The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1927-08-26
1000 UNIFORM ROAD MARKERS
FOR MARYLAND
Numbered Posts Officially Will Dis
card Favorite Names OF
Highways

card Favorite Names OF
Highways
Four thousand uniform road
markers are to be placed on the six
Federal highways running through
Maryland and on all important State
roads this year, it has been announc-
ed by the State Roads Commission
The markers are to be of the black
and white shield type named by the
Department of Agriculture and the
American Association of State High
ways Officials in the plan, now being
put into effect, of numbering every
travel artery from it's starting point
to its destination at the other end OF
the nation.
At 500 important intersections the
markers are to bear illuminated
numerals, the roads commission de-
cided. OF the total of 1000 signs,
$500 are to guide motorists on the
six Federal roads and the remainder
are to be placed on other highways
in the state. Each shield, which is,
roughly, two feet square, is to be
erected on steel standard.
AS soon as the guide posts are in
place the favorite names for many
Maryland roads, applied by local au-
thorities or by tradition, will pass
into the discard as far as official
designation is concerned, it was
pointed out by John N. Mackall,
chairman of the commission.
In Baltimore, the road leading out
Gay street and on to Philadelphia on
one side of town and out Columbia
avenue to Washington on the other,
is now known as the Bel Air road
and Washington Boulevard locally.
AS soon as the new posts are erected
it will become United States High
way No. l.
When the markers are in place,
Mr.. Mackall pointed out, it will be
possible for motorists to begin at the
United States-Canadian boundary at
Fort Kent, Maine, and drive to Mi
bearing the numeral one and with
out the necessity of stopping at every
cross roads to ask for directions.
No. l Highway comes from Fort
Kent to Portland, Boston, Provi-
dence, New Haven, New York, Phila-
delphia, Rising Sun, Baltimore,
Columbia, Augusta and Miami. The
Washington, Richmond, Raleigh,
road stretches over the Atlantic sea-
BOARD for 2,32S miles.
What is now the National Pike to
will be highway No. 40
under the new system and the long
est. Beginning at Atlantic City, it
runs for 4,089 miles to San Francis
co. 1t enters Maryland near Elkton,
comes through Aberdeen to Balti-
more via the Philadelphia road and
then out Frederick road to Hagers-
town and Cumberland. It's route
includes St. Louis, Denver and Salt
Lake City.
The Defense Highway, from An
napolis to Washington, will become |
the first line in Highway No. SO,
which stretches 3,240 miles from the |
Maryland capital to Sacramento, Cal. |
Then, too, the old Williamsport Pike,
Maryland from Pennsyl- |
vania to West Virginia at Hagers-
town is to become part of Highway |
No. IL, running from Lake Chautau-
qua, New York to New Orleans, a
distance of 1886 miles.
The road that covers the Eastern
Shore, beginning at New York and
running through Wilmington and
Berlin to Cape Charles, is to be des-
ignated Highway No. IS. The sixth
of the Federal highways will run
over the present Emmitsburg pike
from Emmitsburg to Frederick and
there take the Ruckeystown pike to
Point of Rocks. 1t goes to Buffalo
on the north and to Rockingham, N.
c., on the south now, but is soon to
be extended to New 0releans.
The markers selected by the Roads
are shaped in the pat
tern of the United States shield. |
Where the stars are commonly plac-
ed Maryland" is to be raised in
black letters on a white background
and below that the letters ~. S."
and the number Of the highway.
The highway engineers and the
Department of Agriculture deter
mined on the plan because of dupli-
cations that confuse travellers where |
names are used tor roads.
When this system is completed a
Baltimore motorist who wants to
spend his vacation driving to San
Francisco will have nothing to do \
but pick out his route and hit the
rail-" Mr.. Maekall said. IF he Sc
lects Route 40 he will follow that
number all the way across the con-
.inent. Before, if he started out
Frederick ave. to San Francisco he
would find himself, occasionally, on
No. 40. hut more often on the Old