California (CSAA) Redwood Highway state line sign

Description

In the early days of the automobile in California, the state government was not yet involved in the business of posting road signs. Instead, those duties were taken on by private auto clubs. In Northern California, this was the responsibility of the California State Automobile Association (CSAA). The CSAA’s signage was identifiable by its uniform pattern: a yellow, elongated diamond with blue text.

Before the United States Numbered Highway system was in place, the Redwood Highway ran from Grants Pass, Oregon to San Francisco, California. (What was the Redwood Highway was later given the US route numbers 199 and 101.) The CSAA marked the point at where the road crossed over from Oregon to California with a unique sign. It showed the logo of the Redwood Highway in the top point of the diamond. Below that was the text “California State Line”, in the center of the diamond. To the left and the right was the text “Calif. State Auto Ass’n.” The CSAA logo appeared at the bottom of the sign.

We’ve painstakingly recreated the Redwood Highway California State Line according to the 1919 specification of the California State Auto Association. Our replica is printed with an all-weather, glossy finish indistinguishable from that of the original porcelain signage. The original of this sign is kept in a private collection and is not going anywhere. Should the owner ever decide to sell, it will no doubt command a handsome price in the collectors’ market. Avoid the hassles and expense of low supply and high demand with our faithful replica.

Our replica is flat printed on heavy 14-gauge steel. We offer it in two sizes, the original 29 in. × 23 in. size, and a scaled-down 18 in. × 14 in. version. Both versions include two convenient mounting holes. (Looking for a size other than those listed here? Or perhaps another CSAA sign, or one from the Automobile Club of Southern California (ACSC)? Or a sign of a similar vintage from another state? We can help! Just contact Jake to get started on your custom order.)