The Dixie Highway once carried people from Canada to Florida through the Midwestern states. Today, most of the road debris has been absorbed into the new numbering system that takes into account all American highways, although an incomplete puzzle remains in some parts of the road.
Carl Fischer, who always dreamed of a highway that could run from Indianapolis to Miami, coined the name “Dixie.” Dixie was to honor and reflect the 50 years of peace that existed between the southern and northern states of the United States. Indianapolis was actually his hometown, and ideas for road construction were being worked on in 1910, including the development of road plans, participating members, and mapping routes. The original plan had finally been conceived and was to connect Chicago, IL with Jacksonville, FL. By 1916, there were already plans to extend the highway to Canada.
In 1925, the highway was built and extended from Ontario, Canada to Florida City, FL in a span of more than 5,700 miles. However, during this time, the US highway system also began to use its new numbering system as a way to integrate all roads into one naming style. For example, the famous “Lincoln” Highway, which ran from coast to coast, became US 30, while the National Pike, which connected the Ohio rivers with the Potomac, became US 40. This caused the dissolution of the Dixie Highway in many parts were dissolved in the new numbering system.
Here are some examples of the new alignment methods that followed the dissolution of the Dixie Freeway:
The highway from Jacksonville, FL to Miami, FL became US Route 1.
The highway from Jacksonville, FL to Savannah, GA became US Route 17.
The highway from Miami, FL to Punta Gorda, FL became US Route 41.
The highway from Punta Gorda, FL to Orlando, FL became US Route 17.
The highway from Orlando, FL to High Springs, FL became US Route 441.
The Dixie Highway today
Some of the old parts of the Dixie Freeway can still be identified today with concrete markers, which have been placed due to the great preservation efforts of the local Departments of Transportation. At one point, a special symbol was used to identify the road made from a red striped marker that had the letters “DH” on it. This was generally used on telegraph and telephone poles that were found along the route.
The current version is essentially the very busy Interstate 75, a modern “Dixie Highway” that transports millions of cars and trucks each year.
