Remember the Burma Shave signs? They're on their way back

By SALLY Y. HAYES

Mt. Pleasant News

?If you dislike? big traffic fines? slow down ?til you? can read these signs. Burma Shave,? is an example of a series of signs that may be found in Henry County soon, courtesy of Our Iowa magazine.

Joy Gilleard of Mt. Pleasant is spearheading the effort to bring these signs from yesteryear to Henry County. She explained that ?Our Iowa? magazine is aiming to have a single set of Burma Shave signs in each of Iowa?s 99 counties.

?Our goal from the get-go has been to make Iowa the only state in the nation that?s brought back these humorous ?verses beside the road,?? said the January 2012 issue of the magazine. The project began ?a little over a year ago,? said Gilleard.

?And I?ve had people say, ?Oh, we loved them when we were kids and traveling,? said Gilleard.

The series of signs will be distributed by Our Iowa and does not cost the county anything, other than installing posts for the signs and maintenance around the posts.

Gilleard hopes to find a scout troop, a local classroom or an organization to volunteer to keep the area at the base of the signs clean.

Gilleard, with the assistance of Pat White, is hoping to find a location near Mt. Pleasant as soon as possible. Once a location is found that meets the Our Iowa guidelines and is approved by property owners White and Gilleard will submit the application for the signs.

Each sign is 32 inches by 9 ½ inches and must be placed with 150 feet between each sign, thus a total of 800 feet is needed to place the signs. Also, the signs may not be placed on U.S. Highways, stated Gilleard, meaning that U.S. 34 and 218 are not available.

?It could be Oakland Mills Road or the access on Old 34 or on Broadway coming in from 218. We want it in Mt. Pleasant and what we would like is so that people who are visiting the community will see them, that?s our preference,? Gilleard said.

?We?d like to have some ideas,? she continued, ?We?d like input from the community before we submit the application as to where they will be.?

Currently, Henry County is the lone southeastern Iowa county without Burma Shave signs. Neighboring counties have installed the signs already. Lee County?s signs can be found in West Point; Jefferson County?s are in Packwood; Louisa County?s are in Wapello; Van Buren?s are in Cantril; Washington County?s are in Rubio; and Des Moines County?s can be found in West Burlington.

Each county will have its own Burma Shave saying. ?No two are the same,? said Gilleard.

Our Iowa is also hosting a contest to see who will be the first person to visit all of Iowa?s Burma Shave signs. The winner will be reimbursed by the magazine for all meals purchased along the route; in a sense it?s a chance to ?eat your way across Iowa,? according to the magazine.

But if you choose to venture across the Hawkeye state remember, ?Hardly a driver? is still alive? who pass? on hills? at 75? Burma Shave.?