Idaho Aviation

Since the dawn of aviation, Idahoans have employed aircraft to carry people, groceries, mail, freight, and livestock over inhospitable terrain. Idaho's airstrips are the stuff of dreams, offering pilots, anglers, hikers, and river-rafters access to deep wilderness less than an hour from the city. Aerial firefighting was born--and is based--in Idaho. Flight instructors in Idaho prepared thousands of pilots to fight in World War II. As the birthplace of United Airlines, with its famed "friendly skies," Idaho is one of the country's most aviation-friendly states. Government officials, private landowners, and volunteers have worked together to create and then preserve an infrastructure of big-city, small-town, and backcountry airstrips that are the envy of pilots worldwide.

Appearing in this book are images featuring over 200 signs erected over roadways in California. Dating from the Civil War era into the 21st century, these signs were made of wood, metal, and stucco, and many of them were electrified. They were put up by communities across the state to highlight and unmistakably point out their specific towns.