Polk County news. [volume] (Benton, Tenn.) 191?-1983, 1919-09-25
jackson Federal High
way Agreed Upon
KNOXVILLE TO ATLANTA
ALONG OLD FEDERAL ROAD
State Highway Commission De-
signate New Highway. Ben
ton Boosters Win Out for
New Route

The memory Of "old hickory" jackson
is to be perpetuated by federal high
way from Knoxville to Cartersville
so as to make a sixty-mile nearel
highway from Cincinnati and thu
north to Atlanta and Florida. It il
TO be a direct line, substantially fol
lowing the old Federal road which
dates back to 1903 to 1914 in its be-
ginning and completion, the final gar
of which was cut by Andrew Jack
sons federal troops from the old town
of Columbus on the north bank OF the
Hiwassee river at the warpath cross
ing through Benton to Hildebrand's
boatyard on Ocoee river, three miles
south of Benton to the portage used
as a transportation route in boating
products from East Tennessee waters
up Hiwassee and Ocoee, and along the
twelve-mile portage to the COnasauga
river. thence down to the Gulf OF
Mexico. By 1927 the traffic pushed in
boats up Ocoee, and by means Of wa
rons driven under these flat bottoms,
boat and cargo hauled over to float
down the Conasauga to southern mar
kets, was large-one item recorded by
McNair, who kept the McNair stand
and boatyard, being for that year H.
900 gallons of whiskey going to mar
ket.
From Knoxville to Englewood, this
Oldest federal road in Tennessee was
declared, short time ago, a state
highway, making it eligible for fed
eral aid.
At Etowah Friday afternoon dele
CATION of twenty-four officials from
the Georgia counties Of Murray, Cor
don and Barlow, met the Hon. W. 7.
Testerman, secretary and East Ten
nessee member Of the Tennessee high
way commission, to consider this route
and another.
The citizens Of Etowah, noticing so
many cars coming in bearing the ban
ners Federal Highway, Knoxville to
Atlanta" started late in the afternoon
to have a banquet prepared for the
visitors, and the First National bank
there asked to be allowed to pay the
expenses. The Benton and Tenega
route delegation, about 100 in num-
Der, came in autos with the legend
Federal Highway, Etowah to Tenn
ga" upon them. The secretary Of the
Knoxville Auto club accompanied by
officials and citizens of McMinn coun-
ty escorted the state highway commits
sioner over the route from Knoxville
to Etowah. After supper, the din
ing room of the Glenora was used for
the good roads meeting, with late ar
rivals using standing room and the
lobby.
Speeches were made by several
Tennesseans, among them Capt. Nc
Croskey, Maj. Reagan, state engineer
Attorney Todd, Chairman Ray, of Nc
MINI county, and several others. Nc
MINI county officials stated they were
ready. Then the chairman, secretary
of Knoxville Auto club, asked that the
"road be commenced also at the Geor-
gia end" Bartown county reported
ready to furnish all the funds necess-
ary to equal the federal funds in
building from the Dixie highway
northward through their county; Cor
don county promised 100000 as their
part and the three commissioners of
Murray present stated that they had
already appropriated 100000 after
building concrete bridges suitable to
carry the heavy traffic. The principle
speech of the occasion was made by
Frank T. Reynolds, secretary-mana-
ger of the Atlanta Auto club, the head
good roads organization of Georgia,
who came as a representative of the
chairman-engineer Of the Georgia
highway commission, the Hon. W. r.
Neal. Mr.. Reynolds address was fan
Of useful information, and near the
close he got dow nto business and
stated Etlist the Georgia authorities
had decided to build the Georgia part
Of the proposed Jackson highway
along the old federal road route thru
Cartersville, Chatsworth and to Tenn
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