What It Tells You
Markers such as these normally mean there could be additional items nearby. The markers were generally placed at regular intervals, especially at curves, intersections or where the road narrows.
When you locate one of these markers, you begin to recognize other signs too. A low-lying depression. An elevated area. Gravel and/or crushed stone incorporated into the soil. No longer are the woods viewed as disorganized. Instead they appear to be remnants of a planned route.
Why I Like Finding Things Like This
Large historic sites attract immediate attention. Historic buildings, bridges, etc., are easily appreciated because of their large size and prominence. A State Road Department (SRD) right-of-way marker is unique; it is small, unassuming, and can easily be overlooked.
That is why I like it.
It reminds me that history is often created using normal everyday objects. A concrete post. A road edge. A daily route that people traveled along without giving much thought to.
Years later that same SRD right-of-way marker is likely one of the last visible indications that the road existed at all.
Still Standing
That little concrete post in the woods is more than a relic of a bygone era of infrastructure. It serves to mark the edge of an old road and preserve a piece of local history in the most basic form.
One marker. One old roadbed. One reminder that history does not always vanish. At times it simply stands silently in the woods waiting to be discovered.
