The Roanoker - March/April 2018 - 20

STREETS OF

ROANOKE

< REID & CUTSHALL'S WAYSIDE

FURNITURE STORE IN 1965

Lee Highway
LOCATION
Section of Route 11 linking Roanoke
and Salem.

HISTORY

Nelson Harris

is a former mayor of
Roanoke and author
of a dozen books on
the region's history.
He is the minister at
Heights Community
Church in Roanoke
and a past president
of the Historical
Society of Western
Virginia.

20

MARCH/APRIL 2018

O n e o f t h e n a t i o n's f i r s t
transcontinental highways was birthed
in Roanoke. Dr. Samuel Johnson of
Roswell, New Mexico, wrote a letter
to David Humphries in Lexington,
V irginia, in 1919 proposing an
interconnected highway system that
would link New York City to San
Francisco. This was decades before the
interstate highway system was proposed
under the administration of President
Dwight Eisenhower.
As a result of Johnson's letter and
Humphries' interest, a nationwide
promotion effort was conducted that
culminated in a meeting at the Hotel

Roanoke on December 3, 1919. Over
500 men from across the United States
attended and brought into being what
became known as the Lee Highway.
The group, known as the Lee Highway
Association, lobbied state and local
governments to adopt the plan to create
a southern coast-to-coast highway. A
similar highway was already in existence
through the northern states, the Lincoln
Highway. Lee Highway was named for
the Confederate general, Robert E. Lee.
The Lee Highway Association's
effort was more promotional than actual
infrastructure. The initial goal was to
piece together already existing twolane highways in various states to create,
in name, one highway. As the effort
unfolded, however, small communities
began to push for the highway to come
through their towns to reap the economic

benefits of a steady stream of motorists.
In the December 1921 edition of
The Highway Magazine, the plan and
progress of Lee Highway was described.
"The original plans contemplated a
highway along the Appalachian valley
between the Blue Ridge, Allegheny
and Cumberland mountain ranges,
beginning at the Gettysburg National
Park on the Lincoln Highway and
running via Winchester, Staunton, by
the tomb of Robert E. Lee at Lexington,
Natural Bridge, Roanoke, Bristol,
Knoxville, Chickamauga National
Park at Chattanooga, and thence to
Birmingham and New Orleans. If the
plans of the director are carried out,
however, the scope of the undertaking
will be broadened and the road will
extend from New York to New Orleans,
and thence to San Francisco."
TheRoanoker.com

COURTESY OF THE VIRGINIA ROOM, ROANOKE PUBLIC LIBRARIES

Interestingly enough, one of the nation's first transcontinental highways was birthed right here in Roanoke.



http://www.TheRoanoker.com

The Roanoker - March/April 2018

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of The Roanoker - March/April 2018

The Roanoker - March/April 2018 - Intro
The Roanoker - March/April 2018 - Cover1
The Roanoker - March/April 2018 - Cover2
The Roanoker - March/April 2018 - 3
The Roanoker - March/April 2018 - 4
The Roanoker - March/April 2018 - 5
The Roanoker - March/April 2018 - 6
The Roanoker - March/April 2018 - 7
The Roanoker - March/April 2018 - 8
The Roanoker - March/April 2018 - 9
The Roanoker - March/April 2018 - 10
The Roanoker - March/April 2018 - 11
The Roanoker - March/April 2018 - 12
The Roanoker - March/April 2018 - 13
The Roanoker - March/April 2018 - 14
The Roanoker - March/April 2018 - 15
The Roanoker - March/April 2018 - 16
The Roanoker - March/April 2018 - 17
The Roanoker - March/April 2018 - 18
The Roanoker - March/April 2018 - 19
The Roanoker - March/April 2018 - 20
The Roanoker - March/April 2018 - 21
The Roanoker - March/April 2018 - 22
The Roanoker - March/April 2018 - 23
The Roanoker - March/April 2018 - 24
The Roanoker - March/April 2018 - 25
The Roanoker - March/April 2018 - 26
The Roanoker - March/April 2018 - 27
The Roanoker - March/April 2018 - 28
The Roanoker - March/April 2018 - 29
The Roanoker - March/April 2018 - 30
The Roanoker - March/April 2018 - 31
The Roanoker - March/April 2018 - 32
The Roanoker - March/April 2018 - 33
The Roanoker - March/April 2018 - 34
The Roanoker - March/April 2018 - 35
The Roanoker - March/April 2018 - 36
The Roanoker - March/April 2018 - 37
The Roanoker - March/April 2018 - 38
The Roanoker - March/April 2018 - 39
The Roanoker - March/April 2018 - 40
The Roanoker - March/April 2018 - 41
The Roanoker - March/April 2018 - 42
The Roanoker - March/April 2018 - 43
The Roanoker - March/April 2018 - 44
The Roanoker - March/April 2018 - 45
The Roanoker - March/April 2018 - 46
The Roanoker - March/April 2018 - 47
The Roanoker - March/April 2018 - 48
The Roanoker - March/April 2018 - 49
The Roanoker - March/April 2018 - 50
The Roanoker - March/April 2018 - 51
The Roanoker - March/April 2018 - 52
The Roanoker - March/April 2018 - 53
The Roanoker - March/April 2018 - 54
The Roanoker - March/April 2018 - 55
The Roanoker - March/April 2018 - 56
The Roanoker - March/April 2018 - 57
The Roanoker - March/April 2018 - 58
The Roanoker - March/April 2018 - 59
The Roanoker - March/April 2018 - 60
The Roanoker - March/April 2018 - 61
The Roanoker - March/April 2018 - 62
The Roanoker - March/April 2018 - 63
The Roanoker - March/April 2018 - 64
The Roanoker - March/April 2018 - 65
The Roanoker - March/April 2018 - 66
The Roanoker - March/April 2018 - 67
The Roanoker - March/April 2018 - 68
The Roanoker - March/April 2018 - 69
The Roanoker - March/April 2018 - 70
The Roanoker - March/April 2018 - 71
The Roanoker - March/April 2018 - 72
The Roanoker - March/April 2018 - 73
The Roanoker - March/April 2018 - 74
The Roanoker - March/April 2018 - 75
The Roanoker - March/April 2018 - 76
The Roanoker - March/April 2018 - 77
The Roanoker - March/April 2018 - 78
The Roanoker - March/April 2018 - 79
The Roanoker - March/April 2018 - 80
The Roanoker - March/April 2018 - 81
The Roanoker - March/April 2018 - 82
The Roanoker - March/April 2018 - 83
The Roanoker - March/April 2018 - 84
The Roanoker - March/April 2018 - 85
The Roanoker - March/April 2018 - 86
The Roanoker - March/April 2018 - 87
The Roanoker - March/April 2018 - 88
The Roanoker - March/April 2018 - 89
The Roanoker - March/April 2018 - 90
The Roanoker - March/April 2018 - 91
The Roanoker - March/April 2018 - 92
The Roanoker - March/April 2018 - 93
The Roanoker - March/April 2018 - 94
The Roanoker - March/April 2018 - 95
The Roanoker - March/April 2018 - 96
The Roanoker - March/April 2018 - 97
The Roanoker - March/April 2018 - 98
The Roanoker - March/April 2018 - Cover3
The Roanoker - March/April 2018 - Cover4
https://www.nxtbook.com/leisuremedia360/leisure/the-roanoker-march-april-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/leisuremedia360/leisure/the-roanoker-january-february-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/leisuremedia360/leisure/RKRND21
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/RKRSO21
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/TheRoanokerJA2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/roanoker_20210506
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/roanoker_20210304
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/roanoker_20210102
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/roanoker_2020_1112
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/roanoker_20200910
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/roanoker_20200708
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/roanoker_20200506
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/roanoker_20200304
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/roanoker_20200102
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/roanoker_20191112
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/roanoker_20190910
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/roanoker_20190708
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/roanoker_20190506
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/roanoker_20190304
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/roanoker_20190102
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/roanoker_20181112
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/roanoker_20180910
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/roanoker_20180708
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/roanoker_20180506
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/roanoker_20180304
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/roanoker_20180102
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/roanoker_20171112
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/roanoker_20170910
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/TheRoanoker_JulyAugust2017
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/TheRoanoker_MayJune2017
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/roanoker_20170304
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/roanoker_20170102
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/roanoker_20161112
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/roanoker_20160910
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/roanoker_20160708
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/roanoker_20160506
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/roanoker_20160304
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/roanoker_20160102
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/roanoker_20151112
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/roanoker_20150910
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/roanoker_20150708
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/roanoker_20150506
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/roanoker_20150304
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/roanoker_20150102
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/roanoker_20141112
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/roanoker_20140910
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/roanoker_20140708
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/roanoker_20140506
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/roanoker_201403
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/roanoker_201402
https://www.nxtbookmedia.com