California (ACSC) Mexican Well, Nipton, Valley Wells, Silverlake directional sign

Description

Car ownership was increasing in the 1910s, but road infrastructure to use those cars on was lagging behind. Even California was home to just a collection of privately-built auto trails crisscrossing the state. Often, the builders of these roads provided little to no signage. In Southern California, this task was taken up by the Automobile Club of Southern California (ACSC). The club provided resources, including signage, to guide enthusiastic travelers over the primitive road system. ACSC’s early signage was normally diamond-shaped and made of steel. The paint was porcelain enamel, with a white background, and a blue foreground in block letters. At the bottom of each sign was the club’s bell logo, the words “AUTO. CLUB SO. CAL.” surrounding it.

This sign is a replica of one of ACSC’s signs was was originally posted deep in the Mojave Desert. It would have been posted at Mexican Well, near modern-day I-15’s Bailey Road exit. The sign points the way from Mexican Well to Nipton, 14 miles distant, as well as the other direction, toward the Valley Wells and  Silverlake. The arrows on this sign have fletchings on their ends—an artistic flourish that definitely would not meet modern signage standards!

Our replica Mexican Well ACSC directional sign is flat printed on heavy 14-gauge steel. Its finish is nearly identical to that of the original sign; it’s glossy and non-reflective, making it an excellent match to the original’s porcelain enamel. And like the original, it will stand up for years under the harsh Mojave Desert sun. Mounting holes are included to make installation simple. We offer our replica in the following sizes:

• a scaled-down 12-inch-square version (about 17 inches up and down between the points)
• the actual-size 18-inch-square version (about 25½ inches up and down between the points)
• an oversized 20-inch-square version (about 28 inches up and down between the points)

We can make a sign like this for any set of destinations you might want! We can also make them in any size you like, not just the two listed here.  And if you’re looking for any other type of road sign, be it a route marker, guide sign, warning sign, welcome sign, from the past, from the present, from California, from any other state, from any other country…We can do it! Just contact Jake to get started on your custom order today!