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Signposts
Back in February, in an article about "Chisholm Drive", I included a picture of a concrete signpost, typical of the type that were used in Auburn for a few decades starting in the 80s. Here it is again:
This picture was taken in my backyard as I was lucky enough to salvage the concrete post the very morning that the city was replacing it with one of the newer (and uglier, IMHO) metal street signs.
During my walks about the city of Auburn recently, I have found (so far) two more such signposts in people's yards, which they obviously wanted to "rescue" from the landfill (or whatever municipal graveyard these were headed to).
There is one right down the street from me that was originally at the corner of Wild Ginger Lane and Marshall Court:
And today I snapped this (blurry) photograph in the Cary Woods neighboorhood of another old street post that was originally at West Magnolia Avenue and Thomas Street:
Of the three such posts that I know of as I write this article, mine is, by far, the one that is closest to its original location (when it was actually used as a street sign). Here is a partial street map of Auburn; The three red lines designate the displacements of the concrete pillars:
Obviously, if I espy more of these old signposts around town, I will update this article.
Update: 30 December 2019
I found another old signpost in a yard very near its original street corner location at Cary Drive and Thornapple Lane:
Update: 2 February 2020
While walking to the north of Auburn today, I passed another concrete signpost which I had forgotten about, the one at the intersection of Shelton Mill Road and U.S. Highway 280. I did not have my camera with me to snap a current picture, but I remembered that I'd taken a picture of it years ago. Here it is in November of 2015:
As of 2020, the signpost is technically still there, but it has been knocked over. Maybe I should try to rescue from its assured destiny of a trip to the landfill? (There is already new signage that supercedes the broken concrete pillar.)
Update: 18 August 2020
Well, I have found evidence of another cement signpost, but the actual concrete pole is pretty much gone. Below is a picture of the corner of Harris Avenue and Mary Lane:
In the lowest part of the photo you will see a concrete stub protruding from the ground. The cross-sectional shape of this stub matches that of the concrete signposts from years past.
Update: 15 May 2021
I made a huge discovery today as far as these old signposts go; I found one that used to mark the intersection of Shawnee Street and Chisholm Drive:
I talk more about the significance of this particular signpost in another blog entry.
Article Topics:
roads_scholar
signposts
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