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The original California State Route 26 in Orange County

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The original run of Sign State Highways were announced in the August 1934 California Highways & Public Works.  One of the initial Sign State Routes was California State Route 26 which was located in Orange County.  The original California State Route 26 followed Legislative Route Number 183 from Seal Beach to Santa Ana via Bolsa Avenue and 1st Street.  The original California State Route 26 was short lived and it would be eliminated as part of the shuffling of Sign State Route designations due to the extension of US Route 6 California.  Pictured above is the 1937 Gousha Map of California which features the original California State Route 26 on Bolsa Avenue and 1st Street. 



The history of the original California State Route 26

What became the original California State Route 26 (CA 26) entered the State Highway System as part 1933 Legislative Chapter 767 as part of Legislative Route Number 183 (LRN 183).  The definition of LRN 183 was "LRN 60 near Seal Beach to LRN 2/US Route 101 in Santa Ana."  LRN 183 was one of many new State Highways which was adopted in 1933 when the State removed the barriers preventing the Division of Highways from maintaining roadways in incorporated cities. 

LRN 183 first appears on the 1934 Division of Highways Map aligned between Seal Beach-Santa Ana on Bolsa Avenue and 1st Street. 


As noted in the introduction the August 1934 California Highways & Public Works announced the initial run of Sign State Routes.  The initial Sign State Routes were assigned to corridors of travel that were largely considered essential to state-wise transportation.  CA 26 was announced as following the entirety of LRN 183 between Seal Beach and Santa Ana.  




CA 26/LRN 183 appears in detail on the 1935 Division of Highways Map of Orange County following Bolsa Avenue and 1st Street in the Seal Beach-Santa Ana corridor.


As noted in the intro CA 26 appears on LRN 183 on the 1937 Gousha Highway Map of California.  


The demise of the original CA 26 came when US Route 6 was extended into California on February 8th, 1937, by the American Association of State Highway Officials.  Given US Route 6 was duplicating the number the original CA 6 it would require the latter be renumbered.  CA 6 had been defined as being aligned on LRN 173 from Santa Monica to Fullerton in the original run of Sign State Routes announced during August 1934.  To accommodate US Route 6 the original CA 26 and CA 6 were eliminated from their initial corridors.  LRN 173, LRN 166 and LRN 171 received the second designation of CA 26 whereas LRN 183 was left without a Sign State Route.  



Thusly the second CA 26 appears on the corridor of LRN 173 whereas LRN 183 is shown to not have a Sign State Route on the 1937-1938 Division of Highways Map.  


Harbor Boulevard facing north towards LRN 183/Bolsa Avenue appears in the November-December 1947 California Highways & Public Works.  


The original iteration of LRN 183 would never have another Sign State Route applied to it.  The original LRN 183 was eliminated from the State Highway System as part of 1951 Legislative Chapter 1562.  LRN 183 thusly does not appear on the 1952 Division of Highways Map.  


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