Ashville, Ohio - World's Oldest Traffic Light

Ashville, Ohio - World's Oldest Traffic Light

The world's oldest traffic light -- which still works, and which looks like a streamlined silver football -- is on display in the town museum. Roadsideamerica.com Report...

Ashville, Ohio - World's Oldest Traffic Light

I took a drive today to see if it really existed, and sure enough it did. A kind local pointed it out hanging above me. The light is hung by the fairgrounds during the 4th of July fest. [Jason, 07/05/2004]

[RA: Well preserved and still operational! It appears the same as when we saw it on the 4th of July in 1994.]

Ashville, Ohio - Ohio's Small Town Museum

Ashville - Ohio's Small Town Museum in Ashville, Ohio certainly wants to thank you guys for the publicity you have given us in your book and last year on OPRAH. People are coming from all over to see Ashville's unique traffic light.

The quirky museum in Ashville includes displays that pay homage to Chic-Chic -- the world's smartest rooster, Buster -- the dog that voted Republican, Billy Carter, Tecumseh, Elvis, Sally Kellerman, Roy Rogers and many more personalities that have ties to Ashville. Ashville's off-the-road location made it a perfect spot to test the automated highway (early tests of the driverless car were conducted in Ashville in 1967-68 and reported worldwide).

Ashville has a buoy from the Battleship Maine that was donated to it by World War 1 hero, Vice Admiral H. H. Christy, who grew up in Ashville.

The museum chronicles visits by W.W.I Supreme Commander "Black Jack" Pershing, presidential candidates James Cox and William Jennings Bryan, and other dignitaries. It talks about how Star Trek uses speeches by local Native American leaders (we want to show our youth that they are connected to popular culture in hundreds of ways). It tells them about the unusual case of the missing silver nuggets from the Snake Den Mound Group near Ashville.

Ashville shows that every town has a wealth of history that is often hidden or lost. They decided not only to save it but to celebrate it. [Dr. Bob, 11/27/1997]