Jefferson Highway

The Jefferson Highway was an automobile highway stretching through the central United States from New Orleans, Louisiana, to Winnipeg, Manitoba in Canada. The Jefferson Highway was replaced with the new numbered US Highway system in the late 1920s. Portions of the highway are still named Jefferson Highway, including the portions that run through Jefferson Parish, Louisiana; East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana; Lee's Summit, Missouri; Osseo, Minnesota; and Wadena, Minnesota.
It was built in the 1910s as part of the National Auto Trail system.
Named for President Thomas Jefferson, inspired by the east-west Lincoln Highway, it was nicknamed the "Palm to Pine Highway", for the varying types of trees found at either end.

History

The southern terminus of the Jefferson Highway was in New Orleans, Louisiana at the intersection of St. Charles Avenue and Common Street. It is marked by a six-foot tall Georgia granite obelisk donated by the New Orleans chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution. The obelisk was installed on April 15, 1918, and it was formally dedicated the following January.
The original route on today's roads is as follows:

Louisiana
*New Orleans to Kenner:
**From the southern terminus at Common Street, the Jefferson Highway followed St. Charles Avenue, Canal Street, City Park Avenue, and Metairie Road into Jefferson Parish.
**Leaving New Orleans, the Jefferson Highway followed Metairie Road, Shrewsbury Road, and Jefferson Highway to Kenner. This route is covered by LA 611-9, LA 3261, LA 611-3, US 90, and LA 48.
*Kenner to Geismar:
**From Kenner to Geismar, the Jefferson Highway followed alongside the east bank levee of the Mississippi River which, due to various sections of levee being relocated during the 1920s and 1930s, is often a significant distance removed from the modern River Road. Also, a two-mile section between Norco and Montz was eliminated in 1935 when the parallel U.S. 61 Bonnet Carré Spillway Bridge carrying Airline Highway across the Bonnet Carré Spillway was opened. However, the route is approximated by LA 48 to Norco, River Road to Montz, LA 628 to LaPlace, LA 44 to Burnside, LA 942 to Darrow, and LA 75 to Geismar.
*Geismar to Baton Rouge:
**From Geismar to Baton Rouge, the route followed LA 73 and is still known as Jefferson Highway.
**The original routing through downtown Baton Rouge followed Claycut Road, LA 427, LA 73, 19th Street, and North Street to the former Mississippi River ferry landing to Port Allen.
*Port Allen to Alexandria:
**LA 987, North Jefferson Avenue, and LA 986 through Port Allen.
**LA 76 to Rosedale.
**LA 77 to Ravenswood.
**LA 10 to Red Cross.
**The Jefferson Highway crossed the Atchafalaya River by ferry to Melville and continued on LA 10 to Lebeau.
**US 71 to Bunkie.
**LA 1177 and US 71 to Cheneyville.
**US 71 and LA 456 to Lamourie.
**LA 470, US 71-167, and Old Baton Rouge Highway to Alexandria.
*Alexandria to Pineville:
**US 71, Lee Street, Main Street, and Murray Street through Alexandria.
**The Jefferson Highway crossed the Red River on a now-demolished bridge at the foot of Murray Street into Pineville.
**US 165-BUS, LA 180, and US 71 through Pineville.
*Pineville to Nachitoches:
**US 71 and LA 3225.
**US 71, LA 492, and LA 8 to Colfax.
**LA 158 and US 71 to just south of Montgomery, following Old Jefferson Highway into town and leaving via North Jefferson Highway.
**US 71 and LA 1225 to Clarence.
**LA 6 to Natchitoches.
*Natchitoches to Shreveport:
**LA 6 to Robeline.
**LA 120 to Belmont.
**LA 175 to Mansfield, following Old Jefferson Highway into town.
**US 171 to Shreveport, via Old Jefferson Road through Stonewall and Old Mansfield Road through Keithville.
*Shreveport to Texas state line:
**US 171, Mansfield Road, and US 79-US 80 to I-20 at Flournoy.
**Westbrook Road, LA 511, US 79-80 to Greenwood.
**US 80 across the state line toward Waskom, Texas.

When Louisiana numbered its state highways in 1921, the entire length of the Jefferson Highway through Louisiana was designated as State Route 1. This route was in effect until the 1955 Louisiana Highway renumbering. When the U.S. Highway System was designated in 1926, the Jefferson Highway was split into four U.S. Highways in Louisiana: US 61 from New Orleans to Baton Rouge, US 71 from Baton Rouge to Clarence, US 171 from Mansfield to Shreveport, and US 80 from Shreveport west into Texas. The section between Natchitoches and Mansfield was not included in the U.S. Highway System.

Cities along the route

New Orleans, Louisiana
Alexandria, Louisiana
Bunkie, Louisiana
Shreveport, Louisiana
Bonham, Texas
Marshall, Texas
Mount Pleasant, Texas
Caddo, Oklahoma
McAlester, Oklahoma
Eufaula, Oklahoma
Checotah, Oklahoma
Muskogee, Oklahoma
Pryor Creek, Oklahoma
Vinita, Oklahoma
Miami, Oklahoma
Joplin, Missouri
Nevada, Missouri
Baxter Springs, Kansas
Pittsburg, Kansas
Frontenac, Kansas
Fort Scott, Kansas
Paola, Kansas
Overland Park, Kansas
Harrisonville, Missouri
Lee's Summit, Missouri
Kansas City, Missouri
Cameron, Missouri
Saint Joseph, Missouri
Lamoni, Iowa
Leon, Iowa
Osceola, Iowa
Indianola, Iowa
Des Moines, Iowa
Colo, Iowa
Mason City, Iowa
Albert Lea, Minnesota
Owatonna, Minnesota
Faribault, Minnesota
Minneapolis, Minnesota
St. Cloud, Minnesota
Bemidji, Minnesota
Thief River Falls, Minnesota
Winnipeg, Manitoba