Simple History Series #11 Author: J. Gerlach
Overview: This is a fascinating little book I found at an anarchist bookshop in SF. It’s from the Simple History series and takes the reader on a journey through the history of the US Interstate Highway System; something I became intimately familiar with and somewhat in awe of during my travels in the US in 2023. It is remarkably easy to get from state to state via driving and the roads are overall in the pretty good condition.
Highlights:
- While they make up less than 1% of the roads in America the Interstates carry almost 25% of the nation’s traffic and 40% of its truck traffic.
- It is one of the greatest infrastructure projects in history that began almost a century before most people think (i.e. a century before Eisenhower)
- Current official name of the system: Dwight D. Eisenhower System of Interstate and Defence Highways.
- Interstate highway system was the largest public works project of all time and one of tremendous ambition and scope.
- Choosing the routes, testing the latest materials, adjusting construction techniques, recruiting the labour, coordinating the workers - the process was constantly improving. “Building the best roads, across a vast country that included large mountains, expansive deserts and raging rivers”.
- For anyone born within the last 50 years the interstate system is a given and an essential feature of the modern world, but for it to happen many factors had to come together the process was slow and dependent on money, technology and ongoing cooperation between state and federal governments.
- “Official” start of the Interstate Highway System was the Federal Highway Act of 1956. The idea for a national system of roads was around decades before that. And the idea of a transcontinental highway had been around for centuries.
- The history of the US is one of continual expansion; taming the frontier, altering the landscape ‘for the better’. American roads have always struggled to keep up with demand.
- The rush to adapt the landscape, economy and daily lives to accomodate the automobile had its downsides - helped accelerate the expansion of American cities and produced the giant metro areas of today.
- Downsides: Blighting of the urban landscape, demolition of old city neighbourhoods, decimation of passenger rail and local public transit.
- The Interstate Highway System was the culmination of a goal the nation had been working towards since its inception: Build good roads that connect the country, enabling freedom of travel and commerce + contribute to its defence.
- Nemacolin’s Trail - George Washington needed to map a route for a dependable way to move troops through the appalachian mountains which seperated the majority of white settlements.
- Nemacolin was a Delaware Indian who marked the first route through the Appalachian wilderness using a network of old Indian hunting paths to produce the best route through the mountains.
- It became a popular route for settlers, traders and ragtag armies during the second half of the eighteenth century.
- Route eventually become part of the first “national road”
- 1806, Soon after the Louisiana purchase, Jefferson signed a bill establishing the first National Road with the intention of building a road to connect the east coast with new territories in the west.
- This first interstate road would be built by hand one stone at a time.
- Sixty foot wide road as straight and smooth as possible from the East coast to the Ohio River; connecting to the Nemacolin Trail to cross the Appalachians.
- Construction began in 1811 but was delayed by the war of 1812.
- Workers were mainly Irish and English immigrants… “had to chip away huge pieces of rock, knock down giant trees and move earth with horse and wagons”.
- Once the path was cleared, a one foot trench with layers of stone, first large ones and then small ones. Finally a layer of sand and gravel or clay made up the road surface.
- Road builders were constantly trying to improve their materials and techniques.
- A constant battle against the elements to keep the roads in decent shape.
- The first 130 miles were completed in 1818, to tremendous popularity, setting the tone for future interstate roads and traffic soon exceeded expectations.
- National Road was built with federal money but the plan was once it was completed its responsibility for upkeep would be turned over to respective states. touched off a big debate about the authority the federal government should have over states in national infrastructure. Part of much larger debate going back to the constitution about states rights vs. strong central government.
- Compromise: The enormous cost and coordination for long distance roads needed to come from the federal government. The states, since they would be the beneficiaries of the stretches of highway in their states would play a big role in planning and maintenance.
- As part of the agreement, the federal government would transfer ownership of the completed road to the states. In order to pay for the road’s upkeep, federal authorities erected toll gates which the states operated.
- The National Road -> The National Pike; the first turnpike in the US.
- The word “turnpike” comes from the original toll system where a gate with a spike blocked the road until the toll was paid and then was turned to allow passage.
- The National Road -> The National Pike; the first turnpike in the US.
- The next section of National Road began in 1825. Army Corps of Engineers oversaw its construction which extended the first interstate highway over 500 miles west.
- Engineers used the MacAdam system when building this longer flatter section of road. Latest technology in road building used around the world. Also very expensive which resulted in them deciding to make the road as straight as possible, hence bypassing many town