Remains of an Ancient Wood Plank Road in Southern California

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A hundred years ago, early automobiles used wooden roads to cross California's enormous sand dunes on their perilous journey west.
Written and Produced by: Bethany Guerrero
Cinematography and Visual Effects by: C. Drew Unser
#california #travelvlog #abandoned
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Information Sources:
www.cahighways.org/maps-sc-fw...
​​www.desertusa.com/sandhills/p...
Image Sources:
www.desertusa.com/sandhills/p...
www.daytrippen.com/old-plank-...
BLM
www.sandiegoyesterday.com/?p=652
www.sos.ca.gov/archives/colle...
www.mtfca.com/discus/messages...
www.destination4x4.com/the-pl...
Special Collections, University of California, San Diego
Video Sources:
• Hollywood Freeway (1960)
• 1939 Arroyo Seco
• Opening of Hollywood F...
"Indore", "The Pyre", "Virtutes Instrumenti", and "Funkorama" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
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[@KB6YAF]

When my grandmother was very young, their family packed up the old car in the early days of the 20th century and headed west to CA from Texas. She told me the story of traveling on the wood plank road and having to use those side turnouts to let other traffic pass. It was slow and go, but they made it to Imperial Valley. All great stories I remember from her. ........Russell D.

[@random22026]

Wow--your Grandma was a 'planker', before that became a meme! :D

[@OddityOdysseys]

That's awesome!

[@kirkrozelle1900]

Grew up in So Cal in the 60s and still here. I say "the 5". My grandmother (born 1902 in So Cal) told me about when she drove on wood plan, road to Yuma.

[@random22026]

@@kirkrozelle1900 'The 5. The 405...'--yep. SoCal credentials check out. 😉😉And a SoCal born-and-bred native from 1902?! Respect.

[@Hypnotikshiva]

I love hearing stories from the past, for that moment in time you are taken back in time.

[@jamesg2609]

Another native always call the freeways by name. Harbor, Hollywood, Santa Monica, Santa Ana, San Diego, San Gabriel river freeway, Century, Grapevine, Foothill, etc. Thanks guys another brilliant production !

[@dtna]

I was born and raised in L.A.. Used to live close to the Hollywood Freeway and I still call it that. Same with the Pasadena/Harbor Fwy. Now they call it the 110 Fwy.

[@CrazyCrippledCat]

I'm a 56 yr old native, born and raised in the San Fernando Valley. I live in Port Hueneme now. I always say "The" before any freeway or highway name. I do swap between number and name i.e. the Ventura fwy or the 101 fwy. Great video, I love exploring our beautiful state.

[@ATSFVentaSpurNscaler]

I grew up during 1960s-70s in Orange County, CA. Almost every year, my parents took my siblings and me on a family road trip across these sand dunes on our way to and from vacationing in Arizona. Back then, many long stretches of the old wood plank road were still readily visible to passersby traveling the I-8. That once easy visibility from the interstate stands in stark contrast to today when you must drive on another road away from the I-8 to view the last remnants of these wood planks. The shifting sands of time have long covered over the wooden road closest to the main freeway. Thanks for making this video. It rekindles wonderfully nostalgic memories from childhood! -from Thomas Lincoln Pilling

[@edwardlapsley2556]

I absolutely love all they history you two provide us. What a wonderful service

[@TheShornak]

Yes absolutely "The" is a SoCal thing. I lived in Sacramento for a few years and they don't normally say that. Someone there pointed out to me when I mentioned I took "The 50" to get to my location. I guess I say it because that's just what I've hard most my life. And yes I am from SoCal and have lived here about 52 of my 60 years. Great episode, really love your channel.

[@johnpotter8039]

I was born in 1950 and grew up in Sierra Madre, learning to drive in 1966. My parents were immigrants, my mother from Germany in 1923 and my father, from Utah, in 1933. They eloped to Kingman, AZ in 1940, traveling on Route 66, of course. They always used to point out "the old road", when we drove. To date me, the route from the foothills down to Long Beach was Rivergrade Road. The new freeway, built in the 1960s, was The Rivergrade Freeway, now The 605. I moved to New York in 1993 and never memorized the "new" numbering. I remember when The Harbor Freeway ended just south of U.S.C. Aside from Rivergrade Road, most north-south travel was down Rosemead, which eventually took us to Pacific Coast Highway (note- no "The"). It is interesting that New Yorkers usually use names, instead of numbers. "The BQE", Brooklyn-Queens Expressway, The Grand Central Parkway, The Northern and Southern Parkways, and the tri-named "The Taconic", to the north, that becomes "The Sprain Parkway" morphing into "The Bronx River Parkway", We also have "The Hutch", or Hutchinson River Parkway" and "The Sawmill" or "Sawmill River Parkway". The one I haven't found is "The Arthur Burkhart Expressway", mentioned in "Seinfeld".

[@Milepost947]

Native Southern Californian here, the "The" has always been how I give directions for highways. It seems weird not to use it. But it seems to be a truly Southern California oddity.

[@jefftrujillo4270]

Yess!! Pasadena boy here. I can always identify a fellow So Cal denizen by their identification of a freeway with the word "the" at the beginning. Love it!!!

[@arrjay2410]

In Canada, or at least Southern Ontario, most highways are referred to as "The"; 'The 401' or 'The 400'; or 'The Queen Elizabeth Way'. Probably for the same reason you explained they do it in Southern California. The old pre-expressways Highway 2 was called "The Kingston Road" because it ran from Toronto to Kingston. When sections of it were taken over by the City of Toronto it was simply renamed "Kingston Road". There is a history in Ontario, it was then call Upper Canada, of "Courdroy Roads" back in the early 19th century (early 1800s). The road going from Toronto (then called York) to the military facilities in Penetanguishene on Georgian Bay was purported to be a Courdroy Road. With the much wetter conditions here the wood rotted away years ago.

[@somedayistodayrv]

Wow, fantastic and I did not no about this road technique. Native Californian here. Thanks for sharing and take care. Much appreciated.

[@Wolfspirit50]

Awesome video Drew & Beth. I didn't realize how close Yuma, AZ, Mexico, and that part of California is to each other.

[@richardhoover4471]

I grew up in the very late 40’s and 50’s in Rivera (now Pico Rivera) California and we always said “The” before freeway names then- The Santa Ana freeway, The Pomona freeway, The San Bernardino freeway. Somehow that tradition continued after the numbering system started, although we hesitated at first with the 605 freeway, preferring to call it The San Gabriel River Freeway. Later we thought “605” was shorter, but it was still THE 605.

[@johnnada1222]

My understanding is The Pasadena Freeway (110) is the original freeway ( probably open for debate ) . All I know as a native Southern Californian I have paid my dues on the local freeways and nobody from another part of the country is going to teach me about freeways. “ The” is correct .

[@dtna]

Yep.

[@janblake9468]

In the 1950's, we crossed the dunes a few times. We'd see disconnected sections of the plank road alongside the paved highway,

[@wmjohns881]

This is one of my most favorite channels 🤠

[@rparret]

Always enjoy your videos. I live in Yuma, and have been to the plank road a few times, and read the history of it. Pretty interesting.

[@erichavenbass]

I was NorCal born and raised originally from San Jose CA. The 280, 680, 880, 17, and 101 freeways all cross through there. In all of my years living there, I remember only sporadically hearing 101 referred to as "the 101". Not once can I recall any of the other freeways spoken of like this. I now call Bellingham WA home where the only major artery running through our area is Interstate 5. I have yet to hear of anyone calling it "the I-5", although I did once hear someone call it "the 5", and occasionally someone will say "the interstate". Typically, we will say "take 5".

[@mikepelz7004]

Definitely a southern california thing!

[@Chris-ut6eq]

nice to know about this piece of history!

[@ne1sail]

In the early 1980"s I was talking to a old man in his 80's who told me he was driving a Model T Ford on a plank road in Death Valley, California sometime around 1910, and was passed by a stage coach. It was the last stage coach line in the state. He said he was driving the car and was only about 10 years old at the time. We tend to forget just far we have come in such a short time. I was born in 1946 and can remember Southern California without freeways! We crossed the country in 1952 from Eastern Canada and the vast majority of the trip was on two lane concrete roads with tar between each cement slab and I can still remember the thump, thump, thump, of the tires on road. Hard to believe that asphalt was just beginning to be used to pave streets.

[@andrewmurray9391]

In NY, we said The Long Island Expressway, (L.I.E.) which is called interstate 495. We and Teddy Roosevelt might have taken The parkway, although John McLain goes through the park, (big difference).

[@valeriegoode9762]

Fascinating. Love your videos.

[@goldviper5280]

Love you guys. Always so interesting.

[@RadianceRush]

Been between Yuma and San Diego many times but never stopped to see the wood plank road but I've heard about it before. Also I'm a So California native and yes I used "the" before the interstate's number lol. I don't think i'll ever stop.

[@davidhorizon8401]

Another great video. Thanks.

[@blockisle9]

Wow, Thanks as always

[@MarcusWolfWanders]

I did not know about this, thank you for informing me :) It's really cool that they innovated what are basically sand boardwalks for cars in a modular form that they could deploy so quickly!

[@johanngoethe6729]

My mother's parents came out to settle and farm in Imperial Valley on that road, from Missouri, in the 1920s. Gramps actually came out first to work and earn his starting stake, then go back home and bring out his bride. His name is still on one of the Valley roads, as a pioneer of Imperial Valley. Grandma painted a painting of their car coming across the road, from that memory.

[@johnnygreene5447]

You guys did a great job on the history of the plank road. We were there 5 years ago!

[@OddityOdysseys]

That's so cool you were able to see it for yourself!

[@Raydawg]

That is awesome

[@kgws2663]

I grew up in Southern California and we always used "The" when referring to any freeway there. I grew up with "The Pasadena, San Bernardino, Pomona freeway" names first and still use these name. Later freeways like "the 210 and 57" etc with numbers always start with "The" But, in Northern California where we now live we say "Hwy 17, Hwy 1, Hwy 280, Hwy 101" Thanks for your great history videos! My wife grew up in El Centro and has never been too the wood plank road. We've passed it many times while visiting Yuma and never realized it was there. If you get a chance, check out the old territorial prison in Yuma.

[@scottprather5645]

Desert Tower is an interesting place to visit some of the wood used to build it was salvaged from the plank road and is visible inside the building

[@leanaleelr]

I say the. I grew up right where you presently are. Thank you for this video. My family used this road when they moved to Yuma from Missouri.

[@Patriot-American]

Another brilliant adventure! Had never heard of this area before but what a great outing. Thanks for brining these jewels to us and for taking us along for the ride ...

[@agm6095]

Thank you, I never knew about this road.

[@JasmineApple]

How cool! I'd heard about that road, and it's on my bucket list, but haven't made it there yet. I'm originally from KY, & adapting to "the 10," "the 405" was kinda odd at first, but it's normal now. Another CA quirk is that distance is measured by time, not miles. If you're in LA, and someone asks how far it is to Santa Monica, you'd probably answer, "About 30-45 minutes." Good video!

[@bahiras]

Wow! I had no idea there was a wooden road in so. Calif. thanks!

[@BrosephRussell]

That's cool

[@SantosChronicles]

I will confirm in the midwest we don’t say “The” before the freeway. Never noticed till you said it. Never knew they used wood planks as roads in areas like this. I learn something new from your channel every time you post.

[@ck4426]

Really enjoyed this video-so interesting!!! Thank you!!!

[@OddityOdysseys]

Thank you for checking it out!

[@brucequinn]

Really nice.

[@markwng]

They used to do similar in Australia mainly for bog holes where round timbers were laid over soft bits. Ir was called corduroying for obvious reasons.

[@scottbenke7182]

Born and raised in SoCal. It was always 'the' 605, or 'the' 10. The 5 though was 'the' Santa Ana, or 'the' Golden State in LA/Orange County. Outside of that, it was the I=5.

[@benjaminsarles6660]

Super interesting history! Thank you for this video.

[@OddityOdysseys]

Glad you enjoyed! 😊

[@erikadowdy2382]

I’m from Southern San Diego- and I never noticed till u pointed it out- but YES, I Do say “ The”Freeways😊 How funny

[@georgeprokopenko3044]

great stuff. all left behind by an unknown previous civilization.

[@samvore2963]

Well I learned a new word today. Perdurable!

[@M500VYN]

Totally fascinating site. Well told story guys. Many thanks once again 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻❤️🇬🇧

[@LouieNYI09]

In the Tri-State area of NY, we use "the" as well....The Major Deegan, The Long Island Expressway, The Saw Mill Pkwy, The West Side Hwy, The Cross Bronx expressway.....You get the point lol

[@bennyboogenheimer4553]

Those turn arounds signs with the tires, were called "Michelin Crosses", because of the Michelin Man on the side of the tire, having outstretched arms. Plus it made the road sound fancy. It got a Michelin Spike, instead of a Star. lol!

[@larryfreda5208]

I love that you put “The” when traveling on highways. Living in N.J. I’ve never heard highways mentioned that way. However, we do know towns by their exit number off our Garden State Parkway !

[@random22026]

Great point: Exit numbers in CA only occur when you travel inland from L.A., and then, it's infrequent!

[@keith2059]

Greetings Bethany, Drew, and wonderful people! 4:32, was that the first wrong way driver? That is really cool, never heard of that road! Thank you! North California, I say Hwy. 17, Hwy. 280, Hwy. 880., Hwy. 680, and Hwy. 1. Take care, be safe, and enjoy life!

[@xvsj5833]

I’m a native of So Cal as well, however, I call the Rockies my home now. “The” is “THE” correct 🤣way to indicate anything 🤣😂Love your channel! ❤❤ :) Jesse ✌️🚒

[@OddityOdysseys]

We never realized the "THE" topic would spark such conversations, but we love it, haha! Thanks, Jesse. ❤🙏

[@boxborolad]

I live in Massachusetts but follow and enjoy your posts. We don't have "the" in front of our freeway numbers. I think it is definitely a California (or SoCal) thing. Keep the cool topics coming! Thanks

[@geosophik9369]

I've never imagined adding "the" to roads was a Socal thing. In Spanish and other Romance languages, it's normal to add "the" before a noun, so I had never realized...

[@timhogan8749]

You two are the best! Thanks for your fascinating adventures.

[@OddityOdysseys]

Appreciate your support, Tim!

[@noahcount7132]

Absolutely fascinating, Bethany and Drew! 👍👍 And the plank road actually worked, in vivid contrast to the ill-fated and over-the-top expensive high speed rail fiasco.

[@OddityOdysseys]

It was a sturdy, reliable piece of construction, for sure!

[@wsflco]

#Iwillride

[@jujubee2141]

I’m a native Southern Californian. I remember my Mom used to say “The” Hollywood Freeway or “The” Sacramento or San Diego freeway. I never thought of them any other way. Now, we say The 405 or The 5. I rarely hear people say The Hollywood Freeway. Both my parents said it that way, now it’s just numbers. This is really interesting 😊. Thank you.❤

[@CharlesBrown-dd8vz]

How would they get all of those wood planks out there in 1914 with no nearby railroads or roads? Great episode!

[@yawndave]

SoCal native (born in La Jolla) here, and I use "the" more often than not when naming freeways either by name or number. Frankly, I don't see what the big deal is either way. I first saw a picture of the plank road at the Patton Museum on Chiriaco Summit. I asked the person at the front desk about it and she said, "I think there's a piece down by El Centro somewhere." I eventually made it to the preserved section on the dunes and was duly impressed. Major kudos to those responsible for saving it for posterity!

[@rubenjaime2360]

Yes the is a must 👍

[@jokeroneninesevenzero]

53 years living in Southern California. I say "the" before every freeway nunber.

[@michaelarchibald3916]

During the winter Gordon Wells is very busy with off-roaders. I’ve seen the plank road but did not know it has a land mark! Vary cool, need to revisit. My brain won’t let me not say The, take the 8 back to SD or take the 86 to Salton Sea. Lol

[@paulpeterson5214]

----- I love your topics. I lived in CA for decades and I didn't know about half of your topics. I'd bet you guys have gone through more than 1 vehicle in your travels.

[@OddityOdysseys]

Thanks Paul! For this trip we did rent a van, but we've lucked out in being able to get everything we've needed for the channel with our humble car. :)

[@paulpeterson5214]

@@OddityOdysseys Have you ever seen "California's Gold" with Huell Howser? He and a camera operator traveled all over CA and told many stories. His work was superb and your work reminds me of his work. You guys are introducing CA to a whole new generation of people. Thank you for the great work!

[@only7772]

Thanks!

[@OddityOdysseys]

Thank you so much! We really appreciate it. Have a great Sunday!

[@kimcozean9066]

Yes, grew up in Pasadena, it is definitely the 5 fwy, etc. Drove many times the Pasadena Freeway, I don't know if you are aware that the tunnels on the 110 near the 5 originally had both directions in one tunnel (yikes). Enjoy your videos.

[@RavenswoodProductions]

There is a display on the Plank Road in the SD Auto Museum in Balboa Park.

[@janisblack2183]

I’m from Canada and we say “the” before any road. 🇨🇦 We don’t have sand but we have swamps and wet lands. Where I live in a rural community, they have to tile drain the fields because the land is very wet. Hence we have “corduroy” roads that were built during the depression era much like the American Civilian Conservation Corps by unemployed men in road crews. They backfilled the muddy roads with logs then covered it with dirt/gravel. They are still intact to this day!

[@dmdbdmdb]

I LOVE YOUR SHOWS

[@OddityOdysseys]

Thank you!

[@cartman4885]

I am a life long Fresno native home of the Historical Forestiere Underground Gardens and I say The 5, The 99 ect so thanks for another interesting adventure.............

[@coolhandscoot68]

We had a plank road in Milwaukee,WI it is where miller brewery is today

[@williambliss6087]

I knew Doc Wallace, an optomitrist who drove the plank road in the 1920s. He spoke of pulling off with two wheels in the sand to pass cars coming the other way. He told me this as we drove US 80 in the 1950s, so it had been only 30 years before.

[@random22026]

3:26 Wasn't that newspaper, the HERALD EXAMINER? 🤔🤔 Great episode, O_O: Drew and Bethany Walk the Plank (Road)... How did you get there? Did you take The 10, going East (see what I did there? 😂😂)? El Ay born-and-bred; grew-up referring to freeways with a 'the' prefix (whether by name, or number). It just Was a Thing back then...😁😁

[@MrJojo2go]

Odd but I'm sharing... The area reminds me of the song smashing pumpkins "Today" song when they're on the desert. 👍🏿😷👍🏻🇨🇦🇵🇭🇺🇲

[@debbiekerr3989]

I live in Pennsylvania in the Philadelphia suburbs and I always say the Northeast Extinction and the Schuylkill Expressway so this seems to happen in my state as well.

[@robertwagner2363]

While in english class in the late 60s my instructor told that while traveling the old plank highway in the summer the family would punch holes in floor board and place ice blocks there for cooling.

[@roxanneonthemove4187]

I have lived in So Cal all my life, I never really thought about why we say “The” before a highway or freeway. I have lived a total of 10 years in San Diego in the 60’s and 80’s and my husband worked in the Imperial Valley for 23 years starting 1998 and we never have heard of the Plank Road until now. Now we will have to stop and see it next time we are there.

[@DarthJermz]

Born and raised in Garden Grove, Have always used "The" when giving directions, i have also lived in a few different states, NV, OH, OR, ect, they say "The" before a numbered highway

[@jonathanlapham2374]

Pretty ingenious for its time. I’m from the Midwest originally but have been in Washington the last 23 years and it has always been “the” before the Highway name 😊

[@Golfnut_2099]

You need to come to the Pacific Northwest!!!!!

[@clwest3538]

I remember seeing and talking about that road back in the early 60's when we traveled from Vandenberg AFB to Phoenix (where my 89 yo dad grew up - gotta go see Grandma!). Seems strange to hear you call it 'ancient' and 'over 100 years old' ... guess I'm getting old too!

[@lindaburton5680]

It’s definitely a Southern California thing to say “The” before a freeway. I’ve lived in Northern California almost all my life and we don’t say that. Love your videos! I’ve learned a lot about my state.

[@averageguy7136]

In Nor Cal, we don't say 'THE' before the freeway name. It sounds wierd if you do. You can always spot someone from So Cal when they do that.

[@hilariecalijo4643]

Yes native Californian here. Have always said , “take the 5, or the 8”. Live in Northern California now and still say, “take the 50, or the 80” lol

[@marktadlock5428]

Yes it was the original single lane road. Used by model a's and T's I fact when vehicle encounters each other the lightest vehicle would be picked up and moved over and after passing would help put the vehicle back on the road.

[@PrincessTS01]

always The # freeway, this is the way. Been in LA/OC since birth, it's just the way Angelenos do things from tv news to radio DJs.

[@jafa712]

I call it it The 101, the 5 , the coast hwy etc. lol from the north state

[@waynesimpson4081]

Because Southern Californians often mix named and numbered freeways in one sentence, using "the" makes sense. .i.e. "Take the Ventura Freeway to the 405."

[@dtna]

Please do a video on Mrs. Orcutt's driveway off Route 66 in Newburry Springs, CA. An amazing story!

[@OddityOdysseys]

Thanks for the recommendation! We'll have to add it to our Oddity list.

[@user-hk3xo2wn6b]

Thank you for the story. What about the Ridge Route over the Grapevine?

[@samallsop6700]

I believe the rails placed around the old road bed are the former border "wall" that identified the international border prior to construction of the bigger wall in place now. Easy enough to get over or under it, but you'd be hard pressed to say you didn't notice it.

[@wannawatchu66]

The article "the" is usually put before an artery or thoroughfare (notice I didn't say "freeway" or "highway,") for a reason. When the automobile was still in its infancy, the horse 'n' buggy roads they had to travel on were usually dirt and didn't have any kind of identification except the city or community *to where* they went. When a road was designated a "highway," it was given a name rather than a number, as would be the case in later years. The Lincoln Highway is an example of this. Then in 1926, the federal government established the US highway system. Basically, what that did was take an existing regional road of adequate use (a minimum amount of vehicles traveling it) and designate it a "US Highway," with federal money appropriated to its upgrade (paving it), widening, maintenance, signing it, and whatnot. If a road was used heavily enough (a certain amount of vehicles or more), it was designated a US highway, assigned a number, and federal money brought it up to adopted standards. Every freeway in Southern Cal has a name AND a number, so when Angelinos refer to a highway, they understandably call it "the (whatever)."

[@franksrailsphotographyllc]

“The” is definitely a SoCal thing based on the historic freeway names! I’m from NorCal but I interchange easily!

[@dimbus2000]

In the UK we use 'The', like 'the M25', 'the A1'

[@1bol390]

I say "THE" too! LOL Did you know that the original name of the 405 was THE Sepulveda Freeway!

[@geeksdo1tbetter]

very cool! I wish we could have gotten a shot of the entire plaque, for us nerds who try to Always Read The Plaque as 99% Invisible says

[@dougryan9973]

As a native Northern Californian, I can verify that we use the prefix "The" before road numbers as well. But having spent a lot of years in Florida and Tennessee, that practice is utterly alien in the South. If you said, "Just hop on the 4. It will take you right to Disney World." No one would know what you were talking about. If you spend time in both Florida and California you have to be bilingual!

[@MrBytes01]

Native SoCal here: born, raised and still living. Have always said "the" and my understanding has always been because they're the largest thoroughfares in the areas and not that many of them, compared to other states. Saying to "take the 14" or "take the 210" etc. isnt confusing to locals because we know it is then referencing those main thoroughfares and not some numbered side street.

[@susanm149]

Native Southern Californian - I used to take the 22 to the 405 to the 605 to get to work. When I moved to Alabama, I discovered that they don't use "the" (they say "take I-565", etc.). I still use "the", can't help it.