California dedicates highway to surveyor

The man who was largely responsible for the completion of State Highway Route 89 over Monitor Pass in the early 1950s, had a portion of the highway dedicated to him on Wednesday.

Three generations of Jacksons celebrated the life of Robert Milton Jackson, a longtime Alpine County resident who was deeply involved in the development of the county's roads prior to his death May 12, 2004, at the age of 91.

Approximately 30 family members joined California State Sen. Dave Cox, District 1, and Alpine County officials at a spot on Monitor Pass, Highway 89, to dedicate the portion of the highway from the Alpine/Mono County line to the junction of highways 89 and 4.

"There are five generations here today," said one of Jackson's three children, John Jackson, the youngest at 52, standing near his sisters, Judy Currence, 54 and Jeanne Turnbeaugh, 56.

"Two (generations) are here in spirit, three in flesh," said Currence.

The group gathered around a sign recognizing the section of Route 89, overlooking a stretch of valley and mountains sprinkled with pine trees and new fallen snow from the day before, as the "Robert M. Jackson Memorial Highway."

Cox presented the highway dedication bill before the Senate in the summer of 2005, and it was adopted April 17 this year.

"Without Sen. Cox this wouldn't have happened. It had to go through the Legislature," said Gunter Kaiser, chairman of the Alpine County Board of Supervisors.

Jackson's grandfather John Robert Ellis, a piano salesman, moved to Alpine County from Diamond Valley, Calif., with his wife Margaret Anne Jones. He worked at and eventually bought the Alpine Hotel in Markleeville in 1907. Ellis also was the county treasurer.

The Ellises gave birth to their first of three children, Mary Ann Ellis, Jackson's mother, in 1893.

Jackson's mother married Charles Milton Jackson, and Mary Ann gave birth to Jackson in Sacramento on Sept. 21, 1912. Jackson was brought home to Alpine County when he was 2 weeks old.

Jackson lived in Markleeville for most of his life, except for spending the winters during his childhood where his dad worked in Los Angeles and Sacramento and three years and 10 months in the Army from 1942-45 during World War II.

In October 1946, Jackson began work with the Alpine County Public Works Department, where he spent more than 30 years surveying, engineering, constructing and realigning many of the county and state highway routes of today. His most significant accomplishment was the completion of 18-mile Highway 89 over Monitor Pass. Much of his work was done on horseback.

"I was thinking on the way up here today, I wonder how he did the surveying - the hardships he must have faced," said Cox.

"The old folks called Dad 'Hackamore,'" said John Jackson. "He was a great surveyor and he loved what he was doing."

The Jackson-Ellis family has a history of holding county offices and volunteering for various service organizations. In addition to Jackson's grandfather, Mary Ann Ellis' sister, Jackson's aunt, Elizabeth Coyan held the county treasurer's office at one time. Jackson's mother, Rosella Jackson, who died in 1984, was also county treasurer, deputy county clerk, auditor-recorder and a member of the school board.

Jackson retired from public works in 1973 at the age of 60 and was a member of the school board, too.

"Pretty much everything in Alpine County, he's had something to do with," said Currence. "I think our parents both worked hard, instilled (volunteerism) in us. That's what a small community does."

The oldest relative at the dedication was Jackson's aunt, his mother's sister, Gwen Jackson, 92.

"I'm very much proud of my brother," said Gwen, who lived in San Pedro, Calif., for 70 years, but spent her summers at the Alpine Hotel with her family, and now lives at Merrill Gardens in the Gardnerville Ranchos.

"We always came in the summertime. We spent the whole summer. My husband loved it here, too," she said.

According to Gwen Jackson, their mother and aunt ran the hotel. She said her mother was nicknamed "Wildcat Mary."

"She was a corker," said Gwen. "She was into everything, but you couldn't find a better woman."

n Jo Rafferty can be reached at jrafferty@recordcourier.com or 782-5121, ext. 210.