About 8 miles west of Saguache (near mile marker 54. on Hwy 114) is a sign painted on the cliffs that fascinates me. As near as I can determine, this sign is well over a hundred years old and is still legible. Whoever the person was who did the lettering on the cliffs was artistic. “Peyton and Hanawalt Grocers Saguache is done in white letters at about shoulder height. I wonder what type of paint was used that has endured so well for all these years. (I would be willing to bet that it was lead base paint which was outlawed by Ralph Nader and his ilk, quite “a few years ago). 

Today’s highway in that particular area is the same place it was when John Lawrence and other pioneers traveled horseback and in wagons and buggies. Many other sections of Hwy 114 have been re-routed as the roadway has been improved down through the years.

I would imagine that nearly all of the early day travelers read signs of this nature since they traveled at approx. 5 MPH. With today’s high speed means of transportation let’s hope that folks don’t take their eyes off the road long enough to see a small sign such as I am writing about!

I would dearly love to know just when this grocery store was in existence in our little town and where it was located.

As with many other things pertaining to the history of our area I am afraid that we will never knew the answers to such questions.

I have been writing little stories for my family for more than 20 years. I encourage people to write down things about their lives or to keep a diary.  Several generations from now our descendents will be able to read about how it was in the “good old days”.  I only write about the fun stuff and forget about the rest of it!