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

Concrete Walking Path, 1907


mobilene
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Found a photo on Shorpy.com today of a walking path in Louisville ca. 1907. Check it out.

 

http://www.shorpy.com/node/14269?size=_original#caption

 

Notice that this appears to be made of concrete -- and has a center expansion joint. I'm thinking of our conversations on another thread that center expansion joints didn't seem to come to roads until the early 1920s. Just an interesting data point here.

 

-Jim

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I follow Shorpy and also saw the walk photo. But my primary thought was how much the gas lamps resemble those that I believe are still in use in a couple of Cincinnati neighborhoods. The road-walk connection never occurred to me. Glad you're on the case.

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Jim,

 

What a great image! Just like you might imagine a "central park" to be. The whole shot is so close to a classic it might almost seem staged.

 

And it is curious that center joints were used in sidewalks. I wonder if it had something to do with the depth of the concrete. Maybe folks assumed thicker road concrete would not crack as badly....pure guessing.

 

Dave

 

Keep the Show on the Road

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Jim,

 

How did you find out that the old concrete is still there? If I had the time and money, it would be fun to visit Louisville and see if I could stand in the same place as the photographer.

 

And if you know the old concrete is still there, is it cracked along its length? (Boy, talk about esoteric knowledge! This is me....knowing more and more about less and less....it can make us world "experts." :D )

 

Dave

 

Keep the Show on the Road!

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I loved the outfits - the styles of the day. Long skirts for the ladies and short pants and knee stockings for the lads. Time, and styles, have sure changed over the years.

I have a repro copy of a 1903 Sears catalog - could buy everything from clothes to guns to houses back then. The clothing styles are really something to see.

 

Hudsonly,

Alex Burr

Memphis, TN

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