California (CSAA) Camptonville, Nevada City, Marysville mileage sign

Description

In the early days of the automobile, the government of California did not install signs along the roads it maintained. Instead, private organizations provided signage. In the northern half of the state, the California State Auto Association (CSAA) took up that duty. One of the many signs CSAA posted was affixed to the St. Charles Hotel in Downieville, California. It shows the direction and distance to the nearby towns of Camptonville, Nevada City, and Marysville.

We’ve brought this classic CSAA mileage sign back to life for your modern-day enjoyment. We’ve followed the precise 1919 CSAA specifications in making our replica. The sign is a yellow diamond shape with blue text; blue and yellow are the state colors of California. The names of Camptonville, Nevada City, and Marysville, along with the distances to each of them, appear in the center of the sign. The association logo is located at the bottom, with its name at the sides. At the top of the diamond is a notation indicating this road to be a state highway. Every detail of this sign, from the layout to the fonts to the information presented, has been accurately recreated from historic photographs of the St. Charles Hotel and the sign attached to it. It is practically indistinguishable from the original porcelain sign!

Our signs are flat printed on 14-gauge steel. The high-gloss finish, durable indoors and out, replicates the porcelain look of the original. Choose between two sizes. We offer one accurate to original dimensions, 18½ inches on a side (approximately 29 inches across the long axis, and 23 up and down the short axis). For those conscious of both budget and space, we also offer a scaled-down version, approximately 18 inches across and 14 inches high.

Want a CSAA-style sign like this one with a different set of destinations? Or perhaps one from the other end of the state, where the Automobile Club of Southern California had jurisdiction? We’re happy to make these signs with any verbiage of your choice! Just contact Jake to get started on your custom order.