The Unusual History of an Ordinary-looking Metal Sign

The Unusual History of an Ordinary-looking Metal Sign

In 1955, Howard Muhlenbruch was clearing debris in the grove on his newly-purchased farm two miles NW of Hampton, when his rake hit this metal pre-1920’s Interstate Trail Sign. He hung the sign on an oak tree in the front yard, but knew little about its history until years later when a visitor to the farm told him that this road had bordered the eastern edge of his farm along the current Olive Ave. How it came to be in the grove no one knows, but the fact that it was buried under brush may explain why it survived the scrap metal drives during WWII. The IA DOT folks were quite excited to learn of it’s existence, and a photo of Howard holding the sign that was published in a special edition of the Globe Gazette in 1995 is on their website.

The Interstate Trail, also known as Iowa Primary Road No. 1 (from 1919 to 1926), was organized in Lamoni in 1911, and later became part of the 2300-mile Jefferson Highway, also known as the Pine to Palm Highway, when it was organized in 1916.

The Jefferson Highway was the forerunner of Highway 65, connected Winnipeg, Canada with New Orleans, LA. and in Northern Iowa wove from Mason City through Rockwell, Sheffield, Chapin, Hampton and on to Iowa Falls.

In researching a newly published (2016) book celebrating its 100^th anniversary, “The Jefferson Highway”, author Lyell Henry met Howard and his wife Melba, and visited the Franklin County Historical Museum to view the sign, which they had donated. In his thank you note to them he wrote, “ I can assure you that sign is a rare item – at least, it was the only one we saw between Northwood, IA and St. Joseph, MO.” The Muhlenbruch family hopes you have enjoyed learning a little more about a time not so long ago, through the history contained in a rusty metal sign.