1955 U.S. 25 Dixie Highway Association Strip Map of the Dixie Highway

This is a 1955 U.S. 27 Dixie Highway Association map of the Dixie Highway, a network of four highways stretching from Bay City, Michigan to Miami, Florida. A thick red line identifies the Dixie Highway. Cities and towns are identified and mileage provided. U.S. highway shields numerically identify connecting roadways. Vignettes highlight sites of particular interest, such as horse farms near Lexington, Kentucky, Silver Springs, and the Bok Tower. Great Smoky Mountains National Park is illustrated and labeled.

Highway Associations

The movement promoting the construction of 'good quality' roads did not begin with the invention of the automobile, but rather with the bicycle. At the time, most interurban roads were unpaved and impractical for cycling. The 'Good Roads Movement' was inaugurated in May 1880 to advocate for bicycle enthusiasts, riding clubs, and manufacturers. By 1910, the American Automobile Association (AAA) jumped onboard, along with over one hundred other local and national organizations. 'Road booster' organizations emerged to promote specific, often branded, highways. By the 1920s, about 250 'named' highways, each with their own boosters, crossed the United States. 'Road boosters' still exist, but most disbanded in the 1950s and 60s with the emergence federally funded Interstate Highway System.

Dating the Map

While undated, information printed on the verso allows us to date this map with a high degree of accuracy. When discussing the virtues of Berea, Kentucky, the text references the Berea College Centennial Celebration which took place in 1955. It also noted that Paul Green's Wilderness road with a cast of 100 will stage performances nightly except Sundays during July and August 1955.

Publication History and Census

This map was created for and published by the U.S. 27 Dixie Highway Association. The only other known example is part of the collection of the Touchton Map Library at the Tampa Bay History Center.