WI state highway numbering in 1918

[hobsini2]

I happened across this piece of history in the "Roadway Standards" from WisDOT.

http://roadwaystandards.dot.wi.gov/standards/fdm/04-05-001att.pdf#fd4-5a1.1

A couple interesting numberings i found on this map.
1) Current WI 16 is WI 29 and Current WI 29 is WI 16.
2) US 12 was WI 12.
3) The city of Wisconsin Rapids was called Grand Rapids.
4) What looks to be the city of New Glarus was called Montello. It does not show the current Montello on Hwy 23 but I am sure it was around back then.

[SEWIGuy]

I happened across this piece of history in the "Roadway Standards" from WisDOT.

http://roadwaystandards.dot.wi.gov/standards/fdm/04-05-001att.pdf#fd4-5a1.1

A couple interesting numberings i found on this map.
1) Current WI 16 is WI 29 and Current WI 29 is WI 16.
2) US 12 was WI 12.
3) The city of Wisconsin Rapids was called Grand Rapids.
4) What looks to be the city of New Glarus was called Montello. It does not show the current Montello on Hwy 23 but I am sure it was around back then.

4.  Likely a mis-spelling of "Monticello," which is between New Glarus and Monroe on current WI-69.

[triplemultiplex]

3) The city of Wisconsin Rapids was called Grand Rapids.

Grand Rapids was just the portion of town east of the Wisconsin River.  There was a separate city on the west bank of the river called "Centralia."  They merged around the turn of the century and the city took the name Wisconsin Rapids in the 20's I think.

I see the map is also old enough to show Wisconsin Dells under it's old name of "Kilbourn".
WI 70 sure got longer.  From a spur route to Grantsburg to it's current form as a cross-state highway.
And look at that, a single digit state highway in Wisconsin! (WI 5 Green Bay - Algoma)

[agentsteel53]

is there any reason why Wisconsin does not use single-digit state routes today?

not that there aren't lots of field examples of WI-2 and WI-8!

[hobsini2]

is there any reason why Wisconsin does not use single-digit state routes today?

not that there aren't lots of field examples of WI-2 and WI-8!

The way i had been told was to not give a State Highway number to a route to show it as "more important" than others. That's why there is no route 1,3,4,5,6,7,and 9. US 2 and US 8 are the exception to the rule. And there are no duplications allowed regardless of designation with 2 exceptions. WI 39 was already in existence prior to I-39 and WI 794 in Milwaukee is the continuation of I-794 when the Lake Pkwy was built but it it not to interstate standards so it was never given I-794. Fortunately WI 39 and I-39 are far enough apart that they would not get confused with each other.

[hobsini2]

I happened across this piece of history in the "Roadway Standards" from WisDOT.

http://roadwaystandards.dot.wi.gov/standards/fdm/04-05-001att.pdf#fd4-5a1.1

A couple interesting numberings i found on this map.
1) Current WI 16 is WI 29 and Current WI 29 is WI 16.
2) US 12 was WI 12.
3) The city of Wisconsin Rapids was called Grand Rapids.
4) What looks to be the city of New Glarus was called Montello. It does not show the current Montello on Hwy 23 but I am sure it was around back then.

4.  Likely a mis-spelling of "Monticello," which is between New Glarus and Monroe on current WI-69.

I thought that was a possibility too BUT if that was the case, they misspelled it by 2 letters and not 1.

[DaBigE]

is there any reason why Wisconsin does not use single-digit state routes today?

not that there aren't lots of field examples of WI-2 and WI-8!

First, that looks like a manufacturing error (should be a US shield, not Wis), as there is no Wis 8.  It wouldn't be the first time it's happened--happens quite frequently on detour routes where the contractor(s) get lazy.  Funniest occurrence was when I caught a photo on a WisDOT project page for a Wis 33 study in Sauk County...except the photo was of an actual, in-service sign with the number '33' on a US shield.  It was promptly removed after I mentioned the error to them (unfortunately I forgot to screen-capture the page before they took it down--didn't think they'd be that fast.

Secondly, hobsini2 is right:

Wisconsin was the first state to set up a statewide posted route numbering system in 1917. Originally, state routes in Wisconsin were numbered only from 10 through 75–single-digit numbers were not originally chosen in an attempt to prevent some cities from claiming they were optimally located on "Highway 1," for example. Since 1917, the state has chosen to refrain from using single-digit state route numbers. During various expansions of the state highway system, route numbers into the 190s were used. Routes greater then 199 are newer designations, mostly running along other relocated or decommissioned routes. One of the noticable idosyncracies is the meandering nature of some of Wisconsin's state highways. Just pick one of the state's longer routes and more than likely you will find many extended stretches concurrently designated with other highways and some meandering behavior.

I thought that was a possibility too BUT if that was the case, they misspelled it by 2 letters and not 1.

Anything is possible with the DOT...be happy it was only two letters off.  I've had sign plate designs from them come across my desk that have had a lot more than two letters being off... 

[agentsteel53]

First, that looks like a manufacturing error (should be a US shield, not Wis), as there is no Wis 8.

that is indeed the case.  I believe I have seen errors for every US highway in Wisconsin being signed as a state route inadvertently. 

[mgk920]

First, that looks like a manufacturing error (should be a US shield, not Wis), as there is no Wis 8.

that is indeed the case.  I believe I have seen errors for every US highway in Wisconsin being signed as a state route inadvertently. 

Several years ago I drove WI 191 (it's in the far SW part of the state) from end to end and most of the signs along it said 'US 191'.



Mike

[The High Plains Traveler]

First, that looks like a manufacturing error (should be a US shield, not Wis), as there is no Wis 8.

that is indeed the case.  I believe I have seen errors for every US highway in Wisconsin being signed as a state route inadvertently. 

Yep. Somewhere I have a photo of WI-63 posted on the BGS at the U.S. 63 junction from I-94. I guess that point on the bottom of the standard Wisconsin state route marker gets confused with the point at the bottom of the U.S. route shield.

[Takumi]

And I though VDOT was bad about using the wrong shield...

[hobsini2]

I remember when I-39/90 was under construction around Janesville some years ago and the DOT temporarily "upgraded" Wis 11 to US 11.

[GeekJedi]

In that same area, there are plenty of "WIS 14" signs as well!