Maine’s Iconic “World Traveler” Sign

James C. Chute (1884-1942) is believed to be the mastermind behind the “World Traveler Signpost.” James Chute was the owner of the Chute Homestead in Naples, Maine, and was on the board of directors of the Maine Publicity Bureau, an organization formed in 1922 to promote tourism and provide information for travelers.

In brainstorming an attraction to encourage tourism in the late 1930s, James Chute noticed the variety of international town names around Naples. He approached a distant cousin, Walter Chute (1891-1969), a supervisor for the Maine State Highway Department, to propose the idea of a “World Traveler Signpost”. They determined that the intersection of Routes 5 and 35 in Lynchville, Maine was the perfect site, and the “World Traveler Signpost” was born.

Beginning in the 1940s, the “World Traveler Signpost” appeared in local newspapers and on postcards, quickly becoming a must-see attraction and a target for thieves. The first theft occurred in 1952, but the sign was quickly reinstalled after being discovered on a nearby private road. After another theft in 1961, each replacement sign was bolted to two six by six-inch timbers firmly embedded in the ground.

Over the years, the signpost has been maintained by the Maine Department of Transportation. The individual town signs are traditionally hung in order of distance. After the lower signs for China and Peru were stolen in the 1990s, Maine DOT staff accidentally replaced them in the incorrect order. When the whole signpost was replaced in 2007, the Maine DOT donated it to the Maine State Museum.