
Here we will be posting articles and photos that originally
appeared in the 'History Corner' section of The Plainview News.
1. Plainview's 'Traffic Light'
The photo we have isn't the best quality, but it's the only one found of the Interstate Power crew stopping traffic to put up the light. This photo, taken on an early Monday morning of April 1953 shows Marvin Richardson atop the ladder making final adjustments to the light while the village marshal, Leon Ellringer, who is barely distinguishable in the lower right corner of the picture, stand at the bottom of the ladder. Richardson was assisted by his crewmen Earl Jacobs, Ted Paukert, and Duane Flourey of Dover.
The light purchased by Plainview and was suspended better than 20 feet over the intersection on a cable. Poles were placed at diagonal corners of the intersection and the cable stretched 110 feet across the intersection.
Clarence Cook and Kit Thomas, workmen from Plainview Hardware, connected the signal to the village circuits later that week and was running 24 hours a day.
A yellow caution light flashed to the Highway 42 traffic to slow drivers down and a flashing red signal was seen by the traffic on Highway 247 and County Road 8.
We've also included a photo of the signal as it currently stands today.

