-Martinez Ferry.  US 40 probably even was routed in the interim over the Benicia-Martinez ferry until the Carquinez Bridge was built.  Interestingly all that Lincoln Highway signage served as a defacto signed highway between Hayward and Oakland.  It really isn't clear whether US 101E came to be either in 1928 or 1929.  By most accounts the US Routed weren't even signed until 1928 which have the Auto Trails a somewhat prolonged lease on life. 

[Verlanka]

The Carquinez Bridge was a huge game changer for transportation between the Bay Area and San Francisco.

You mean between the Bay Area and Sacramento? San Francisco is part of the Bay Area.

[Max Rockatansky]

The Carquinez Bridge was a huge game changer for transportation between the Bay Area and San Francisco.

You mean between the Bay Area and Sacramento? San Francisco is part of the Bay Area.

Yes, wrote that up while I was talking to someone.  Before the Carquinez Bridge there was no direct access by road between the Bay Area and Sacramento that didn't require use of a ferry.  As the article stated the route through Stockton and Altamont Pass was a 40 mile detour.  I suspect the length of said detour is why US 48 ever existed at all as opposed to US 50 being routed to the Bay Area from the beginning of the US Route system. 

[Mapmikey]

Some information:

US routes in California were signed starting Sept 1928 with completion expected Sept 1929, per the 1927-1928 Biennial Report of Highways.  See pg. 90 at https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=uc1.32106014327230;view=1up;seq=94

or it was Jan 1928 if you believe a 1964 California Hwys journal - see pg. 13 at http://libraryarchives.metro.net/DPGTL/Californiahighways/chpw_1964_marapr.pdf

US 48 became US 50 in 1930 or 1931 per 1931-32 report.  See pg 127 at https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=uc1.32106018217437;view=1up;seq=133
This is also the timeframe US 60 came to California, US 99 was extended from El Centro to Calexico, and US 40 was rerouted via Vallejo

[Max Rockatansky]

Some information:

US routes in California were signed starting Sept 1928 with completion expected Sept 1929, per the 1927-1928 Biennial Report of Highways.  See pg. 90 at https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=uc1.32106014327230;view=1up;seq=94

or it was Jan 1928 if you believe a 1964 California Hwys journal - see pg. 13 at http://libraryarchives.metro.net/DPGTL/Californiahighways/chpw_1964_marapr.pdf

US 48 became US 50 in 1930 or 1931 per 1931-32 report.  See pg 127 at https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=uc1.32106018217437;view=1up;seq=133
This is also the timeframe US 60 came to California, US 99 was extended from El Centro to Calexico, and US 40 was rerouted via Vallejo

That's a pretty handy collection of articles, that's the first time I've ever seen a clear answer on pretty much any of the US Route movements in late 1920s/early 1930s.

[US 89]

The Carquinez Bridge was a huge game changer for transportation between the Bay Area and San Francisco.

You mean between the Bay Area and Sacramento? San Francisco is part of the Bay Area.

Yes, wrote that up while I was talking to someone.  Before the Carquinez Bridge there was no direct access by road between the Bay Area and Sacramento that didn't require use of a ferry.  As the article stated the route through Stockton and Altamont Pass was a 40 mile detour.  I suspect the length of said detour is why US 48 ever existed at all as opposed to US 50 being routed to the Bay Area from the beginning of the US Route system.

So does that mean US 40 originally crossed the Carquinez Strait using a ferry? If so that's really interesting.

Also, the southbound Carquinez suspension bridge is a lot cooler than the northbound bridge. Plus it doesn't require a toll. 

[Max Rockatansky]

The Carquinez Bridge was a huge game changer for transportation between the Bay Area and San Francisco.

You mean between the Bay Area and Sacramento? San Francisco is part of the Bay Area.

Yes, wrote that up while I was talking to someone.  Before the Carquinez Bridge there was no direct access by road between the Bay Area and Sacramento that didn't require use of a ferry.  As the article stated the route through Stockton and Altamont Pass was a 40 mile detour.  I suspect the length of said detour is why US 48 ever existed at all as opposed to US 50 being routed to the Bay Area from the beginning of the US Route system.

So does that mean US 40 originally crossed the Carquinez Strait using a ferry? If so that's really interesting.

Also, the southbound Carquinez suspension bridge is a lot cooler than the northbound bridge. Plus it doesn't require a toll. 

Pretty good chance of it, or at least on a functional level with LRN 14 and LRN 7.

https://www.cahighways.org/009-016.html#LR014

The really interesting part is that the Carquinez Bridge wasn't connected to LRN 7 until 1931:

https://www.cahighways.org/001-008.html#LR007

While that doesn't necessarily indicate that US 40 was on the Benicia-Martinez Ferry by the LRN 7 was extended given the state wasn't the body signing highways at the time.

[Max Rockatansky]

Made an update to the blog attached to this thread with the link provided for the Division of Highways Report cited a couple posts above regarding the truncation of US 48.

[Max Rockatansky]

Stumbled upon some documentation regarding US 48 while looking into the split in US 99 north of Sacramento in the AASHO database.  Apparently extending US 48 to Stockton was requested at one point:

https://na4.visualvault.com/app/AASHTO/Default/documentviewer?DhID=2669f497-4be6-ea11-a98a-ff9beffbfef8&hidemenu=true

[Max Rockatansky]

I'll be revisiting some of our older articles pertaining to US Routes within California which had open mysteries pertaining to end points which now have answers due to the discovery of the AASHO Renumbering Database.  One of those mysteries was the truncation of US Route 48 and it's ultimate demise after being consumed by US 50.  US 48 was first truncated from French Camp to Mossdale and from San Jose to Hayward in 1929.  This truncation led to the creation of US 101E and the Stockton-Manteca US 99W/US 99E split.  US 48 was completely consumed by US 50 by June 1931 when it was extend to Oakland by way of Altamont Pass.  I was surprised at how close I had the story of US 48 in Altamont Pass article, but nonetheless the clarity of the AASHO Database brought welcome resolution.

https://www.gribblenation.org/2019/03/hunting-early-lincoln-highway-and-us.html