The Silver Lake Cutoff of the Arrowhead Trail and early US 91

[Max Rockatansky]

I started working on a blog today regarding the history of Nevada State Route 161.  It turns out that I found a lot of answers I was looking for regarding the Silver Lake Cutoff alignment of the Arrowhead Trail and early US Route 91.  Here is a general summary of what I discovered:

-  Nevada State Routes 6 and 5 are adopted by legislative action in 1919.  The original Arrowhead Trail alignment followed NV 5 south of Las Vegas through Searchlight to the California state line near Bannock.  From Bannock the Arrowhead Trail multiplexed the National Old Trails Road west to Barstow and Cajon Pass.
-  The Arrowhead Trails Association would announce the adoption of the Silver Lake Cutoff as the new alignment of the Arrowhead Trail.  The cutoff was intended to save approximately 90 miles of travel between Las Vegas and Barstow.  South of Las Vegas the cutoff followed Las Vegas Boulevard to Jean, Goodsprings Road to Goodsprings, Sandy Valley Road over Columbia Pass and entered California via Kingston Road.  Within California the cutoff followed Kingston Road towards Silver Lake and Baker. 
-  In 1925 California's Legislative Route Number 31 would be extended north of Barstow along the Silver Lake Cutoff.  The Division of Highways began maintenance of the Silver Lake Cutoff during November 1925.
-  US Route 91 is commissioned during November 1926 and initially used the Silver Lake Cutoff between Las Vegas-Barstow.
-  Nevada State Route 6 was completed south of Jean to Ivanpah Valley by Spring 1931. 
-  Legislative Route Number 31 was completed over Halloran Summit in Mountain Pass in 1932.  The corridor is connected to Nevada State Route 6 which led to US Route 91 being realigned off the Silver Lake Cutoff.
-  Goodprings Road along with Kingston Road (via Wilson Pass) are reactivated as Nevada State Route 53 by 1935.  This was part of Federal Aid Program 532 which improved access to the Yellow Pine Mining District.
-  Kingston Road is dropped from the State Highway System during the 1976 Nevada State Highway Renumbering.  Goodsprings Road became NV 161.

Our blog on the subject is presently scheduled for October 19th.  Supposedly we might be going back to Clark County in a couple weeks I guess now I have a lot more reason to knock out some of the roads beyond Goodsprings.  I had long suspected Kingston Road was briefly part of US 91, and it turns out I was correct.  I had tried cracking this a couple years ago when I wrote something for I-15 north of Barstow.  I ultimately gave up since I didn't have access to the Nevada Department of Highways Biennials back then. 

[pderocco]

I started working on a blog today regarding the history of Nevada State Route 161.  It turns out that I found a lot of answers I was looking for regarding the Silver Lake Cutoff alignment of the Arrowhead Trail and early US Route 91.  Here is a general summary of what I discovered:

-  Nevada State Routes 6 and 5 are adopted by legislative action in 1919.  The original Arrowhead Trail alignment followed NV 5 south of Las Vegas through Searchlight to the California state line near Bannock.  From Bannock the Arrowhead Trail multiplexed the National Old Trails Road west to Barstow and Cajon Pass.
-  The Arrowhead Trails Association would announce the adoption of the Silver Lake Cutoff as the new alignment of the Arrowhead Trail.  The cutoff was intended to save approximately 90 miles of travel between Las Vegas and Barstow.  South of Las Vegas the cutoff followed Las Vegas Boulevard to Jean, Goodsprings Road to Goodsprings, Sandy Valley Road over Columbia Pass and entered California via Kingston Road.  Within California the cutoff followed Kingston Road towards Silver Lake and Baker. 
-  In 1925 California's Legislative Route Number 31 would be extended north of Barstow along the Silver Lake Cutoff.  The Division of Highways began maintenance of the Silver Lake Cutoff during November 1925.
-  US Route 91 is commissioned during November 1926 and initially used the Silver Lake Cutoff between Las Vegas-Barstow.
-  Nevada State Route 6 was completed south of Jean to Ivanpah Valley by Spring 1931. 
-  Legislative Route Number 31 was completed over Halloran Summit in Mountain Pass in 1932.  The corridor is connected to Nevada State Route 6 which led to US Route 91 being realigned off the Silver Lake Cutoff.
-  Goodprings Road along with Kingston Road (via Wilson Pass) are reactivated as Nevada State Route 53 by 1935.  This was part of Federal Aid Program 532 which improved access to the Yellow Pine Mining District.
-  Kingston Road is dropped from the State Highway System during the 1976 Nevada State Highway Renumbering.  Goodsprings Road became NV 161.

Our blog on the subject is presently scheduled for October 19th.  Supposedly we might be going back to Clark County in a couple weeks I guess now I have a lot more reason to knock out some of the roads beyond Goodsprings.  I had long suspected Kingston Road was briefly part of US 91, and it turns out I was correct.  I had tried cracking this a couple years ago when I wrote something for I-15 north of Barstow.  I ultimately gave up since I didn't have access to the Nevada Department of Highways Biennials back then. 

That got me pulling my hair out trying to figure out how US-91 connected between Silver Lake and the present end of Kingston Rd at Excelsior Mine Rd. The best map I've got from Rumsey is a 1927 National Map Company map of CA/NV which shows US-91 through Silver Lake.

https://www.davidrumsey.com/luna/servlet/detail/RUMSEY~8~1~256888~5520621

There is also a RMcN map from 1927 showing it going through Baker.

https://www.davidrumsey.com/luna/servlet/detail/RUMSEY~8~1~33770~1171486

The National Map shows lots of other roads, but maps back then weren't very accurate, so it's hard to see what route it took through what's now Fort Irwin.

[Max Rockatansky]

I started working on a blog today regarding the history of Nevada State Route 161.  It turns out that I found a lot of answers I was looking for regarding the Silver Lake Cutoff alignment of the Arrowhead Trail and early US Route 91.  Here is a general summary of what I discovered:

-  Nevada State Routes 6 and 5 are adopted by legislative action in 1919.  The original Arrowhead Trail alignment followed NV 5 south of Las Vegas through Searchlight to the California state line near Bannock.  From Bannock the Arrowhead Trail multiplexed the National Old Trails Road west to Barstow and Cajon Pass.
-  The Arrowhead Trails Association would announce the adoption of the Silver Lake Cutoff as the new alignment of the Arrowhead Trail.  The cutoff was intended to save approximately 90 miles of travel between Las Vegas and Barstow.  South of Las Vegas the cutoff followed Las Vegas Boulevard to Jean, Goodsprings Road to Goodsprings, Sandy Valley Road over Columbia Pass and entered California via Kingston Road.  Within California the cutoff followed Kingston Road towards Silver Lake and Baker. 
-  In 1925 California's Legislative Route Number 31 would be extended north of Barstow along the Silver Lake Cutoff.  The Division of Highways began maintenance of the Silver Lake Cutoff during November 1925.
-  US Route 91 is commissioned during November 1926 and initially used the Silver Lake Cutoff between Las Vegas-Barstow.
-  Nevada State Route 6 was completed south of Jean to Ivanpah Valley by Spring 1931. 
-  Legislative Route Number 31 was completed over Halloran Summit in Mountain Pass in 1932.  The corridor is connected to Nevada State Route 6 which led to US Route 91 being realigned off the Silver Lake Cutoff.
-  Goodprings Road along with Kingston Road (via Wilson Pass) are reactivated as Nevada State Route 53 by 1935.  This was part of Federal Aid Program 532 which improved access to the Yellow Pine Mining District.
-  Kingston Road is dropped from the State Highway System during the 1976 Nevada State Highway Renumbering.  Goodsprings Road became NV 161.

Our blog on the subject is presently scheduled for October 19th.  Supposedly we might be going back to Clark County in a couple weeks I guess now I have a lot more reason to knock out some of the roads beyond Goodsprings.  I had long suspected Kingston Road was briefly part of US 91, and it turns out I was correct.  I had tried cracking this a couple years ago when I wrote something for I-15 north of Barstow.  I ultimately gave up since I didn't have access to the Nevada Department of Highways Biennials back then. 

That got me pulling my hair out trying to figure out how US-91 connected between Silver Lake and the present end of Kingston Rd at Excelsior Mine Rd. The best map I've got from Rumsey is a 1927 National Map Company map of CA/NV which shows US-91 through Silver Lake.

https://www.davidrumsey.com/luna/servlet/detail/RUMSEY~8~1~256888~5520621

There is also a RMcN map from 1927 showing it going through Baker.

https://www.davidrumsey.com/luna/servlet/detail/RUMSEY~8~1~33770~1171486

The National Map shows lots of other roads, but maps back then weren't very accurate, so it's hard to see what route it took through what's now Fort Irwin.

If you search "California Highway 1924" you'll get a result for the Rand McNally Auto Trail map.  That map shows the very early Silver Lake Cutoff:

https://www.davidrumsey.com/luna/servlet/detail/RUMSEY~8~1~201769~3000698:California--Nevada-?sort=Pub_List_No_InitialSort%2CPub_Date%2CPub_List_No%2CSeries_No&mi=1&trs=10&qvq=q:California%20highway%201924;sort:Pub_List_No_InitialSort%2CPub_Date%2CPub_List_No%2CSeries_No;lc:RUMSEY~8~1

Notably said map shows the Arrowhead Trail straying north of Silver Lake and emerging east of Daggett after passing through the Calico Mountains.  Baker was originally a Tonopah & Tidewater siding and didn't have an actual town plot develop until 1929.

What bothers me about LRN 31 is how vague the Division of Highways regarding how it was developed post-1925.  Usually the CHPWs are very detailed but for whatever reason that wasn't the case with LRN 31 north of Barstow.  Fortunately the Nevada Department of Highways biennials were a lot more detailed regarding what was going on with NV 6.

[Max Rockatansky]

This is what I posted on our Facebook page tonight regarding the Arrowhead Trail and US 91 in Goodsprings:

"The western terminus of Nevada State Route 161 follows Spring Street within the mining community of Goodsprings and terminates at Esmeralda Street.  While Spring Street in Goodsprings isn't lacking for historical interest there isn't much indication today regarding the historic highways it once carried.  Spring Street was one part of the Silver Lake Cutoff of the Arrowhead Trail and part of very early US Route 91. 

Goodsprings Road was part of the Silver Lake Cutoff which was adopted as the then new alignment of the Arrowhead Trail in 1920.  When the Silver Lake Cutoff was commissioned, it saved approximately 90 miles of travel through the Mojave Desert between Las Vegas and Barstow.  Originally the Arrowhead Trail passed through Searchlight south of Las Vegas and entered California near Bannock.  The Silver Lake Cutoff followed Las Vegas Boulevard south to Jean and turned westward towards Goodsprings.  Within Goodsprings the Arrowhead Trail passed through the community via Spring Street, Esmerald Street, Reimann Road and Columbia Mill Road.  From Goodsprings the Silver Lake Cutoff crossed Columbia Pass via Sandy Valley Road and entered California along Kingston Road. 

When Nevada State Route 6 was commissioned by legislative action in 1919 it had a planned terminus at the California state line south of Jean in Ivanpah Valley.  For a time, the Silver Lake Cutoff would become the presumptive alignment of Nevada State Route 6 given there was no State Highway connection in Nevada or California in Ivanpah Valley.  US Route 91 was commissioned in November 1926 and initially followed the Arrowhead Trail along the Silver Lake Cutoff.  Nevada would complete Nevada State Route 6 to Ivanpah Valley in 1931 and was followed by California completing Legislative Route Number 31 in 1932.  Following the completion of the modernized highway corridor US Route 91 would be realigned and the Silver Lake Cutoff would be largely forgotten.

Goodsprings Road, Spring Street and Kingston Road would be incorporated into Nevada State Route 53 by 1935.  The corridor of Nevada State Route 53 was part of Federal Aid Program 532.  The Federal Aid corridor was added to improve access to the mines of the Yellow Pine Mining District. 

Nevada State Route 53 west of Goodsprings was never fully paved over Wilson Pass.  When the 1976 Nevada State Highway renumbering occurred only Goodsprings Road was retained by the Nevada Department of Highways.  Since 1976 Goodsprings Road and Spring Street have been assigned as Nevada State Route 161. 

The Yellow Pine Mountain District would be formally created in 1882 amid the mining boom around Good's Spring.  The first permanent structure in the area was built in 1886.  In 1893 the Keystone gold deposit was discovered and brought an influx of miners to the area which led to Good's Springs becoming a permanently inhabited place.  On April 6, 1899, the Post Office service was established, and the town was renamed as "Goodsprings."  The most well-known structure in the community is the Pioneer Saloon which was opened in 1913."

The actual post:

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=pfbid0SKfSmmNUDPE3vRJbGyaWPs3z1chGfY6MTDcSNBwXFpnkawcTcHhH7GcVUqRG7UoFl&id=100063655972258&mibextid=wwXIfr

I've written the blog for this topic but it doesn't hit our publishing calendar for a couple months.

[cahwyguy]

I think what you're discussing is mostly in NV. I'm not sure I'm seeing things that will impact the updated material I've got for Sign Route 195, US 95, Sign Route 95, US 91 (I already note the original routing along Sign Route 195, and the later along LRN 31 into Daggett before Barstow). If I've missed something, please let me know, because it could impact the episode on Route 15.

[Max Rockatansky]

I think what you're discussing is mostly in NV. I'm not sure I'm seeing things that will impact the updated material I've got for Sign Route 195, US 95, Sign Route 95, US 91 (I already note the original routing along Sign Route 195, and the later along LRN 31 into Daggett before Barstow). If I've missed something, please let me know, because it could impact the episode on Route 15.

Kingston Road carries all the way south into California towards Excelsior Mine Road.  The CHPWs aren't clear enough to determine if Excelsior Mine Road was ever part of US 91 or what exactly was going on.  The Arrowhead Trail did continue south along the same projection as Kingston Road though when the Silver Lake Cutoff was first built. 

There is an excerpt in the June 1925 CHPW which announced the Silver Lake Cutoff was annexed immediately as LRN 31.  Apparently this was an exception since no other routing existed at the time. 

Unfortunately things get a little murky in the 1930s.  This is my summary of the last clear mention of the final build of LRN 31.  Surprisingly there was no big feature or dedication ceremony covered in any volume:

"The April 1932 California Highways & Public Works reported that US Route 91 was under construction between Halloran Summit and Mountain Pass.  The article stub notes after the active project were completed only 21.5 miles of Legislative Route Number 31 were left to modernize.  The Halloran Summit-Mountain Pass segment of US Route 91 was completed in 1932 and functionally were the last piece necessary to provide a link to the Nevada state line in Ivanpah Valley.  It is unclear why no Division of Highways document goes into greater detail regarding the completion of Legislative Route Number 31 to the Nevada state line"

[cahwyguy]

Note that this seemingly contradicts what you have written in https://www.gribblenation.org/2019/09/the-vauge-original-southern-terminus-of.html , which indicates that for a short time US 91 used what had been the Evergreen Highway route into Bannock, Sign Route 195, which later became US 95 (or at least how you have written things is ambiguous). From trying to piece together what you have written across the various blogs and posts, it appears that the original routing of US 91 first used LRN 146 from NV 6 into Bannock (per the 1925 Rand McNally Map you posted). California appears to have adopted the Silver Lake Cutoff as part of LRN 31 in 1925, but didn't move US 91 there until the road was improved; the first map you have showing the Silver Lake Cutoff as US 91 is in 1927. The 1926 State Highway Map shows the new extension of LRN 31, but doesn't show it labeled as US 91; and the CHPW from 1926 showing the first signage of US highways shows the LRN 146 routing as US 91.

[cahwyguy]

This is currently (as in, not yet uploaded) I have everything reconciled. I also have an inset map combining the 1926 CHPW map with the definition of US routes (showing the LRN 146 routing), the 1925 Rand McNalley map showing the LRN 146 routing; the 1926 state highway map showing the LRN 31 extension using the SL Cutoff, the 1927 National Map Company map showing a labeled US 91 using the SL cutoff, and the 1930 state highway map showing the more modern alignment.

According to the Report of Joint Board on Interstate Highways (October 30, 1925), the original definition of US 91 was "From Great Falls, Montana, to Butte, Dillon, Idaho Falls, Idaho, Pocatello, Brigham, Utah, Salt Lake City, Provo, Juab, Filmore, Beaver, Parowan, St. George, Las Vegas, Nevada, to an intersection with Route № 60." As referenced in the report, "Route № 60" was not what became US 60, but was US 66. US 60 had been the original planned number for the US 66 route, but objections from KY (which wanted an x0 route) led to the number change. Two existing roads south of Las Vegas to what was planned as US 60 were immediately available: the Los Angeles-Salt Lake Road towards Daggett, or the Arrowhead Trail that was aligned directly south into California to Bannock. North of Las Vegas, NV, the Arrowhead Trail was multiplexed with the National Park-to-Park Highway and Evergreen National Highway, according to the 1924 Rand McNally Map of California. South of Las Vegas, the two diverged. The Arrowhead Trail largely followed the path of the Los Angeles-Salt Lake Road but detoured significantly south of Las Vegas via NV 5 towards Bannock (Bannock is a reference point just W of Arrowhead Jct., which is W of Needles).  By 1920, the "Silver Lake Cutoff" of the Arrowhead Trail was proposed as a means of to saving 90 miles by connecting the highway from Las Vegas directly southwest to Daggett. The Silver Lake Cutoff was similar to the previous Los Angeles-Salt Lake Road but followed a more northern path to utilize the Tonopah & Tidewater Railroad sidings of Silver Lake as a waypoint. This new routing of the Arrowhead Trail via the Silver Lake Cutoff was ultimately paved with oiled earth in 1925 by San Bernardino County.
(Source: Gribblenation Blog, "The Vague Original Southern Terminus of US Route␠91 in the Californian Mojave Desert", 9/22/2019)

The original report is ambiguous on the specific routing of US 91 to US 66; however, based on the January 1926 issue of CHPW, the original plan was to route US 91 into California along future LRN 146, using the National Park-to-Park Highway/Evergreen National Highway/(original pre-1920) Arrowhead Trail routing northerly from Needles into Nevada, where it connected with NV 5. This route was LRN 146, first defined in 1933 and codified in 1935, which was signed as Sign Route 195 in 1934; with the 1940 extension of US 95 into California, the route became US 95. It does appear that the future LRN 146 routing for US 91 was short-lived. A 1924 Auto Trails map shows the future LRN 146 route as the more significant trail, and a 1925 map shows US 91 running along the future LRN 146/Future Sign Route 195 route.
(Source: Supplemental research via "The Vague Original Southern Terminus of US Route␠91 in the Californian Mojave Desert", 9/22/2019)

The Silver Lake Cutoff was adopted as the then new alignment of the Arrowhead Trail in 1920.  When the Silver Lake Cutoff was commissioned, it saved approximately 90 miles of travel through the Mojave Desert between Las Vegas and Barstow.  Originally the Arrowhead Trail passed through Searchlight south of Las Vegas and entered California near Bannock.  The Silver Lake Cutoff followed Las Vegas Boulevard south to Jean and turned westward towards Goodsprings NV.  Within Goodsprings NV, the Arrowhead Trail passed through the community via Spring Street, Esmerald Street, Reimann Road and Columbia Mill Road.  From Goodsprings the Silver Lake Cutoff crossed Columbia Pass via Sandy Valley Road and entered California along Kingston Road. Kingston Road carries all the way south into California towards Excelsior Mine Road. It is unclear whether Excelsior Mine Road was ever part of LRN 31. It does appear that the Arrowhead Trail did continue south along the same projection as Kingston Road though when the Silver Lake Cutoff was first built.
(Source: Tom Fearer, "Re: The Silver Lake Cutoff of the Arrowhead Trail and early US␠91", AARoads, 5/19-20/2026)
By 1925, it appeared that the plan was to move US 91 to the new Arrowhead Trail routing once the route was suitably improved. In 1926, the legislature approved the extension of LRN 31 from Barstow to the Nevada State Line; a 1926 map shows a planned state highway running along the route through Baker and into Daggett. A 1927 map shows US 91 using a route through Silver Lake and Bitter Spring into Daggett instead of the LRN 146 route; by the 1930 map, the route through Baker and into Barstow (by then the terminus has been moved from Daggett) was clearly signed as US 91.(Source: Supplemental research via "The Vague Original Southern Terminus of US Route␠91 in the Californian Mojave Desert", 9/22/2019)

By 1928, the definition of the signed route ran from the Nevada-California state line S of Jean NV via Baker to Daggett (an exploration of why the original southern terminus of US 91 was in Daggett may be found in the Gribblenation Blog on the subject).

NV 6 was commissioned by Nevada Legislature in 1919 with a planned terminus at the California state line south of Jean in Ivanpah Valley.  For a time, the Silver Lake Cutoff would become the presumptive alignment of NV 6 as there was no State Highway connection in Nevada or California in Ivanpah Valley. Nevada would complete NV 6 to Ivanpah Valley in 1931; this was followed in 1932 by California completing LRN 31. The April 1932 CHPW reported that US 91/LRN 31 was under construction between Halloran Summit and Mountain Pass.  The article notes after the active project were completed only 21.5 miles of LRN 31 were left to modernize.  The Halloran Summit-Mountain Pass segment of US 91 was completed in 1932 and was the last piece necessary to provide a link to the Nevada state line in Ivanpah Valley.
(Source: Tom Fearer, "Re: The Silver Lake Cutoff of the Arrowhead Trail and early US␠91", AARoads, 5/19-20/2026)

The updated routing followed the current I-15 alignment south from the Nevada state line, diverging from the current I-15 alignment at the Ghost Town Road exit. US 91 then headed south to Daggett via Yermo-Daggett Road (and ending at US 66 there). In 1931, US 91 was rerouted away from Daggett to follow Yermo Road and the I-15 alignment, then along old US 466 (now Old Highway 58) west to First Avenue south into Barstow (to end at US 66/Main Street). In 1947, US 91 was extended south to Long Beach via US 66/US 395 and Sign Route 18.

[Max Rockatansky]

Note that this seemingly contradicts what you have written in https://www.gribblenation.org/2019/09/the-vauge-original-southern-terminus-of.html , which indicates that for a short time US 91 used what had been the Evergreen Highway route into Bannock, Sign Route 195, which later became US 95 (or at least how you have written things is ambiguous). From trying to piece together what you have written across the various blogs and posts, it appears that the original routing of US 91 first used LRN 146 from NV 6 into Bannock (per the 1925 Rand McNally Map you posted). California appears to have adopted the Silver Lake Cutoff as part of LRN 31 in 1925, but didn't move US 91 there until the road was improved; the first map you have showing the Silver Lake Cutoff as US 91 is in 1927. The 1926 State Highway Map shows the new extension of LRN 31, but doesn't show it labeled as US 91; and the CHPW from 1926 showing the first signage of US highways shows the LRN 146 routing as US 91.

That was the problem, when I wrote that previous blog (2019 I want to say?) there was a lot of more ambiguity on this topic.  I barely mentioned the Silver Lake Cutoff when I wrote the I-15 blog about Barstow towards Primm because of how much missing context there was.  It wasn't that I didn't want to hit on the topic but rather I failed to find the missing pieces to the puzzle. 

Turns out the Nevada Highway Biennials had a lot of what was missing historically. I'm planning on blowing up much of that Daggett blog along with the one from Baker to line up with what I just researched with Goodsprings this weekend.  That should capture the new information that I'm referencing here well before the Goodsprings blog publishes.

But yes, that 1927 turns is the only map that seems to accurately captured what was going with early LRN 31 and by proxy US 91.  If I remember correctly said 1927. Al even shows the namesake Silver Lake which lines up almost perfectly with Kingston Road.  Outside a pre-US Route system map there isn't any real evidence to suggest US 91 was signed towards Bannock.  I would imagine Arrowhead Trail signage was likely probably just maintained between Jean and Daggett until LRN 31/NV 6 was finished. 

With Baker I think there is more information to be had.  The modern town developed was plotted in 1929 when LRN 31 reached the community.  I'm hoping digging back through the CHPWs explains more accurately what was going with LRN 31 between Daggett-Baker between 1925-1929. 

[Max Rockatansky]

Yes, I'd would agree that update is accurately capturing the new information.

Regarding Baker, I'm not sure if that I explained the realignment there well.  Baker is located south of the Silver Lake dry bed.  The Silver Lake Cutoff strayed north of the site of Baker when it was first built. 

The huge missing piece for the history of LRN 31 I'm missing is when did the modern highway through what is now Baker get built?  The problem I'm having in CHPWs is that this is an area which during the 1920s didn't have many identifiable place names yet.

At minimum I find it kind of exciting that there is still something out there to find with a major US Route in California.  I'm not sure what's left after the Mojave but this was probably the last corridor of big unknowns.

[cahwyguy]

Outside a pre-US Route system map there isn't any real evidence to suggest US 91 was signed towards Bannock.  I would imagine Arrowhead Trail signage was likely probably just maintained between Jean and Daggett until LRN 31/NV 6 was finished. 

Without pictures from the field, it is hard to know what was really signed. It's likely reasonable to assume the original plan was to use the LRN 146/Sign Route 195 routing until LRN 31 was sufficiently completed. Whether it was signed in the field is probably a different story, as they cared a lot less back then about route numbers, and were likely still using the trail names in the first years of the US highway system.

When you get this new piece done, you probably need to go back and reexamine all the blogs you have that touch on this area. I find I'm constantly doing that -- doing the research for the Route 15 podcast led to lots of updates for ancillary and predecessor routes (which is why I've been focused of late on US 395 and US 91 and US 95)

[Max Rockatansky]

Outside a pre-US Route system map there isn't any real evidence to suggest US 91 was signed towards Bannock.  I would imagine Arrowhead Trail signage was likely probably just maintained between Jean and Daggett until LRN 31/NV 6 was finished.

Without pictures from the field, it is hard to know what was really signed. It's likely reasonable to assume the original plan was to use the LRN 146/Sign Route 195 routing until LRN 31 was sufficiently completed. Whether it was signed in the field is probably a different story, as they cared a lot less back then about route numbers, and were likely still using the trail names in the first years of the US highway system.

When you get this new piece done, you probably need to go back and reexamine all the blogs you have that touch on this area. I find I'm constantly doing that -- doing the research for the Route 15 podcast led to lots of updates for ancillary and predecessor routes (which is why I've been focused of late on US 395 and US 91 and US 95)

That's the rub, the Goodsprings blog is actually done.  We have such a back log right now that it is scheduled (85 blogs are currently scheduled) for release on October 19th.  I can send you a preview copy since it has relevant data for your page and our upcoming podcast season.  Either way, I'll be incorporating the new elements into the older blogs by the end of the weekend.

[Mapmikey]

In case any of this might be useful...


Barstow to Yermo well underway as of Nov 1929 - https://cdm16436.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/collection/p16436coll4/id/1054/rec/1

Barstow to Yermo not done as of June 1930 - https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015021211753&seq=236&q1=yermo

Yarmo to Dunn done Jan 1930 - https://cdm16436.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/collection/p16436coll4/id/12423/rec/2

Dunn to Cronise Valley let to bid Aug 1930 - https://cdm16436.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/collection/p16436coll4/id/8062/rec/1

spring 1932 - 37 miles in 2 segments completed from Cronise Valley to 6 miles west of Baker; 6 miles west of Baker to halloran Summit
see very bottom of this June 1932 article
https://cdm16436.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/collection/p16436coll4/id/6232/rec/13

contracts complete as of June 1932:
https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015021211761&seq=308&q1=halloran

contracts not complete as of June 1932:
https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015021211761&seq=259&q1=halloran   and
https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015021211761&seq=330&q1=halloran

contracts completed as of June 1934
https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=nyp.33433100239221&seq=313&q1=halloran&view=1up

[Max Rockatansky]

The Cronise Valley stuff is the last major piece that was missing. This will make things easier for me this weekend. 

Now the real trick is getting back into sorting out where exactly the Silver Lake Cutoff punched through towards from Silver Lake towards Daggett.  I know we've looked into this before and had a decent deduction on the routing.  Likely the modern USGS viewers probably will be a substantial help.

[Max Rockatansky]

This is the 1927 National Map Company edition I've been referencing.  This map shows US 91 following the Silver Lake Cutoff between Jean and Daggett via Goodsprings.  I'm not sure this is "actually" 1927 based off the information we've discussed in the CHPWs.  The graded segment of LRN 31 is shown extending east of Baker to the vicinity of the Turquoise Mine Road and Baker is shown to actually exist.

https://www.davidrumsey.com/luna/servlet/detail/RUMSEY~8~1~256888~5520621:Sectional-paved-road-map--Continues?sort=Pub_List_No_InitialSort%2CPub_Date%2CPub_List_No%2CSeries_No&mi=6&trs=65&qvq=q:california%20road%201927;sort:Pub_List_No_InitialSort%2CPub_Date%2CPub_List_No%2CSeries_No;lc:RUMSEY~8~1

The Silver Lake Cutoff is shown connecting to Daggett via the Calico Mountains.  A 1933 USGS map displays a "Barstow Road" connecting from Daggett to Coyote Lake.  From Coyote Lake the road turns east towards Silver Lake via Red Pass.  From Silver Lake there is another roadway continuing east towards Kingston Road via a gap in the Shadow Mountains. 

[Max Rockatansky]

Blew up the Daggett/Yermo blog that I wrote in 2019 with all the new information discussed here.  I do hit upon the gradual replacement of the Silver Lake Cutoff and routing through Goodsprings:

https://www.gribblenation.org/2019/09/the-vauge-original-southern-terminus-of.html