The Historic Highway 99 Association of California is getting ready to get going. Within the next week or so, it will be officially incorporated. It is currently looking for people to help with some of the administrative end, specifically with two board members and regional support. If you’re interested in bringing positive change to Historic US 99, why not check it out?
Association Positions Available – Historic Highway 99 Association of California
US 99 parallels the Southern Pacific Railroad for a significant portion of its journey across the Great Central Valley. At times, it has to cross those tracks. Many of those crossings were the site of collisions, mostly by people trying to beat the train. They also slowed traffic down quite a bit. In a statewide effort to reduce problems at grade crossings, the State built grade-separations at these locations.
At Famoso, north of Bakersfield, an underpass was built in 1936, which eliminated one of the busier crossing. That structure was eventually replaced by an overpass in 1970. Today, the original crossing partially remains, with paving leading from the freeway to the railroad. The last time a car traversed this paving may well have been over 70 years ago.
There are many historic locations in California. Many of them are marked with plaques. Over time, these have been stolen or otherwise gone missing. A group, called the California Landmark Foundation, is working toward replacing those markers. They are looking for your help.
Near Valyermo, California, outside of Palmdale, the locals have placed signs where Pallet Creek Road crosses the San Andreas Fault. They picked a really nice spot too, as you have a sag area, fault scarp, and offset streams all easily visible from there. I recommend a visit!
After doing a bit more research and speaking with other groups, I have decided to move forward with my plan to create a new Highway 99 group. This will be a great opportunity to be more active in helping revive US 99 as well as historic businesses along the route. Some of the goals include historic route signage, events, tours, and public outreach.
I will be submitting the paperwork for incorporating the association next week as a California Non-Profit Public Benefit Corporation. Once the documents are accepted and certified, I will begin the process to obtain tax-exempt status from the IRS and California FTB. This process may take a while.
A new website has also been created for the association at Historic99.Org. The site will be updated as this progresses. If you want to get involved, please head on over! Keep in mind that, until tax-exempt status is obtained, no monetary donations will be taken. In the interim, all are welcome to subscribe to the website.