Across the United States are the remains of a network of large concrete arrows that seem to point east or north. These giant arrows were called “Beacon Stations,” and many can still be found intact. From 1926 to 1932 they guided airmail pilots flying across the nation. Can’t you just picture them looking over the sides of their open aired biplanes looking for giant concrete yellow arrows?
Concrete Arrow Design
Each was made of concrete (later metal), with a 500-foot tower that was crowned with a 24″ or 36″ rotating beacon. In the early days the arrows were painted yellow for high visibility. Because of their remote location, they were equipped with a generator shed on end of the arrow to power the beacon. The shed roof was painted with the site number so the pilot could identify the location.
Concrete arrow site designPhoto byU.S. DOT FAA., Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Each numbered site pointed to the next sequential site to direct the airmail pilots along the transcontinental route. All arrows pointed east on the west to east routes and north on the south to north routes.