Old Dixie Highway (#0352)

A portion of the original Dixie Highway, built (sort-of) in about 1916, near Hastings, Florida.

The best information that I could find was the Wikipedia article (link below), and it’s difficult to follow because the history of the road is difficult to follow. Based on what I can make out of the article, the inspiration to build the road was the Lincoln Highway that was built in 1913 to connect New York City with San Francisco, and the primary pusher for both roads was Carl Fisher, an early promoter of the auto industry and developer in Florida. The Dixie Highway was planned for connecting the Midwest with the South and Florida; the politics of building the road meant that it was built with multiple segments in each state, often with separate west and east branches. The map linked to the Wikipedia page does not show the highway as having come through this area, though the Wikipedia page does mention this section. Another map (linked below) does show the highway swerving west as it heads south of St. Augustine in a way that would have taken it this section.

In this particular section of the highway, it’s hard to tell that you’re on a significant historic route – it initially looks more like a graded dirt road with some old sections of road. If you look closely, though, you can see that there is a narrow brick road with white curbs running down the middle of the road. Also, on this particular section, the only marking to indicate the existence of the road is a turnoff from SR 13 for “Old Brick Road”.

More info in subsequent pictures.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dixie_Highway
www.floridamemory.com/fpc/memory/blog/images/2016/dixiesmall1916.jpg

(Part of a photo-essay series on personal history and race, with keyword FlaAla0518)