Stumbling onto a little Iowa history

On our way home from Council Bluffs, we stopped in Atlantic (home of some great fudge) for dinner (not more fudge... this time.) As we were leaving town, we took the longer route back to I-80 along US Highway 6. The evening drive was pleasant as the sun was setting behind us and the countryside rolled on before us.

In a few miles, we were talking about the unusual painting on the telephone poles along the highway. About three feet up, nearly every pole was painted white for the next several feet up the pole. Was it to remind people when to cut down the grass / hay / weeds? Was it to protect the poles from some kind of insect? Would it prevent some climbing critter from getting into the lines above? Or maybe some sort of cruel trick to play on snowmobilers, camouflaging the poles against the snow??

As we continued on, we noticed a street sign labelled White Pole Road. Duh... Someone thought long and hard on that one. Kinda like fireplace; it's the place you put the fire. (I sometimes think Linda would label the chair where I'm sitting right now as the Daleplace.)

We continued on, enjoying our drive when we cruised by a roadside marker, complete with turnout. We both commented that that looked interesting, wonder what it's doing out here. We could find out. We're not likely to be any closer to it in the next could of weeks... even years! Linda turned us around and we took a closer look. It was the site of Jesse James first train robbery in the West. A nice little find along the way!

We soon were back on the interstate and headed for Des Moines. Enjoying our little find in the prairie.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The next day, I had an email from Linda with a link to a White Pole Road website. I clicked on it and learned a great deal more about our curious stretch of highway. Appears we'd stumbled onto a piece of Americana ... or at least some Iowana (if there is such a thing, my spellcheck doesn't know it.) A lot of people don't know this, but this road is kinda famous. Reading from the card in the image:

For YOU --- and for all "who, in the love of nature, hold communion with her visible forms," by motoring, we have prepared "THE WAY." Follow the Great White Mark over the "Best dirt road in the United States," so described by those who have "seen them all."

The history of this road does make for some interesting reading. The website is primarily focused on five of the communities along the way and their efforts to maintain their connection with this highway. I'd like to find more about this route and possibly travel other segments of it. It was another very nice find on our trip.