Skip to main content

Monterey County Route G18

By


Monterey County Route G18 is a 16.40-mile highway aligned over Jolon Road from US Route 101 near Bradley to Monterey County Route G14 in Lockwood.  The corridor of Jolon Road is tied heavily to the history of the Spanish El Camino Real and Mission San Antonio de Pauda.  Jolon Road was improved during World War II after the creation of Fort Hunter Liggett.  Jolon Road was assigned as part of Monterey County Route G18 and Monterey County Route G14 during 1971.  The segment of Jolon Road between Bradley-Lockwood now part of Monterey County Route G18 from the March 1943 California Highways & Public Works is featured as the blog cover.  




Part 1; the history of Monterey County Route G18 and Jolon Road

The corridor of Monterey County Route G18 and Jolon Road is tied to that of the Spanish iteration of El Camino Real and Mission San Antonio de Pauda.  The Santa Lucia Mountains and general course of the San Antonio River were explored by the Spanish during 1769 Portola Expedition of Las Californias.  Mission San Antonio de Pauda was founded during 1771 near the San Antonio River.  The San Antonio River proved to be a reliable source of water for irrigation purposes between Mission San Miguel Arcangel and Mission Nuestra Senora de la Soledad.  Thusly general path of the Spanish iteration of El Camino Real followed the general corridor of modern Jolon Road from Mission San Miguel Arcangel through the Santa Lucia Mountains towards Mission Nuestra Senora de la Soledad.  

During the period of early American statehood in California the major stage roads used the highways inherited from Mexican Alta California.  The road north of San Miguel still followed the general corridor of Jolon Road towards Mission Soledad via Mission San Antonio.  The main stage road from San Miguel is seen following the San Antonio River towards Mission San Antonio and northward towards Mission Soledad on the 1857 Britton & Rey's Map of California.  


During the 1870s and 1880s the Southern Pacific Railroad constructed a line through Salinas Valley towards San Miguel.  The Southern Pacific Railroad would develop frontage roads which would replace the corridor of Jolon Road as the primary through highway between San Miguel and Mission Soledad.  These frontages during the 20th Century would form the basis of Legislative Route Number 2 as part of 1909 First State Highway Bond Act and US Route 101 when the US Route System was created during November 1926.  

Jolon Road can be seen in detail as a major local highway on the 1935 Division of Highways Map of Monterey County.  Jolon Road can be seen originating at US Route 101 near Bradly and looping back to it near King City.  Jolon Road east of Lockwood is shown to be following what is now Bradley-Lockwood Road  



Jolon Road became prominent during World War II due to the formation of Fort Hunter Liggett during 1940 near Jolon. Forty miles of improvements of Jolon Road began as a Work Projects Administration (WPA) project during early 1941 and would conclude during late year 1942. The segment of Jolon Road between Bradly to Lockwood was straightened as part of the corridor improvements. The improvements to Jolon Road were featured in the 1943 California Highways & Public Works.








Jolon Road facing south from US Route 101 near King City can be seen in a photo form the July/August 1945 California Highways & Public Works.  


During 1971 Jolon Road was assigned as Monterey County Route G14 and Monterey County Route G18.  Monterey County Route G18 was assigned to the 16.40 miles of Jolon Road east of Lockwood.  Monterey County Route G14 was assigned to the 23.82 miles northwest of Lockwood.  At some point between the mid-1970s and early 1980s the Jolon Grade on Monterey County Route G14 north of Jolon was straightened.  



Part 2; a drive on Monterey County Route G18

Monterey County Route G18 and Jolon Road begin from US Route 101 Exit 252 near Bradley.  Monterey County Route G18 is mistakenly signed as "Monterey County Route 18" by Caltrans.  Traffic wishing to access Mission San Antonio is directed to utilize Monterey County Route G18.




Monterey County Route G18/Jolon Road crosses under US Route 101 and intersects Monterey County Route G19 at Nacimiento Lake Drive.  





Monterey County Route G18/Jolon Road is signed as 18 miles from Lockwood.


Monterey County Route G18/Jolon Road passes through Hames Valley and enters the Santa Lucia Mountains.  







Monterey County Route G18/Jolon Road crosses through a small portion of the Santa Lucia Mountains and enters the San Antonio River Valley.  Monterey County Route G18/Jolon Road intersects the earlier alignment mentioned in Part 1which is now signed Bradley-Lockwood Road.  











Monterey County Route G18/Jolon Road enters the community of Lockwood.  Monterey County Route G18 ends at Interlake Road and Jolon Road transitions onto Monterey County Route G14.  Lockwood is named in honor of Belva Lockwood who ran for President on the Equal Rights Party ticket in 1884 and 1888.  Post Office Service in Lockwood was established in 1888.  






Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Former US Route 50 and the Pioneer Route Lincoln Highway on Johnson's Pass Road

By
Johnson's Pass Road is one of the oldest highway corridors in California.  Johnson's Pass was part of the Lake Tahoe Wagon Road as it was completed during 1856 over the Sierra Nevada.  The pass would later be incorporated into the Pioneer Branch of the Lincoln Highway in 1913 and US Route 50 in 1926.  Johnson's Pass Road would be bypassed by a new alignment of US Route 50 over Echo Summit in 1938.  A replacement of the Meyers Grade east of Johnson's Pass would be opened to traffic in 1947.   Johnson's Pass Road remains accessible to traffic and is still signed by the Lincoln Highway Association.  Pictured as the blog cover is the view from the top of Johnson's Pass Road overlooking modern US Route 50 and Lake Tahoe.   Part 1; the history of Johnson's Pass Much of the history of what become the Lake Tahoe Wagon Road is discussed in the  September 1950 California Highways & Public Works  during its Centennial Edition.  The or...
Post a Comment
Read more

Former US Route 50 and the South Lincoln Highway from Folsom east to Placerville

By
The corridor of Folsom of Sacramento County east to Placerville of El Dorado County has been a long established corridor of overland travel dating back to the California Gold Rush.  The Folsom-Placerville corridor was once part of the path of the Lake Tahoe Wagon Road which became the first California State Highway and later the South Lincoln Highway.  In time the South Lincoln Highway's surface alignment was inherited by US Route 50.  The Folsom-Placerville corridor also includes the communities of; Clarksville, Shingle Springs and El Dorado. Part 1; the history of the Lake Tahoe Wagon Road, South Lincoln Highway and US Route 50 through Folsom-Placerville Folsom is located on the American River/Lake Natoma of eastern Sacramento County.  That lands now occupied by the City of Folsom were part of Rancho Rio de los Americanos prior to the finding of gold at Sutter's Mill during 1848.  During the California Gold Rush the lands of Rancho Rio de los Americanos were p...
Post a Comment
Read more

Abandoned US Route 40 in the Truckee River Canyon

By
Within the Truckee River Canyon in the Sierra Nevada range numerous abandoned portions of US Route 40 can be found alongside modern Interstate 80.   This segment of highway was opened during 1926 as a bypass of the Dog Valley Grade which carried the early North Lincoln Highway and Victory Highway. The corridor of the Truckee River Canyon State Highway would be assigned as US Route 40 when the US Route System was commissioned during November 1926. During 1958 the segment of Interstate 80 between Boca, California and the Nevada state line was complete. When Interstate 80 opened east of Boca numerous obsolete portions of US Route 40 were abandoned. Some of these abandoned segments have been incorporated into the Tahoe-Pyramid Trail.  Part 1; the history of US Route 40 in the Truckee River Canyon The Truckee River Canyon for centuries has been an established corridor of travel known to native tribes crossing the Sierra Nevada range.  The first documented wagon crossi...
Post a Comment
Read more