End of historic US highway 320
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Approx. time
period
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East Terminus
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West Terminus
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1926-1938
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Shoshoni, WY
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Riverton, WY
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(about 104 k)
Note: since I don't have access to a comprehensive collection of historical
road atlases, much of the info below is based on the research of Robert Droz;
click here to view his
site. Photo credits: Chris
Elbert; Jim
Teresco
US 320 was a short connector route between US 20 at Shoshoni and US 87W at
Riverton (which was a precursor to today's US 287). While the entirety of its
former route is now part of US 26, that didn't happen until 1948. So as far
as I can tell, US 320 was decommissioned simply because it was too short to
be considered a legitimate US route. Below are photos of modern signage at the
historic junctions. This first one is in Riverton, looking north on WY hwy.
789, or Federal Boulevard:
Elbert,
July 2005
When the US routes were first commissioned, the road northwest out of Lander
(today's US 287 through Ft. Washakie) wasn't used as a highway. Instead, northbound
US 87W traffic had to go northeast from Lander to Riverton, then continue northwest
via modern US 26. In other words, the photo above shows signage from the perspective
of someone on northbound US 87W, which would've continued to the left on Main
Street via today's US 26. Straight ahead was the west beginning of US 320; below
is a close-up of the signage:
Elbert,
July 2005
The photo below is looking the opposite direction (south on Federal):
Elbert, July
2005
That would've been the west end of US 320; ahead was southbound US 87W, and
northbound was to the right. Below we're looking east on Main/US 26:
Teresco,
Jul. 2003
That was southbound US 87W, which continued to the right. To the left was the
west beginning of US 320. After heading a mere 22 miles, a driver heading that
direction would come to the junction pictured below:
Teresco, Jul.
2003
That's looking east on 2nd Street in Shoshoni; that intersection with Idaho
Street marks the historic east end of US 320. Below we're looking the opposite
direction (west on 2nd/US 20):
Elbert,
July 2005
US 20 continues to the right on Idaho; straight ahead was the east beginning
of US 320. The photo below shows the view from southbound Idaho:
Elbert,
July 2005
That's eastbound US 20, which continues to the left on Main. Until 1938, to
the right was westbound US 320.
Page created 25 February 2005; last updated 17 August 2005.
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