FIRST -- North-South Corridor in California - Dana Point, CA - First of its Kind on Waymarking.com

The plaque says, "Dana Point is named after Richard Henry Dana, Jr. a nineteenth century sailor. Dana called this area "the only romantic spot on the coast," words of admiration that would forever link his name with this place.

Richard Henry Dana became a prominent New England politician and lawyer. he never lived in Dana Point.

Long before merchant ships piled these waters, Orange County's native people, the Acjachemen, hunted and gathered here. Shellfish and fish, sea otters, Olivella shells, and other marine resources sustained their lives and culture.

The colorful names of Dana Point's downtown street, like "Green Lantern" are the brainchild of Ann G. Walters, a twentieth-century realtor. reflecting the design of a ship lantern, each lantern hung from a post topped with a colored globe that corresponded to the name of the street.

After the founding of Mission San Juan Capistrano in 1776, cattle became king. Oxen pulled wooden carretas piled high with cowhides to the Dana Point Headlands. Crews of merchant ships waited below.

In "Two Years Before the Mast", a book Dana wrote about his voyage to California, he described the crew tossing stiff cowhides off the headlands to be loaded onto the brig Pilgrim.

Cow hides were so valuable in the nineteenth century that they were called "California banknotes".

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The plaque says, "California's fabled road begins here in Dana Point and winds north along the scenic California coast linking waterside destinations, secluded stretches, and California's biggest cities. The road ends near Leggett in Mendocino County.

The sudden popularity of cars in the early twentieth century meant a sudden need for reliable roads. Highway planning began in 1919 and constructed started in 1921. By 1937 crews hung up their pick-axes and California opened its first north-south corridor.

This section of road has been known by different names and route umbers over the years. In 1941 the state officially renamed it Pacific Coast Highway (PCH). and in 1964, when California adopted its numbering system, it also became Highway 1.

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The plaque says, "From 1928 until 1971 one feature dominated this stretch of roadway: a giant open-frame tower marked with the neon letters spelling out R-I-C-H-F-I-E-L-D as part of the name of the Richfield Oil and Gas Company.

The tower above you echoes the design of Dana Point's Richfield tower. This one is just 31 feet tall with 30-inch letters-far smaller than the original.

Richfield Oil build 36 towers between Mexico and Canada, each roughly 50 miles apart. The towers were visible at from miles away, especially at night."

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