Patton On The Dixie Highway

[rudkipon66]

Phil Patton, in his book "Open Road" homages the Dixie Highway:

 

"Carl Fisher was one of the founders of the Dixie Highway Association, touting "your favorite route 6 and from Florida to the Great Smokies". Marked by red and white blazes on telephone poles, the Disie Highway ran from Bay City, MI, through Chicago and Cincinnati, into Kentucky and Tennesseeand around the peninsula of Florida in a great loop. It helped sustain the Floirda Land boom of the twenties--Fisher was also the prime mover behind the devlopment of Miami Beach--and it boosted local sights along the way. Dixie Highway maps advertised Florence, Kentucy as "the site of John Lloyd's famous novel "Stringtown on the Pike", highlighted Jellico, Tennesee, as the "home of Grace Moore star of movie, radio and opera, and promised to show the traveler "the colorful, historic land of the old colonial homes and southern charm, of genuine hospitalitiy , of excellent food and modern, comfortable accomodations."

 

Be you into the Dixie or the blue highways between it or around it, Phil Patton's book is great! Tsingtao Kip

[DennyG]

Alibris has copies available starting at $2.95. I just ordered one (based on the "if it's good enough for Mike & Kip..." theory) but I splurged and spent the extra $1.79 for a hard cover.

 

When I saw the Florence reference, I thought I might have to buy two books. But it seems one of the big attractions of the Stringtown novels (apparently there were several) was that characters in them were recognized by people living in Florence. But that was in 1900 so today would only apply to folks considerably older than 106. I don't know many that fit the description so decided to pass on the novel. Reading excerpts on line reinforced that decision. Folks who travel I-75 through northern Kentucky will recognize the modern Florence by the "FLORENCE Y'ALL" on the water tower.