Brief Description
This photo shows the original Loveland Pass Continental Divide sign at the top of the pass, as well as a newer sign that was added by the state’s highway department in the early 1940s. Both signs mark the Continental Divide, and both have an altitude of 11,992′. Future signs would change the altitude of record to 11,988′ and 11,990′.
Info
- Date: Circa 1943-'44
- Photographer: Unknown
- Donated By: Russell F. Martin
- Medium: Photograph
- ID: TMD351-2020-626
- Repository: Denver Public Library, 10th Mountain Division Resource Center
Digital scan provided by the Denver Public Library.
Image use restricted.
Image Dating Comments
This image has been dated to 1943-1944 by the Denver Public Library.
Comments & Discussion
The brown wooden sign in the background was here first; erected by the US Forest Service, likely sometime in 1932 or shortly after. The white sign was erected by the Colorado State Highway Department. This sign is very similar to others that were put up around the state at this time.
There may have been another sign to the right of these at the time of this photo. That sign can be seen in other photos which are from the mid-1940s, and it is likely that they were installed together.
This isn’t the only time or place where you’ll see signs from the US Forest Service and CO highway departments next to each other, serving the same purpose. The same thing happened on Hoosier Pass in the 1960s when both entities had Continental Divide signs at the summit.
The Denver Public Library has also noted that the backside has the message “We had to go over this pass to get to Denver”.
Freshly painted, graffiti-free. The signs on Loveland Pass and Berthoud Pass were usually covered with some kind of writing, and images can even be dated based on the graffiti. This sign was nearly brand new at the time of this photo.
About the Coloradotopia Archives. The Coloradotopia archives hold a large collection of historical images that document Colorado’s auto history in the mountains. You can read more about the Coloradotopia archive project here.
