Jefferson Highway
Jefferson Parish, Jefferson Parish, Louisiana
Marker Inscription
Jefferson Highway. Named for U.S. President Thomas Jefferson. Completed 4 Feb. 1926. "Pine to Palm" route, one of first intercontinental highways. Extends 2,194 miles from Winnepeg, Canada, through Jefferson, ending in New Orleans at St. Charles Ave. and Common St. Parts of highway still called Jefferson, including in Jefferson Parish. Sponsored by the Jefferson Historical Society of Louisiana. 2010.
Erected by Jefferson Historical Society of Louisiana
The Story
Named for Thomas Jefferson and completed in 1926, the Jefferson Highway was among the first great intercontinental auto routes, running some 2,194 miles from Winnipeg, Canada, to New Orleans. Nicknamed the "Pine to Palm" route, it linked the northern forests to the Gulf, and stretches of it still carry the Jefferson name.
Why it matters
It belongs to the pioneering era of named auto trails that knit the continent together before numbered federal highways, reshaping American travel and commerce.
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Related people
- · Thomas Jefferson
Themes & tags
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