Hess and His Dream of Highway Death Markers

 

It is not unusual to see a homemade tribute along a roadway left behind by the grieving family and friends of a person killed in a vehicle accident. These makeshift monuments are more than just tributes to the dead; they also serve as warnings about dangerous stretches of highway, far more eye-catching and effective than traditional roadsigns erected by the Department of Transportation. In the summer of 1929, one Pennsylvania lawmaker believed this was the case, and he embarked upon an unusual campaign-- to have Lancaster County erect markers denoting the spot where motorists have perished.

This idea was the brainchild of Aaron B. Hess, a state representative from Lancaster County whos served eighteen years in the state legislature. Representative Hess was inspired by a former Ohio governor, Alvin "Honest Vic" Donahey, who brought the idea to fruition in his state in 1925. "In the beginning, crosses were erected for fatal accidents occurring a few years prior to that time," explained Hess in 1929. "Whenever the Ohio Department of Highways learned of an accident and the place where it occurred, a cross was immediately erected. Additional crosses were added from time to time as fatalities occurred."

Aaron B. Hess

 

By 1929, Ohio had erected 2,054 of these stark reminders, and the highway department analysis revealed that 33.1% of the crosses were located on straight sections of road, while another 31.7% were located near railroad crossings. Surprisingly, only 16.5% of the Ohio crosses were located on a curve or a turn. Ohio discontinued the practice in early 1929. "Certain places on the highways were taking on the gruesome aspect of a graveyard, and some criticism of the policy was received from those who felt that the horror inspired by the crosses more than made up for any value they might have," explained Hess.

Nonethless, A.B. Hess was undaunted by Ohio's abandonment of the project. His plan was to tweak Governor Donahey's idea; instead of crosses reminiscent of graveyards or crucifixes, Hess envisioned a marker emblazoned with a Canterbury or Maltese cross, which would be equally as eye-catching but not nearly as dread-inducing. "I believe the idea is good," insisted Representative Hess. "In fact, it must be perfectly obvious that any method which tends to prevent the loss of life is a distinct asset. My chief objection, however, is the use of the particular kind of cross used on Ohio. A white Maltese cross on a danger red background would serve the purpose equally as well and would be without the ultra-gruesome appearance produced by the other kind."

Hess' design for roadside marker

 

Hess brought his proposal to the Lancaster County Commissioner of Highways, Lewis S. Sadler, along with the fact that 254 persons had been killed in Lancaster County vehicle accidents since the invention of the automobile. "Lancaster County may not have as man automobile fatalities as other other sections in the United States, but there are entirely too many notwithstanding this fact," said Hess.

The proposal was never adopted by Commissioner Sadler, and when Hess died unexpectedly in August of 1933, his dream of roadside death markers died with him.

Despite his inability to see his plan come to fruition, Aaron Hess left behind a tremendous legacy-- and not just in the county he represented. During his sixty-one years of life, he accomplished more than most people can accomplish in two or three full lifetimes. Aside from being a farmer and a teacher, he was also the president of the A.B. Hess Cigar Company and served as president of the National Cigar Leaf Tobacco Association. For several years he was vice president of the Union National Bank, and his other business interests included the Lancaster Chemical Company, Belmont Real Estate Development, the Lancaster Chemical Company and the Purdy-Hess Company. 

Hess served as Speaker of the House between 1929 and 1930, but his greatest political accomplishment came over a decade earlier. As a young legislator, Aaron Hess was the lawmaker who introduced the bill replacing hanging with electrocution as the state's method of capital punishment.

Sources:
Lancaster Sunday News, July 7, 1929.
Lancaster New Era, Aug. 4, 1933.