In 1928, as a memorial to local combat soldiers that died in World War I, the American Legion Post 49 and the Boy Scouts planted 71 coast live oak trees along the 101 freeway between Summerland and Carpinteria.

The trees were aligned in two columns on either side of the narrow cement road. The one lane ribbon of concrete through the country turned into the four lane speedway of today, and a number of the oak trees now grow in the center median between opposing lanes of traffic. About 35 of the original 71 trees still stand today.