Nostalgic Road trip

With its exhibit, “Highway 10 – Remember When,” the Museum of North Idaho offers visitors an opportunity to make a journey back over the past 90 years to experience the romance of Highway 10, a road that has seen a number of changes in name, location and surroundings since its beginnings.

On display through the fall, the exhibit is a collection of photos and memorabilia that will, for some, be a nostalgic journey, and for a younger generation, a journey of discovery. But for all, the surprise will be how much the roads, automobiles and surroundings have changed in what is a relatively short time. After all, 90 years are not much when considering the sweep of history.

A photo that underlines the major change is of a tin lizzie bogged down up to its axles in mud and water – going no place, fast. Such sights once were common and prompted the cry, “Get a horse!” And it did probably take a team of horses to pull the car free.

There were no transcontinental highways before 1912, only dirt wagon roads that became impassable in the snow and rain. The federal government at that time had directed all of its attention to the railroads and ignored the roads.

To remedy this, people banded together in private “trail” organizations to encourage local governments to put tax dollars into linking existing roads and building new ones to form long routes, according to the Yellowstone Trail Association. Such a road was the Yellowstone