The Lamar register., 1917-06-13
NEW NATIONAL HIGHWAY TO BE
READY THIS SUMMER
Dallas Canadian Denver Trail viii
Accommodate the Tourists Com
ing from Texas, Oklahoma and
the Southeast by AutOmo-
bile

recognized by the National highway
commission and officially logged by
the National Highway association,
called the Dallas s-Canadian-Denv
highway, is now under construction,
and will be finished in time to accom-
modate thousands of tourists who will
come to Denver during the coming
summer months from Texas, Okla
homa and the southeast.
This new highway will shorten the
distance between Denver and Dallas
more than 200 miles and iG being
built to rival in excellence the Lin
coin Highway and the Santa Fe Trail.
Starting at Dallas, this new high
way is to pass in as straight line as
possible, due northwest into Childress
and Canadian, Texas, and Guymon,
Oklahoma, and enter Colorado at the
extreme southeastern corner. II will
merge into the Santa Fc Trail at La
mar, Colorado.
In Texas alone, between Childress
and the northern line of the state,
100000 in good roads and bridge
bonds have been voted and elections
are pending for 100000 more. This
highway is now being marked with
steel enameled signs, twelve inches by
sixteen inches, with blue ground and
white letters bearing the inscription
"D-C-D Highway" in q very artistic
design. These markers will be erect
ed on steel posts set in concrete and
will cost So per sign. They will be
the handsomest and most complete set
of markers on any highway in the
West.
The Dallas s-Canadian-Denver high
way idea originated in the minds of
the Canadian Chamber of Commerce.
This idea came as a natural sequence
to the completion of the magnificent
steel and concrete bridge which Hemp
hill county built over the Canadian
river at this point. This bridge was
completed in August, 1916.
Before this bridge was built, there
was only one safe crossing place over
the Canadian river in the entire state
of Texas. In order to vote enough
bonds to build this bridge it was nee
essary for the Legislature of Texas to
pass a special act authorizing Hemp
hill county to vote special bonds. The
bonds for this bridge were voted in
April, 1915, to the amount Of $4,000
In addition to the cost of this bridge
Hemphill county and the citizens of
Canadian have spent nearly $685. 900 in
building good roads and approaches on
both sides of the bridge.
The members of the Canadian cham
Der Of commerce conceived the idea
that there should be an interstate
highway between Texas and Okla
homa on the south and Oklahoma,
Kansas, Colorado and other states on
the north, since there was no through
way in the states mentioned. The first
meeting of general nature was held
ut Shamrock, Texas, in November,
1916, at which time organization was
perfected from Canadian south to
Childress.
On December IL eight of the wide
awake business men of Canadian, all
members of the Canadian chamber of
commerce, travelling in two automo-
biles, made the trip through ice and
snow as far north as Lamar, holding
meetings and perfecting organizations
at all points along the line. A meet
ing at which representatives from all
the towns between Childress, Texas,
and Lamar, Colorado, were present
was held in Canadian on February 9,
at which organization was perfected
for the entire route. Nearly 300 good
roads enthusiasts braved The cold to
attend this meeting. Twenty men
from Lamar, about twenty-five from
Springfield, Colorado, and other points
in proportion.
From that time on things have
moved steadily and systematically un-
der the management of the Dallas
Canadian-Denver Highway association
toward the completion of the con-
struction work of this highway.
Charles Henry Davis, president Of the
national highway commission, has as