Jasper County Democrat, Volume 19, Number 14, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 17 May 1916 — THE JACKSON HIGHWAY [ARTICLE]

THE JACKSON HIGHWAY

Proposed New National Road Passes Through Rensselaer. ~ j A proposed new national highway from Chicago to New Orleans is now , under discussion and maps of the j proposed route together with other I literature- on the subject has been j iesued. The proposed route of the i highway through Indiana is via Hammond. t roivn Point, Rensselaer. Remington,'Wolcott, Lafayette, Frankfort, Lebanon, Indianapolis, Frank- ; lip. Colnmbus, Salem and New Albany to Louisville. Final decision ;on the permanent route has been made as far south as Nashville, Tenn., and the remainder of the route from Nashville, Tenn., to New Orleans, La., will be made in October, 1916. A branch runs off from Louisville through Ohio and along Lake Erie to Buffalo, N. Y. The following letter to Mr. E. P. Honan of our city will give more information on the subject: Lafayette, Ind., May 15. Hon. Edward P. Honan, Rensselaer, Ind. My dear sir:

In order that you and your fellowofficers of the Chioago-Indianapolis Air Line association anl your citizens may be fully advised as to what steps have been taken to place our line upon the route known as the "Jackson highway," I will write you at length, vet, briefly as possible. Soon after the establishing of the Dixie route and the Chattanooga, Tenn., meeting, in which you took part, a meeting of interested road men was held in Louisville, Ky. The Lafayette chamber of commerce, feeling ah Interest in the matter, sent a representative in the person of Mr. Marshall Haywood of this city, to the meeting. He returned with a report that it was the intention to establish a route of highway from Louisville, Ky.. to New Orleans, La. It also developed that these southern states were favorably inclined to extend the line as far north as Chicago, 11l . and it was arranged to hold a meeting of all the states interested at Nashville, Tenn., on September 21, 1915, for the purpose of organization and the selection of a permanent route. At this meeting, the Chicagorlndianapolis Air Line route was represented by Mr. W. 1,.. Brown of Frankfort, County Commissioner T. J. Gwin and myself of Lafayette, Indiana was further represented by a number of parties from Franklin. Columbus and Salem, who were interested in a route from Indianapolis to Louisville and known as the "Lakes and Gulf Line." Kentucky, Tennessee, Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana were there in great numbers. They came by excursion trains from every direction and the meeting was full of enthusiasm. An organization was perfected, officers elected and the association named ’The Jackson Highway Association.” Each division along the route was allowed to present their claims for a place upon this* highway. Much of the same data was used in presenting the claims of the Chicago-!ndianapolis Air Line, as your delegation presented at the Dixie meeting in Chattanooga, Tenn. By the unanimous vote of more than a thousand representatives, living along the lines from Chicago to New Orleans, the route we proposed for the Dixie people, a few weeks before, become a part of the Jackson highway. The road south from Indianapolis to Louisville was accepted in like manner, and also the route from Louisville to Nashville, Tenn., so a permanent line was thus established from ( hicago to Nashville. At this point a number of proposed routes projected through the states named, all having their terminus in the city of New Orleans. It seemed fair to all the parties interested that a pathfinding committee, with the aid of a government engineer, should go over each of these different routes and report their findings to the officers and directors at a meeting to be held in Nashville the latter part of October. I attended this meeting, with other Indiana representatives, and listened to the reports there made. It was plain that none of the routes proposed were ready to be accepted as a part of the permanent Jackson highway. Many of their roads were unimproved; many of the streams were without bridges and occasionally a toll road was in the way, and the authorities had made no provision to make the necessary improvements. After due consideration, the representatives of these contesting routes, agreed to return home, make further improvements and provide for a second ir%oection by the path finding committee and government engineer in October, 1916. Upon their report the permanent route south of Nashville to New Orleans will be •made without further delay or contest.

In the organization and election of officers, I was selected as vicepresident for Indiana and have associated with me as directors Mr. W. L. Brown of Frankfort, one of the officers of our Air-Line association, and Mr. W. H. Lincoln of Columb is and Mr. W. H. Crim of Salem, who were officers in the line south of Indianapolis, known as the Lakes and Gulf Line. On May 5, 1916, the president of the association called a meeting of the officers and directors living in Indiana, Kentucky and Tennessee

to meet at Louisville. There was a full attendance, besides many interested citizens from the southern states. We learned that all along the contesting lines south of Nashville, the people are exceedingly active in road improvement and the chances are, that the path-finding committee on their second tour of inspection, will find a class of roads the equal, if not superior, to many o: the highways in our own state, at this meeting a general discussion of the roads all the way from Chicago to Nashville was taken up. It was agreed that the highway should he properly marked with the initial letters - J“ “H," meaning Jackson highway, in the same way that our line is now marked with the “D" ' A." arid in a;very short time your county, as Well as all other counties through which this highway passes, will receive a suitable stencil and such instructions as may be’necessary to properly mark your part of the road. The officers of the association Strongly urged that all the counties along ihis line perfect their organizations, by electing a president, secretary, treasurer and three directors. Tippecanoe county has retained the same officers that were a part of the Air Line. We did this 1 1 cause they were alive to the situation and best prepared to do the work required. Yon will, lam sure, take up this matter of organization in your county and as early as possible advise me of the names and addresses of your officers. It was also proposed as this meeting that the

first week in the month of August, i;*i(i, be designated as “Jackson Highway Good Roads Week,” and it is hoped that in every county between Chicago and Nashville, one day during that week, will be employed by the citizens generally, without compensation, when they will turn out in great numbers with tools and teams to repair and improve this particular highway. You and your citizens will be interested in this and will help to make it a banner day in your city and county. The o;eers of the association and some of the southern citizens most interested in this great highway, have heard much concerning our good roads in Indiana and especially the line from Chicago to Indanapolis. They have expressed a desire to make a trip through this state about June 20* 1010. The details have not been completed, but we are trying to arrange it so they may be able to stop over night in your city, .meet your citizens and may be you would arrange an evening good roads meeting. It will he an inspiration to us. to meet these men who represent the Jackson highway in the Southern states. They are so earnest, so unselfish and so full of the spirit of good roads, that they dream and have visions of a great broad highway leading from Lake Michigan to the Gulf of Mexico, located and improved by a patriotic people and later aided and maintained by the government under which we all live, traveled and enjoyed by people whom we have hitherto known only in part. This highway is ours, without question or contest, and when these representatives come among us next month, you will assist in giving them the glad hand, all the _way along the line.

The Lafayette chamber of commerce are enthusiastic over our success in becoming a part of this great system so easily, while Frankfort and Lebanon commercial bodies stand shoulder to shoulder in the matter. We know the vim of Spider, Makeover, Ranter, the old Air Line officers, yourself and the fellows that furnished the band that canie out to meet us when a bunch of boosters invaded your county a year ago. The enthusiasm must be greater now. We are not so very much concerned as by what name the road shall he known, Jackson highway sounds just as good as Dixie, so long as it passes over our lands, the richest even known; through towns and cities, the fairest and best that time can build. These are our lands, our towns and cities and the opportunity is presented to link our energy and ambition with our brothers of the south-land and help their vision to become a reality. We want your advice and co-operation, in county organization, in marking the highway. in eelebarting good roads week, in maintainence and repair so that the Jackson Highway may be thoroughly established for all time to come. With kindest regards and best wishes for success, I am, Yours sincerely, D. M. BOYLE, Vice-President for Jackson Highway of Indiana.