On Jan. 29, the Crosswoods HOA Residents (from left Scott Allison and Norm Hill) unearth the Cross Family monument once thought lost after a truck knock it down. Photo courtesy of Crosswoods Homeowners Association

CITRUS HEIGHTS, CA (MPG) - After months of determination and teamwork, the historic monument and hitching post dedicated to the Cross Family have returned to Crosswoods and are now proudly displayed next to the Community Bulletin Board on Crosswoods Circle, near the entrance to the HOA office, 6510-B Crosswoods Circle.

For longtime Citrus Heights residents, this landmark and the hitching post may look familiar. Since 1961, the monument and hitching post stood at the Auburn Boulevard entrance to Crosswoods Parkway. Several years ago, a truck struck the monument, knocking it face-down onto the ground. Over time, the monument was largely forgotten, while the hitching post disappeared and was presumed lost.

That changed when Crosswoods Community HOA Board Secretary Norm Hill suspected that a large stone near the entrance might be the long-lost monument. On Jan. 29, armed with little more than levers, lumber, bricks, and the help of several strong Crosswoods HOA residents, volunteers carefully turned the stone over. For the first time in years, the Cross Family plaque saw daylight again.

The monument in its new home close to the entrance of the Crosswoods HOA office on Crosswoods Circle on Sept. 2. Photo courtesy of Crosswoods Homeowners Association 


What followed was a remarkable effort to reinstall this monument to the community. Hill worked with the City of Citrus Heights to find a safer location for the monument away from busy Auburn Boulevard. During conversations, he also discovered that, thankfully, the city hood recovered and preserved the original hitching post following the accident years earlier.

On Sept. 2, City crews generously volunteered their time and equipment to relocate the monument and reunite it with the historic hitching post at its new home in the heart of Crosswoods HOA on Crosswoods Circle.

The monument and hitching post now as a tribute to the Cross Family, whose name became part of Crosswoods identity, but also as a reminder of the community spirit that helped preserve an important piece of our shared history.

The Cross Family monument and hitching post was moved to its new location along Crosswoods Circle on Sept. 2. Photo courtesy of Crosswoods Homeowners Association