Where was Three Flags Highway?

SPOKANE — Most people in the Inland Northwest have never heard of the Three Flags Highway, even though it runs through the heart of Spokane.

That’s because in the Northwest the Three Flags Highway is known only as U.S. 395.

The Three Flags name was started in Southern California in the 1930s and was used as far north as Southern Oregon for years. It referred to the inland road that ran from the San Diego area to Canada, linking Mexico, the U.S. and Canada. But the name was never used here.

The Historic Route 395 Association in California is trying to revive the name as part of an effort to preserve the vintage motor courts, gas stations, restaurants and signs that still dot the old route.