The Signpost Forest

Signpost Forest, Watson Lake, Canada

Please welcome guest commentator, David...

There are many memorable places along the Alaska Highway that are worth a stop. One such place is Watson Lake at Mile Marker 635. As the story goes, back in 1942, it was tradition for the Army to put signposts along what was called the Alcan Highway, showing direction and distance to nearby communities and towns, as well as cities around the world. 

During that time a young soldier named Carl P. Lindsey from Company B of the 341st Army was injured and sent to the Army air station in Watson Lake to recover. During his time there, his commanding officer put him to work repairing and painting the signpost there. Carl was know as the lonesome and homesick soldier, so he decided to add a sign from his hometown of Danville, Illinois. 

Little did he know what a tradition he would start as more and more people who visited Watson Lake added a sign from their hometown to what has become known as World Famous Signpost Forest. Today there are over 100,000 signs at the Signpost Forest in Watson Lake.