Editor's Note: Originally published in This Land in December 2010, this story by Kristi Eaton slows us down to appreciate the genesis of the humble yet powerful "yield" sign, created by a Tulsan in 1950.
The “yield” sign is a common occurrence in the apartment of 91-year-old Veda Riggs.
There’s the yellow triangular clock in one room of her apartment. In another room hangs a specialized “yield” sign given to her by Chad Smith, chief of the Cherokee Indian tribe, in honor of her heritage. Then, there are the numerous newspaper clippings detailing the creation of the sign.
It was Veda’s late husband Clinton Riggs, a police captain with the Tulsa Police Department, who created the sign in Tulsa back in 1950. Back then the signs looked a little different than they do today. The yellow signs were shaped like a keystone with black letters stating, “yield right of way.” The first two were installed at First Street and Columbia Avenue in Tulsa, which was then considered one of the most dangerous intersections. Riggs' son, Thomas Riggs, has held on to one of the signs, while another remains on display in the Smithsonian Institute.
The modern day signs are a triangle shape with a red background and “yield” written in the center.
Although commonplace now, the “yield” sign was an anomaly back then. And Riggs' approach to its creation was anything but quick.