Skip to main content

Siskiyou County Route A28; connecting the Southern Pacific Railroad sidings

By

Shasta Valley of Siskiyou County has several County Sign Routes.  One of the newest additions to the State Level County Sign Route network is Siskiyou County Route A28 which serves as a frontage facility to the numerous former Southern Pacific Railroad sidings of Shasta Valley.  

Siskiyou County Route A28 ("A28") is an approximately 23.5 mile highway connecting Siskiyou County Route A12 in Grenada north through Shasta Valley to Interstate 5 ("I-5") near Hornbrook.  A28 consists of the rail frontage roads of; Montague-Grenada Road, 11th Street in Montague, Montague-Ager Road, Ager Road, and Copco Road.  A28 serves the heart of Shasta Valley by providing direct highway access to the communities of; Grenada, Montague, Ager, and Hornbrook.  


Part 1; the history of Siskiyou County Route A28

The exact date of the establishment for A28 is unknown given it is a relatively new designation which does not appear in any known State record.  According to CAhighways.org A28 is a post-1983 County Sign Route given it was not in the established records from Caltrans.  Nonetheless the roads which make up A28 are very old and were established by the Southern Pacific Railroad when sidings were plotted out in Shasta Valley circa 1886-87.  The communities of; Grenada, Montague, Ager, and Hornbrook were all plotted by the Southern Pacific as frontage facilities along it's then new line in Shasta Valley.  Said communities can all be seen (in addition to Laird and Klamathon) along the Southern Pacific Railroad in Shasta Valley on the 1903 Rand McNally Map of California.  

The 1909 San Francisco Motor Club Map of the Yreka Area (courtesy Kevin Walsh of the Map Scans Facebook group) shows two routes from Yreka north towards the State Line.  The primary highway north of Yreka is shown to follow what is now Yreka-Ager Road and much of Siskiyou County Route A28 towards Hornbrook.  The secondary road is shown to follow what is now Anderson Grade Road from Yreka towards Hornbrook. 

The 1912 California State Automobile Map (courtesy Kevin Walsh of the Map Scans Facebook group) only shows present Yreka-Montague Road and Siskiyou County Route A28 as a highway between Yreka-Hornbrook.  Note; conjecture has it that early Legislative Route Number 3 ("LRN 3") may have been planned to follow much of what is A28. 

The current roads which comprise A28 all appear between Grenada and Hornbrook (yes, there was a community called Balls in Siskiyou County) on the 1917 California State Automobile Association Map.  LRN 3 is shown following what is now Anderson Grade Road towards Yreka instead of utilizing future A28 through Shasta Valley. 

The 1935 California Division of Highways Map of Siskiyou County provides more detail regarding future A28.  Most of future A28 (from Grenada to Ager) is shown as a major County Highway.  




Part 2; a drive on Siskiyou County Route A28

A28 begins from A12/99-97 Cutoff in Grenada via a turn northward onto Montague-Grenada Road.  Montague is signed as 5 miles north of Grenada. 

A28 initially tracks east of the Central Oregon & Pacific Railroad ("COPR") on Montague-Grenada Road.  Approximately 4 miles from Grenada A28 northbound crosses over to the western side of the Union Pacific approaching Oberlin Road.  Note; The rail route through Shasta Valley is presently operated by the COPR which was sold by the Southern Pacific in 1994.







A28 north of Oberlin Road crosses the Shasta River and enters the City of Montague on 11th Street.  A28 north picks up California State Route 3 ("CA 3") at Montague Road and beings a rare State Highway/County Sign Route multiplex.  





The Montague Depot Museum can be found on CA 3/A28 on 11th Street.  As noted above Montague was plotted out as a Southern Pacific Railroad siding in 1887.  Montague was named after a engineer from the Central Pacific Railroad and incorporated as a City in January of 1909.  The Montague Depot was constructed over a five week period in 1887 and is presently located at the intersection of 11th Street/King Street.  The Montague Depot was originally located on Webb Street on the east side of the COPR tracks.  

 

At Webb Street CA 3 splits east towards a terminus at the edge of the Montague City Limits.  A28 continues north to the City Limit of Montague and transitions onto Montague-Ager Road upon crossing Oregon Slough. 


A28 north of Montague follows the western side of the COPR and has a major intersection at Yreka-Ager Road.  A28 at Yreka-Ager Road is signed as 15 miles from Hornbrook. 

A28 follows Willow Creek and the COPR to the outskirts of Ager approximately 10 miles north of Montague.  

A28 transitions onto Ager Road and continues north towards the Klamath River.  A28 crosses over the COPR and Klamath River at Klamathon Road.  Upon crosses the Klamath River A28 swings westbound onto Copco Road towards I-5, Hornbrook is signed as 3 miles away.



A28 approaches the outskirts of Hornbrook at Roy Jones Road.  West of Roy Jones Road A28 crosses the COPR. 


Upon crossing the COPR A28 intersects Hornbrook Road.  Access to Hornbrook is signed north on Hornbrook Road whereas A28 traffic is directed to stay west to reach I-5.  

A28 terminates at I-5 in the community of Henley. 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Yes, the color of your nearby fire hydrant matters...

By
...and here's why. You will find White, Red, Yellow and Violet colored fire hydrants pretty much everywhere.  But there's a reason for this - and it's because of the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA).  This association has issued guidelines for color coding standards for fire hydrants.  These color codes from the body of the hydrant, top of the hydrant, and in some municipalities the outlet caps are designed to allow fire fighters to know what type of system, water flow rate (Gallons Per Minute or GPM), and level of water pressure.  This guideline is known as NFPA 291 and is intended to be used universally throughout the United States. The NFPA guidelines are specific to the body and the top cap of the hydrant.  If a hydrant is WHITE or YELLOW - it means that it is connected to a public/municipal water system.  If a hydrant is RED - the hydrant is connected to a private system, typically a well.  These are most common in rural or unincorporated areas
1 comment
Read more

Phase 1 of the California State Route 132 West Expressway (in the making since 1947)

By
On September 15, 2022, the Phase 1 of the California State Route 132 West Expressway opened in the city of Modesto from California State Route 99 west to North Dakota Avenue.  Phase 1 of the California State Route 132 West Expressway was built upon a corridor which was tentatively to designated to become the branching point for Interstate 5W in the 1947 concept of the Interstate Highway System.  The present California State Route 132 West Expressway corridor was adopted by the California Highway Commission on June 20, 1956.  Despite almost being rescinded during the 1970s the concept of the California State Route 132 West Expressway corridor lingered on for over half a century and became likely the oldest undeveloped right-of-way owned by California Transportation Commission.  Pictured above is the planned California State Route 132 freeway west of US Route 99 in Modesto as featured in the May/June 1962 California Highways & Public Works.   The history of the California State Route
Post a Comment
Read more

Aptos Creek Road to the Loma Prieta ghost town site

By
Aptos Creek Road is a roadway in Santa Cruz County, California which connects the community of Aptos north to The Forest of Nisene Marks State Parks.  Aptos Creek Road north of Aptos is largely unpaved and is where the town site of Loma Prieta can be located.  Loma Prieta was a sawmill community which operated from 1883-1923 and reached a peak population of approximately three hundred.  Loma Prieta included a railroad which is now occupied by Aptos Creek Road along with a spur to Bridge Creek which now the Loma Prieta Grade Trail.  The site of the Loma Prieta Mill and company town burned in 1942.   Part 1; the history of Aptos Creek Road and the Loma Prieta town site Modern Aptos traces its origin to Mexican Rancho Aptos.  Rancho Aptos was granted by the Mexican Government in 1833 Rafael Castro.  Rancho Aptos took its name from Aptos Creek which coursed through from the Santa Cruz Mountains to Monterey Bay.  Castro initially used Rancho Aptos to raise cattle for their hides.  Following
Post a Comment
Read more