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Celebrating our two-lane highways of yesteryear…And the joys of driving them today!

Dixie Highway - Original Brick Section - Florida


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We are in north central Florida this morning, with at least 8 gigabytes of movies and photos already transferred to the hard drive. We have been exploring the roads and places less traveled, seldom visited forts, obscure archeological sites, viewing manatees at play in their natural habitat, and perhaps best of all (for old roadies), an original and unreconstructed brick section of the Dixie Highway!

 

My new 3D camera is wonderful, with one exception. The lenses are on each side, rather than in the middle, and I have unfortunately recorded more photos of my fingers than of Florida.! Nonetheless, with the volume of movies and photos I have taken, some are without a finger in the shot.

 

I just don’t have the time on a family trip to post daily as others do so well, but I will try here to whet your appetite with a short movie of the Dixie. More will follow as time permits. Click on the movie below. I suggest full screen abd hig res for the best images, 3D or not.

 

 

The brick section of the Dixie is original, unrestored, and still used. The north end is used by lumber trucks that appear to be tearing it up and creating huge craters so you will have to drive at 5 or 10 mph. The south end is in better condition, but with less brick showing.

 

The south end begins at Espanola and the north end at N29.6517, W81.3797. We didn’t travel the full

10 miles of brick because it was slow going and we had a family commitment to meet, but I’m thinking that once past the timber operation on the north, the road should improve. It was smooth on the south end when we visited it the next day.

 

In any event, you will be hard pressed to find a better example of an original brick road laid probably between 1917 and 1923.

 

And, Thanks to Denny G for noting this road. I would have probably missed it otherwise!

 

Dave

 

Keep the Show on the Road!

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The difference between the old brick roads and the cement type is - on a brick road you go rumble, rumble, rumble. On cement highway you go ka-thunk, ka-thunk, ka-thunk.

 

Great video - drop a 1930's car in there and it would be instant time travel for sure.

 

Hudsonly,

Alex Burr

Memphis, TN

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I'll bet that concrete "curb" is just the edges of the road pad onto which the bricks were laid, like the Illinois National Road.

 

Anyway, vid of an old brick highway is a great way to start a Sunday!

 

Jim

 

On reflection, I think that is right. However I think it was sectioned in about 18 inch blocks, a form I saw later as in the day (elsewhere) as a curb. Still, I suspect you are correct.

 

Dave

 

Keep the Show on the Road!

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Good stuff and, with my handy-dandy Loreo Lite 3D Viewer, I can even see it in all its glory. The 3D effect in the grove of trees is quite evident (and would probably be quite nauseating if you panned much faster:-).

 

Was all of the video shot at the north end of the road?

 

It looks the opening scene was shot just a few feet south of where I stood for this old-fashioned non-moving 2D picture.

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I ran across these photos the other day on the Library of Congress website:

 

Laying brick, Route 40, central Ohio. Summer of 1938

 

8a18505r.jpg

 

8a18507r.jpg

 

8a18510r.jpg

 

 

See more images ...

 

The rest of the story... (From the LOC)

"These pictures taken immediately preceding Ohio Democratic primaries. Incumbent governor Martin Davey set thousands of people to work on the roads for the several weeks preceding primaries. They were laid off immediately after, but anyway the tactics failed. Davey defeated."

 

~ Steve

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Good stuff and, with my handy-dandy Loreo Lite 3D Viewer, I can even see it in all its glory. The 3D effect in the grove of trees is quite evident (and would probably be quite nauseating if you panned much faster:-).

 

Was all of the video shot at the north end of the road?

 

It looks the opening scene was shot just a few feet south of where I stood for this old-fashioned non-moving 2D picture.

Denny,

 

Can't be the same place. There is a dog in my shot. :blink:

 

Yes it is where you were standing. We did the first 3 or so miles from the north and maybe a mile from the south. The north end is badly cratered by logging trucks, so 5 mph is tops.

 

 

Dave

 

Keep the show on the road!

.

 

thanks again for the tip.

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