The first transcontinental roadway in America is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year! The Yellowstone Trail, a designated roadway going from Plymouth Rock, Mass., to Peugeot Sound, Wash., was a no-cost idea to help travelers of the newest mode of transportation – the automobile. Large rocks were painted yellow to mark the way for vehicles to follow, and it wasn’t so much a road that was built, but rather a designated route to follow in an effort to cut down on the cost to towns and counties.
Starke County holds the Yellowstone Trail as a central part of its history in the town of Hamlet, and the Yellowstone Trail Festival was started three years ago to help keep the historical trail a part of the town’s living history.
Festival President Audrey Wood says the most important aspect of the festival is the embodiment of history, and the festival makes an effort to not only preserve history, but to remind visitors of the importance of the trail.
