S a m p s o n - T r a i l s

 Near Sandpoint, ID 1939 FSA / OWI photo

Idaho travel in the 1920's

Idaho's earliest highway designations were the Sampson Trails, marked with a bold black letter on an orange paint background, named after Charles Sampson, a Boise businessman and Good Roads booster. These designations fell out of use in the 1930's, but most Idaho cities still have a "Sampson Trail" designated. I have yet to find any information on routes "E", "L", "R", "W", "X" and "Z".

Back to Idaho Highways

Route

From

Via

To

Approximately Modern
A Wyoming state line Pegram, Soda Springs, Lund, Bancroft, Lava Hot Springs, McCammon, Pocatello, Yale, Burley, Twin Falls, Bliss, Mountain Home, Regena Boise US 30
B Canadian Border Porthill, Bonners Ferry, Sandpoint, North Pole, Coeur D'Alene, (East - Carlin Bay, Clarkia, Bovill,) (West - Worley, Sanders, Potlatch,) Moscow, Lewiston, New Meadows, Weiser, Caldwell, Nampa Boise US 95
C Montana state line Big Springs, Trude, Warm River, St. Anthony, Idaho Falls Pocatello US 20, US 91
D New Meadows Cascade, Horse Shoe Bend Boise ID 55
E ??? ??? ???  
F Blackfoot Arco, Challis, Stanley, Lowman, Grimes Pass, Centerville, Idaho City Boise US 26, US 93, ID 75, ID 21
G Picabo Hailey, Fairfield, Hill City, Toll Gate Mountain Home US 20
H Trude Spencer, Dubois, Arco, Shoshone Bliss ID 22, US 26
I Idaho Falls   Pioneer US 20
J Shoshone Jerome, Twin Falls, Hollister, Idavada Nevada state line US 93
K McCammon Downey, Swanlake, Dayton, Preston, Franklin Utah state line US 91
L ??? ??? ???  
M Montana state line Mullan, Wallace, Kellogg, Coeur D'Alene, Post Falls Washington state line I-90
N Bonners Ferry Moyie Springs Montana state line US 2
O Caldwell Notus, Parma Oregon state line US 20/26
P Downey Malad City Utah state line I-15
Q Declo Rupert, Paul, Hazelton, Jerome, Wendell, Gooding Fairfield ID 25, ID 46
R ??? ??? ???  
S Nampa Melba, Murphy, Silver City Oregon state line ID 45, ID 78
T Grimes Pass Banks, Horse Shoe Bend, Emmett, Star Mora ID 52, ID 16
U Montpelier Ovid, Paris, Fish Haven Utah state line US 89
V Hailey Ketchum Stanley ID 75
W ??? ??? ???  
X ??? ??? ???  
Y Canadian border Eastport, Meadow Creek Bonners Ferry US 95 (part)
Z ???   ???  

Sources: Idaho Transportation Department, 1926, 1927 & 1931 Rand McNally Road Atlases; 1929 Mid-West Map company map of Idaho

Page first posted Tuesday, October 31, 2006
Page last updated Tuesday, October 31, 2006

(c) RV Droz