(July 1, 1920-October 16, 1926)
- In 1920, they knew it as: Between Oskaloosa and New Sharon (its overlap with IA 13), the Oskaloosa and Montezuma Road; north of there, nothing (2 counties)
- We know it as: The south half of IA 146, and US 63 between Oskaloosa and New Sharon, meaning the latter carried the "Highway 63" name 1920-24 and 1935-present
- Let's get granular:
- Oskaloosa to Searsboro: US 63, with the exception of using Lincoln Avenue on west side of the railroad; IA 146, Lexington Avenue, IA 146, 502nd Avenue, 60th Street
- Searsboro: High or East Street, then 1st, West, Main, and 4th streets (likely)
- Searsboro to Grinnell: IA 146, 33rd Street, 485th Avenue, IA 146, 450th Avenue, 32nd Street (broken at I-80), Stagecoach Rd (Grinnell), IA 146
NORTH End: IA 7, now IA 146/West St. at 4th Ave., Grinnell, Poweshiek County
Fourth Avenue is the River to River Road; the highway was moved to 6th Avenue in 1928. This restored gas station is at the corner of West and 4th, and old gas stations can be a way to tell once-major intersections. (10/23/19)
SOUTH End (2): IA 59, now US 63 at 135th St., Mahaska County
Why was IA 63 continued to Oskaloosa instead of ending at IA 59 in New Sharon, where IA 146 ends today? The answer could be, because that's not where IA 59 was at the time. Sources disagree. In one interpretation, it appears that, coming south from Montezuma, 59 dipped to the map dot of Union Mills (current status: church and cemetery) to cross the North Skunk River before coming back north half a mile to the road running south of New Sharon. On the other hand, Huebinger's 1915 Pocket Road Atlas and Automobile Guide shows the primary in New Sharon, then using Niland Avenue and 120th Street. The 1914 county map, oddly, marks neither.
Apparently, by 1920 standards, what was then half a mile south of the city limits was too far to go without continuing the road on to another city, and thus the overlap, which was deleted in 1924. The intersection is now the entrance to North Mahaska High School and 135th Street is closed at the railroad crossing. (There's a "typo" in the 1919 map; it marks IA 13 north of Oskaloosa instead of 63.) This might be the biggest hint that IA 59 originally missed New Sharon.
Facing south on 63 (5/13/03 and 5/19/15)
This marks either the actual or the functional equivalent of IA 63's second south end, following the speculation above.
SOUTH End (1): IA 2/IA 24, now US 63/Market St. at High Ave., Oskaloosa, Mahaska County
It appears the original route of the east-west highway(s) through Oskaloosa used High Avenue through most of the city, and then projects in the 1930s relocated it onto A Avenue. Available documents aren't totally clear. This would put the intersection of Oskaloosa's highways at the northwest corner of City Square Park, in view of the Mahaska County Courthouse.
Page created 4/10/20