End of US highway 87 |
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Summa
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Summa
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1926-1934
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1934-1935
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1935-1945(?)
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1945(?)-present
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Mileage: in 1989 AASHTO listed a figure of 1998 miles for US 87. That is reasonably close to our own 2020 measurement, which yielded 2006.1 miles (reroutings and realignments likely explain the difference). US 87's midway point is on I-25 in Pueblo, Colorado, adjacent to Mineral Palace Park... although there is no longer a single US 87 marker within 100 miles of Pueblo!
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c. 1927, Rand McNally
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When it was first commissioned in 1926, US 87 went only as far south as Rawlins. This photo was looking south on 3rd Street (Business US 287) where it intersects Spruce Street (US 30):
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Sanderson, Aug. 2017
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(detail)
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(compare to Mar. 2001)
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Today US 30 and Business 287 are overlapped straight ahead for a few blocks, and then left on Cedar Street. But back when US 87 served Rawlins, the configuration was a little different: US 30 used 5th Street (not 3rd) to make the jog between Spruce and Cedar. That is only two blocks to the right, so presumably US 87 traffic wanting westbound US 30 would have been directed to turn right at that intersection. But officially US 87 continued ahead three blocks from the scene shown above, ending at Cedar:
(detail)
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Sanderson, Aug. 2017
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In 1936, that segment of US 87 became US 287, and the US 87 designation was changed to its present corridor through Cheyenne.
Originally the north end of US 87 was at Piegan, on the Canada border (where US 89 ends now). In 1934, US 89 was extended north and joined US 87 at Armington MT (southeast of Great Falls). The two routes were co-signed into that city, where US 87 then ended, with US 89 taking over its former route up to Piegan (photos and more info on the Great Falls page. The next year, the south end of US 87 was extended all the way down to its present terminus in Port Lavaca: |
c. 1936, TXDoT
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This shot shows the last southbound marker on Main Street, although drivers are actually heading northeast here:
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Brooks, July 2010
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The southernmost point on US 87 is about a half-mile behind the camera. A few blocks ahead, there was no "End" sign, only a junction sign:
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Karners, Jan. 2015
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US 87 ends at the stop sign just ahead; beyond that lies Lavaca Bay and Point Comfort. The cross road is Commerce Street, or TX hwy. 238:
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Wiley, 2000
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Karners, Jan. 2015
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Formerly there was a sign pointing left that said "To TX 35". Originally TX 35 went through town (rather than along the current bypass). Historically US 87 joined with TX 35 on the west side of town, and its endpoint at this intersection was not only at a junction with TX 238 (which went only south, or to the right) but also at a turn in TX 35 (which continued to the left):
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c. 1940, TXDoT
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Since then signage has been changed to indicate that TX 238 runs both ways along Commerce. The right-hand side of that "goalpost" is used to sign the south beginning of US 87 for northbound TX 238 traffic; that perspective is shown here:
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Brooks, July 2010
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The sign below read "Where Highway 87 Ends the Party Begin" [sic], proving that sometimes even non-road-geeks notice things like highway endpoints. The beginning as seen from the opposite direction is signed thus:
Wiley, 2000
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That assembly has since been replaced, but it is essentially the same. That is posted just after the intersection with Main, heading southeast on Commerce. Straight ahead is also part of Lavaca Bay; the Gulf of Mexico itself is 20 or 30 miles in that direction. That sign is also shown at far left in this photo:
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Brooks, July 2010
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That shows an overview of the intersection where US 87 begins, straight ahead on Main. At far right is a "Lavaca" theater sign; that is where the first northbound confirming marker is posted:
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Wiley, 2000
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Brooks, July 2010
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From there, US 87 takes travelers further southwest for about a half-mile; then west for about four more; and then finally northwest towards Victoria... and ultimately to Montana.
It was about 1945 when the US 87 designation was extended northeastward to Havre. Southwest of town, US 87 initially followed Old Post Road / 11th Street to 1st Avenue; north one block; east on 10th Street to 3rd Avenue; then north to end at US 2, which ran along 2nd Street on the west side of town, not 1st Street (as it does today): |
c. 1951, MT DoT
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This postcard image was taken looking north on 3rd Av, approaching 2nd St. US 87 ended here; straight ahead was eastbound US 2, while westbound was to the left:
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date and attribution unknown
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In 1951 US 87 was changed to its current alignment, which junctions with US 2 a few miles west of town:
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Millsap, 2000
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That was heading north on US 87; ahead in the distance, down at the bottom of the Milk River valley, the "T" intersection where the highway ends is visible. These shots were taken from that junction:
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Millsap, 2000
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Millsap, 2000
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Downtown Havre is about three miles east (to the right). Here we are looking west on US 2:
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Elbert, July 2004
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The north beginning of US 87 is to the left. Next are some views from the opposite direction:
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Elbert, July 2004
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Elbert, July 2004
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The control city to the right is Great Falls. Travelers who take that turn will soon see the first southbound confirming marker:
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Elbert, July 2004
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Research and/or photo credits: Robert Brooks; Nathan Edgars; Chris Elbert; Karin and Martin Karner; Jerry Millsap; Dale Sanderson; Michael Summa; Mike Wiley
Page originally created 2000;
last updated Oct. 26, 2021.
last updated Oct. 26, 2021.
