American Road Trip Talk (Podcast): Mike Conlin: Finding The Jefferson Highway

Entry posted by Foster Braun · May 28, 2014

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2016 will mark the official 100^th anniversary of our numbered highway system. Up to 1926 the process of naming, building and publicizing a stretch of roadway was very much a local affair. The results were often confusing if pleasantly familiar to the home team. The named trails served a valuable purpose in their day, but they began to pass into history when the American Association of State Highway Officials formally adopted the U.S. numbered highway system on November 11, 1926.

The Spring 2014 issue Friends in the Fast Lane column highlighted the efforts of Solomon Valley US 24 Association to rediscover one of those named highways, the Midland Trail, We spoke with Joan Nothern in an earlier podcast about those efforts.

In this podcast we are going to reach back into our archives for a conversation from the Spring 2011 issue with another leader in the movement, Mike Conlin, a map maker by trade and one of the movers behind the recreation of the Jefferson Highway. This remarkable ribbon of highway stretched from north of the US border in Canada all the way to the Gulf Coast and New Orleans.

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This podcast is brought to you by the Illinois' historic I&M Canal National Heritage Corridor which lies between Lake Michigan and the Illinois River, It’s an outdoor recreational dream, beginning with miles of trails and waterways stretching from suburban Chicago all the way to Starved Rock State Park.

The Illinois National Heritage Corridor CVB reminds you to: Get out your light saber and wake up the Wookie. It’s time for the 5^th annual Star Wars Day, June 7^th at the Joliet Public Library. For more information Click Here

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History comes alive everyday in Springfield, Illinois! It’s interactive time-travel fun for the entire family! For more about great getaway packages call 800-545-7300 …or, go to www.visit-springfieldillinois.com. Illinois. Mile After Magnificent Mile.

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Today’s interview is brought to you by the Illinois Route 66 Scenic Byway--Where the Mother Road Begins. From famous road-side restaurants to hidden gems, Route 66 in Illinois offers a journey back in time.