A mystery about a mystery

[Mapmikey]

So a few years ago somebody on what I thought was this forum posted a color picture (or a link to it) of a US 30 sign from the 50s or 60s wanting to know where it was.  What was unusual about the sign is that it was a black and white sign saying you were on US 30 going west.

There were a few replies mostly about trying to decipher which state in US 30's path had the style of shield used on this sign.  And some bewilderment about the need for that much specificity about you are going on 30 west.

I attempted to figure out the location using historic views, etc based on a few clues in the picture but didn't solve it.  Then I forgot all about it.

Then while searching for photos for USEnds.com, I found this picture - http://cdm16876.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/singleitem/collection/p16876coll1/id/6563/rec/256 - which has a VERY similar sign on US 10 in Idaho.

My quest over the last couple days has been to find this thread again so that I can look at the US 30 picture with a renewed Idaho focus. 

Anyone have any idea where this thread lies?  I've tried some search terms on the forum and come up empty...

[luokou]

You're talking about this photo, right?


I stumbled across this photo on an ebay listing selling old slides a number of years ago. I don't know anything else about when these were taken or where, but the only thing I could figure out was with the other two slides in this set: a button-copy US 101 reassurance shield which placed that in (most likely) Northern California, and an old 1950's style OR-36 shield at a junction in Mapleton. Based on these locations, perhaps this person took a Pacific Northwest trip through Idaho, took either US-26 and US-126 or US-20 west from Ontario (since US-30's west end would be way north from where the other slides were taken), and then south on US-101 from there. Other than that, your guess is as good as any!

Edit: Thinking about where US-30, 26, and 20 are in this region, it would make sense for this sign to be placed near Caldwell where US-30 splits off from US 26 and 20. Maybe start there?

[Mapmikey]

Yes...thank you.

I will take another stab at identifying where this was...

[Mapmikey]

Here is where it was, just outside Buhl Idaho - https://goo.gl/maps/PgRFBj7iaVrF7zV66

Jay Shropshire is in the 1940 census as living there.

The smaller garage building in the current view is the same as the old photo and the building past the larger garage in the current view is also shown in the photo.

The tree on the far right of the photo appears to still be there, as does the hedge row on the left side of the photo.

[luokou]

Nice work! I couldn't make out the name on the mailbox, but a keener eye definitely would.

I've always liked this style sign, just wish these still existed in the wild.