Jackson advocate. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1939-current, 1950-12-30
MOTORISTS NOW TRAVELLING
OVER FAMED NATCHEZ TRACE

Indians who more than two GEN.
turtles ago travelled along torturous
wilderness trails between Natchez
and Nashville would no doubt get
something of q surprise TODAY
were 1t possible for them to speed
along the Natchez Trace Parkway
being develope, by the federal
government.
Twentieth century travellers will
by next summer be able to cover
So miles of the road over which
early pioneers made their way in
to the Southwest Territory back
in 1898.
Actually only 20 miles of the
Parkway has been hardsurfaced
to date. This section extends from
Ridgeland on U. S. Highway 81
northeastward, touching Pearl
River at two points. However, the
National Park Service at present
has projects totaling about So
$4,000 under construction in
Alabama, Tennessee and Missis-
sippi. Forty-one additional miles
in Mississippi will be completed
by next June.
When completed eventually, the
Trace will extend for $50 miles,
following closely the original trails
first made by wild animals, fol-
lowed by Indians Of various tribes
In these areas of the South, and
finally by explorers, pion er
settlers and soldiers.
BY treaty with the Choctaw and
Chickasaw Indians, the United
States acquired the right to de-
velop the Natchez Trace into a
wagon road and mail route in the
early 1800's. But for many years
the journey over the Trace re-
NAMED a hard and perilous one
due not SO much to the Red Man
as to the blood thirsty bandits who
found easy picking on the wilder
ness trail. Lafayette knew it's
hardships, as did Meriweather
Lewis, Andrew Jackson, Henry
Clay and many another we'll
known figure of history.
Development of the historic
road into q Parkway, extending
was adopted as a project OF the
National Parkway Service In the
1905.
The Parkway has been designed
exclusively for pleasure travel and
Is unique in that no advertising
signs or commercial developments
are permitted within rights-of-way
being acquired by the government
for the project. Commercial trucks
are not permitted to use the road.
Average width Of the Parkway
Is 500 feet. The road being con-
structed by the Park Service fol-
lows closely the old trails which
took advantage Of the natural con-
tour OF the land.
The historic and scenic features
of the area have been preserved
by the builders and numerous
picnic areas and nature trails have
been placed along the route for
the convenience of travellers.
Malcomn Gardner, superintend-
ent OF the project with head
quarters in Tupelo, voiced some
uncertainty as to how the inter-
national situation might affect the
present construction program.
Actual work on the project
started back in 1897, but all work
was halted by World War II. At
that time los miles Of grading and
minor drainage had been complet-
ed, including a section in the
Ridgeland area. This latter Sec
ton, Garner said. was treated
with sterilization black topping
which was not intended as a perm
anent surfacing. This rapidly de-
Perforated during the War years,
as engineers expected, but has
since been Replaced with q smooth
hard-suEfaced covering over which
throngs OF Sunday and holiday
motorists are travelling today
In addition to the section OF
road completed in Mississippi, the
Park Service now has nearly 80
miles of Parkway road nearly
ready for hard-surfacing in Ala
bama and Tennessee, A total OF
10S miles OF right-of-way in Mis-
-. ~