Laurel in Yellowstone County, Montana — The American West (Mountains)
The Yellowstone Trail
Photographed by Barry Swackhamer, July 22, 2021
1. The Yellowstone Trail Marker
Captions: (middle left) The reason for the Good Roads movement. This picture in Illinois.; YT "Trail Day." Everyone out to work on the road. This picture is from North Dakota.; (middle right) Easterners followed the YT to the West, here through Batavia, NY; Cabins, campgrounds, and service stations blossomed along the Trail, these in Ohio; (Yellowstone Trail map at the center, left to right) You are standing at the site of this gas station. The road shown goes south to Cody from this intersection with Main St., the Yellowstone Trail.; YT Association General Manager on his inspection trip at Hunter's Hot Springs near Livingston, Montana; Adding YT colors to pole in Wisconsin; An original YT route marker; Right turn coming up. Some markers still remain.
Motto: A Good Road from Plymouth Rock to Puget Sound.
Before 1912
Railroads dominated long distance transportation. Local road were dust and mud. There was little help from government so owners of the newly arrived autos rose to the challenge.
1912
Small towns businessmen from South Dakota formed the Yellowstone Trail Association to "get out of the mud" and to pressure counties to build usable automobile roads. They named the transcontinental auto road Yellowstone to draw tourists along it to the national park. Roads and autos were crude and travel was tough, With no maps tourists relied on guide books and yellow rocks to find their way.
1915
The Yellowstone Trail was extended from chicago (sic) to Seattle and, by 1917, to Boston. Yellow and black signs were posted across the country. The Association promoted the opening of Yellowstone National Park to auto travel.
Until 1930
Hundreds of towns supported the famous Yellowstone Trail. The Association created free campgrounds, travel bureaus, and publications
this page online
1930
Route numbering (now an international system but created by the State of Wisconsin in 1918) reduced the need for named roads. Then the Depression spelled the end for all trail associations.
Erected by Yellowstone Trail Association.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Roads & Vehicles.
Location. 45° 40.155′ N, 108° 46.237′ W. Marker is in Laurel, Montana, in Yellowstone County. It is on East Main Street (Old U.S. 10) near 1st Avenue (?), on the left when traveling west. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 108 East Main Street, Laurel MT 59044, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Yellowstone Country and in Greater Billings. It is also in the American Mountain West and in the Lewis & Clark Corridor. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once Ruperts Land and also the Louisiana Purchase.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within
Photographed by Barry Swackhamer, July 22, 2021
2. The Yellowstone Trail Marker
Also see . . . . The Yellowstone Trail Association located a route, motivated road improvements, produced maps and folders to guide the traveler, and promoted tourism along its length. It became a leader in stimulating tourist travel to the Northwest and motivating good roads across America. (Submitted on January 21, 2022, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California.)
Photographed by Wyoming Tales and Trails
3. Good Roads
Credits. This page was last revised on January 21, 2022. It was originally submitted on January 21, 2022, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California. This page has been viewed 809 times since then and 87 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on January 21, 2022, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California.
