Alton, Utah, might as well be a Wyoming town given its deep roots in agriculture, multi-generation ranching families and road signs that Cowboy State residents would surely appreciate.
Instead of âStopâ signs, traffic at intersections is controlled by âWhoaâ signs.
And it only makes sense, mayor Dustin Cox told Cowboy State Daily.
âCattle, livestock and horses ⊠âWHOA,ââ he said.
Population Boom, Sort Of
Like many Wyoming agricultural communities, Alton is rural â as in, really small, although there has been some growth as of late.
âItâs population 137. Well, somebody just got married and moved back to town, so 139,â Cox said.
There are 15 âwhoaâ signs at various intersections around Alton, and the county has given its blessing for the community to install some along adjacent county roads that could add another 10 signs.
But other than that, thereâs not much more in Alton than residentsâ homes.
âThere no stop light in town,â Coxâs wife, Harmony, told Cowboy State Daily. âThereâs no restaurants or gas stations. There is a post office. There used to be a convenience store in somebodyâs basement, but itâs gone now.â
Her roots in Alton run about as deep as anybodyâs.
âMy great-great-grandfather was an original settler here,â she said. âWe still run cattle on much of the same land. We still string cattle just the way they did.â
Not Sure When The âWhoaâ Thing Started
The couple isnât sure when the âWhoaâ signs first showed up, or who originally hatched the idea.
âIâve been mayor for 14 years and before that I was on the town council for years, and before that we had the âWhoaâ signs,â Dustin said.
âI was a tiny kid when we first got the âwhoaâ signs. I canât remember who the mayor was when they decided to do it,â Harmony added.
Some reports say the first âwhoaâ sign was a gag gift for a new Alton resident who had relocated there from Salt Lake City in 1992, given to him by his son-in-law.
Theft Magnets
Alton is proud of its âWhoaâ signs because they reflect the tiny townâs attitude and spirit, Dustin said.
And for the most part, visitors and tourists love the them too.
The only problem is, there are always those few who canât just admire the signs or take pictures. Some folks just have to have a one for themselves, which then leads to about the only crime Alton has to deal with.
âThatâs the only theft that really happens in this town,â the mayor said. âSome people come through town, see the âWhoaâ signs, and they think, âThatâs cool, I have to have one.â So they take them.â
At one point in the late 1990s, the town was down to only two âWhoaâ signs thanks to sticky fingers.
Even so, Alton has no plans to replace the âWhoaâ signs with more traditional âStop.â The signs are custom-ordered by the town council, Dustin said.
Probably Wouldnât Fly In Wyoming
âWhoaâ signs are a good reflection of laid-back, tiny town life, Wyoming Department of Transportation spokesman Doug McGee told Cowboy State Daily.
However, he wouldnât recommend any Wyoming towns putting them up. Thatâs because Wyoming follows the Federal Highway Administrationâs uniform road sign standards, he said.
âIt covers all signage from basic stop signs all the way up to digital road and highway signage,â McGee said.
And the code states that stop signs must have eight sides, be painted red and have âSTOPâ displayed in white letters on them, he said.
Dustin said concern has been raised before the Alton town council about if somebody were to run a âWhoaâ sign and got in an accident.
And then what if they challenged the legitimacy of the resulting moving violation or other penalties based upon the legitimacy of a âWhoaâ sign?
âWe had the town attorney look into it, and he said we should be covered,â Dustin said. âThe sign is still red. It still has eight sides and white lettering in English. Itâs not in Japanese or anything like that.â
In the meantime, maybe the town can make up for the cost of all those stolen signs by writing more tickets for failure to whoa at a âWhoaâ sign.
Mark Heinz can be reached at mark@cowboystatedaily.com.
