The Evolution of Route 40
Richard D. L. Fulton President Dwight D. Eisenhower established the International Highway System (IHS) when he signed the National Interstate and Defense Highways Act in 1956, which then initiated the creation of a highway system, connecting the East and West coasts. Eisenhower, while serving in the Army, was initially inspired to create such a road…
Blue Ridge Summit Makes Bid to be the Summer Capital of the United States
James Rada, Jr. In the days before air conditioning, Washington D.C. could be nearly unbearable in the summer. Those who could would travel to summer homes in more-agreeable climates. It wasn’t always possible for federal officials, though. In 1915, some of the towns surrounding the capital city began making their case to serve as the…
Looking Back - 1956
by James Rada, Jr. Hitchhiking Marines Get a Special Ride Marine Pfc. Harold Payne and Pfc. William Weaver were stationed at Camp Lejeune in North Carolina, but when they got a weekend pass near Christmas of 1956, they decided to head home to the Midwest. Payne was from Akron, Ohio, and Weaver was from DeWitt,…
