Grossmont and Bisbee
Written by Dan Conaway, HH80 Board Member

What's the connection between Grossmont High School and Bisbee, Arizona? Can't think of any, you say? Well, how about these two factoids:

1. HH80's Dan Conaway (yours truly) graduated from one and is part owner of two lodging properties in the other – but who really cares, you say?

2. How about the fact that both the High School and the tiny city are quite old, very unique, and are both tied together by Historic Highway 80. How so, you say?

Well, Grossmont is 90 years old in 2010. Along with San Diego High and Hoover High, Grossmont is the only high school in the county located right on HH80. Crawford High is close, El Cajon High even closer, but San Diego High (on Park Ave.), Hoover (at 40th and El Cajon Blvd.) and Grossmont are not only three of the oldest high schools in the county, but all sit right on HH80 (though, since the 50's, this small section of HH80 going over the Grossmont summit lies beneath the Interstate 8 right-of-way).

What about Bisbee? This amazing little city is a throwback to the late 1800's when it was the second largest city (to San Francisco) west of the Mississippi River. Made so by mining, it supported almost 30,000 people before 1900. A mile high in elevation, it experienced fire, flood and eventually diminished mining, but with HH80 running right through the heart of town, it is now filled with galleries, wonderful stores, restaurants, hotels, funky streets and houses, and the friendliest people imaginable.

Whether or not you were fortunate enough to attend Grossmont High, please enjoy its 90th birthday next year and remember the ribbon of road that connects it to Bisbee and on beyond, all the way to Savannah, Georgia.


Note - We hear many favorite Old Highway 80 memories from people as we're out in the community creating awareness of the route so we'd like to invite all of you to share your favorite stories with our readers. Please send us your favorite story for inclusion in a future e-Newsletter issue. Stories should be no longer than three to five paragraphs and please include a picture if you can.

Did You Know?
Bonnie and Clyde were ambushed approximately four miles south of US 80 in Gibsland, Louisiana.


HH80 Corporation welcomes our Newest Member

Barbara J. Templeton of El Cajon


HH80 Membership
We invite you to join our organization. Your financial assistance will help to preserve, enhance and resurrect an irreplaceable community resource that almost literally lies under our feet - Historic Highway 80 ~ The first dedicated intercontinental highway in the year 1926. Please call 619.445.0180 for membership information. Ask for Bob.



Art Along HH80
The banner images created by graphic design students at SDSU were so great that the El Cajon Boulevard BIA promotions committee decided that they should be painted on utility boxes as well. Artists Crol and Werc did an excellent job of replicating the designs on the Boulevard's ever growing utility box art display.