Prairie County Economic Development Council – Yellowstone Trail Signage

The Yellowstone Trail was the first transcontinental automobile highway through the northern tier of states in the United States. It was established in 1912 with the slogan, “A Good Road from Plymouth Rock to Puget Sound” and ran from Massachusetts through Montana to Yellowstone National Park and then to the Pacific Ocean in Washington. In eastern Montana, the route still runs through Terry, Fallon, and Mildred on Old Highway 10.

In an era before distinct routes, signs, or good maps, the Trail was marked by piles of painted yellow rocks, yellow arrows painted on barns, and yellow bands painted around trees and telephone poles. With a grant from us and the hard work of volunteers and the Prairie County Economic Development Council, four large yellow signs now mark a 30 mile stretch of the Trail. These interpretive signs entice visitors to take the road less traveled, exit the interstate, and immerse themselves in the rich history of this automobile route.

One sign interprets Captain Clark’s camp at the mouth of the Powder River on July 30, 1806 on his way to rejoin Lewis at the mouth of the Yellowstone. Another discusses the council between Father DeSmet and Sitting Bull on June 20, 1868. Want to know what history the other two signs capture? Go check them out for yourself!