Portland, OR button copy

[CGPerry]

I'm trying to capture them while they're still here.  All are from Portland, Oregon.

[agentsteel53]

cool photos; thanks for taking them, especially in such high quality.  the night shots are excellent low-noise photos.  what camera/lens did you use?

I don't suppose you know of anything like this still floating around?



that's my (extra-shitty) photo of a '61 spec US-26 shield over a blank that once was intended to be state-named.  the sign was around in Sept '06 but gone by June '07.

[CGPerry]

Thanks, agentsteel.  I like your shot of that 26 shield.  It's a shame that sign is now gone, but at least you captured it.  I use a Nikon D300 and either a 24mm tilt shift lens or an 85mm lens depending on how far from the subject I am.  I've been on a mission lately to capture as many of these signs as I can.  There are at least two I spotted on Google street view that were gone when I went to see them a few days ago.  Enjoy them while they last, because they are getting as rare as hen's teeth.  BTW I have them in full-res on my flickr, http://www.flickr.com/photos/curtisperry/

[agentsteel53]

that's some good quality equipment.  85/1.8 lens?

if you ever find us a state-named US cutout in Oregon, that would be excellent, since I believe the last one (US-97 in Klamath Falls on the business loop) vanished sometime between Sept 2006 and Apr 2007.

here are some shield shots of mine.  as far as I know, this is the only state-named interstate shield in Oregon, and one of only three state-named at all.  Oregon went to neutered in 1974, abandoning the cutout eagle, US shield, and state-named interstate in one fell swoop.



gone.  this was a pair of 21x18 shields which was redone by the city of Eugene.


the original backs:




also, know of any Washington oldies?  here are some I've photographed.

21x18 shield.


unusual 36x36 with extra large state name:


and this '57 spec pair survives to this day, as far as I know

[CGPerry]

The only Washington oldie I could come up with is this one:

[agentsteel53]

that's a neat one, complete with an older-style 82 shield up top.  ('57 spec layout, but with larger numbers and no state name)

what was the original sign before it was reconfigured by patching?

[NE2]

that's a neat one, complete with an older-style 82 shield up top.  ('57 spec layout, but with larger numbers and no state name)

what was the original sign before it was reconfigured by patching?

Given the location (first interchange in Washington) I'd guess there may have been US 395 or SR 14 shields (SR 14 used to continue to the right).

And that straight arrow is really confusing.

[agentsteel53]

here's what may be the oldest guide sign in Washington:



under the 97 is, I believe, a 1957 specification outline shield (white border, green background, white number) that got upgraded to a 1961-spec white/black style.

[CGPerry]

I'm not sure what it read before patching.  14 or 395 seems like a safe guess to me, though it could have been US 830.

[agentsteel53]

it could have been US 830.

do you think the sign is that old?

830 was decommissioned in 1968. 

the bottom 82 shield, with the larger numbers, is 1970 spec, which was not used regularly until 1970, and I don't think it was used in Washington until the early 80s.  but it may be the case that the sign received several updates.  given the sign's overall style (like the 97 Wenatchee sign), it may indeed be a pre-1968. 

[Alps]

It looks fairly obvious to me there's a WA state route George outline under that US shield...

[US71]

It looks fairly obvious to me there's a WA state route George outline under that US shield...

I wondered about that.  I noticed it, but wasn't sure what to make of it.

[xonhulu]

It looks fairly obvious to me there's a WA state route George outline under that US shield...

I also thought that.  I'm assuming that sign is in the Ellensburg area, where I'm pretty sure 97 has been moved around in the past, notably when I-82 was completed.  It's possible 97 superceded an earlier state route; I'd have to research my old maps to see what highway that might've been, unless someone wants to step in and fill in the details?

[NE2]

It's on University Way (old US 10) in Ellensburg. The 1970 traffic report shows current US 97 as SR 131 (SR 10 began where it does now).

[corco]

97 followed 970 until 1975 for reasons not entirely clear to me.

[agentsteel53]

so that's a WA-131 that got pried off there?  I'd never paid attention to that being a state shield outline, given that 97's current alignment is such a logical one that I thought it always had gone there.