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[BigRedDog]

Although we only have "one" Dixie Highway through Monroe County there was actually an entire "system" of Dixie Highways.  They were originally conceived to promote what we now call "tourism".  You could hop on "The Dixie" here in Monroe and drive all the way to Miami...   actually by a few different routes too.  I've posted a map at the bottom.  When my Dad originally moved to Florida they built a new home north of Arcadia near Brownville...   we were visiting and out exploring one day when we found this little stretch of paved road that was pretty much abandoned.  But still standing on the corner was a sign that we could just read...  "Dixie Hwy"...   I grew up in central Michigan and I knew the "Old Dixie" ran up through Bay City and north to Saulte Ste. Marie.

Over the years we've driven many stretches of "the Old Dixie" on our various trips to Florida.  Mostly marked with signs with a "25" in the number...  today in Michigan it's "125"...   Near by dad's house there are now 3 roads that follow the same general route.  The original Dixie, then the later 2 or sometimes even 4 lane road and now the divided (but not usually limited access) road...  in that part of Florida it's now US 17.  In our area I-75 is never very far from the original Dixie highway.

Dixie came into Monroe from the south on Monroe Street, turned at Elm and went north on the present N. Dixie.  For the War of 1812 buffs a good portion of the entire road through the county generally followed part of General Hull's Road...   from Monroe north especially.

Joe's Standard Service on South Monroe Street is an excellent example of what the gas stations of the time looked like...   



And if you pay close attention today you can still see several former "motels" along "The Dixie".  I believe I've read that the term motel was derived by combining motor and hotel and that era started with the automobile and the road systems like "The Dixie".

Here's a map of "The Dixie system"...   actually there were several variations and all don't show on here.  How many miles have you driven on what was at one time "The Dixie Highway"

[BigRedDog]

I forgot to note about the "dusty" part...   originally just a gravel or even dirt road, as autos drove faster and faster the road became known for being dusty.  Interesting that the auto production centered around Detroit (although it isn't where it was invented) and so did road development.  The first stretch of paved highway in the US was north of Detroit...  Woodward Avenue then known as US 1.

I still remember stretches of some of the highways designated in Michigan with M #s as being gravel...   they were graded almost every day, but they were still gravel

[ussoccer26]

WOW! That explains a lot. I have noticed a Dixie Hwy in Ohio and northern Michigan, and wondered if they were all related. Thanks for closing out that mystery BRD.

[BigRedDog]

WOW! That explains a lot. I have noticed a Dixie Hwy in Ohio and northern Michigan, and wondered if they were all related. Thanks for closing out that mystery BRD.

Glad it helps ussoccer26

Yes, as simple as "The Dixie" was in Monroe County, it's a complicated alignment or system of alignments throughout the rest of the areas it served!

It is interesting to note that this is still one of the areas where it is still actually named "Dixie Highway".

Just put "historic dixie highway" into your favorite search engine sometime and you should have plenty of reading!!!

[DogLover]

You could hop on "The Dixie" here in Monroe and drive all the way to Miami...
Actually you could drive on "The Dixie" all the way past Miami to
Homestead, Fl. where there still exists "The Dixie" and the Old Dixie"   

[BigRedDog]

You could hop on "The Dixie" here in Monroe and drive all the way to Miami...
Actually you could drive on "The Dixie" all the way past Miami to
Homestead, Fl. where there still exists "The Dixie" and the Old Dixie"   

Very interesting DogLover...   link below shows "Old Dixie" as also being "West Dixie" and then the current "Dixie Hwy" running parallel through homestead.  Looks like it stays placarded as Dixie Hwy all the way out onto Key Largo and then when it turns west it becomes "Overseas Highway"

https://maps.google.com/maps?q=homestead,+fl&hl=en&ll=25.492016,-80.451422&spn=0.031416,0.055747&sll=41.916434,-83.39771&sspn=0.103594,0.222988&hnear=Homestead,+Miami-Dade,+Florida&t=m&z=15

[BigRedDog]

The "Dixie Highway" is getting some great promotion from County Musicians Alan Jackson and Zac Brown on a brand new album...   "Thirty Miles West"

From the wiki article about the album:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thirty_Miles_West

The album's title refers to a song about a stretch of the Dixie Highway near Jackson's hometown of Newnan, Georgia.[5] The song, "Dixie Highway," is a duet with Zac Brown.[6]

Here are two different YouTubes of the song "Dixie Highway":

Dixie Highway (Feat. Zac Brown) - Alan Jackson

Alan Jackson - "Dixie Highway" ((Nashville June 10, 2012))

[tnweasel]

.....that part of Dixie Highway that passes through Monteagle in Tennessee.....that's my hometown (Tracy City, Tennessee is actually where I grew up)......and Whitwell is where I taught school......kind of looks like what we called highway 41......

[family man]

I thought this thread was going to be about Dixie in front of Messina Concrete, it's always a dusty/dirty mess there.

[BigRedDog]

I thought this thread was going to be about Dixie in front of Messina Concrete, it's always a dusty/dirty mess there.

This reminds me...   

I keep forgetting to ask admin for a smilie face "whistling while it ignores a poster"

[BigRedDog]

.....that part of Dixie Highway that passes through Monteagle in Tennessee.....that's my hometown (Tracy City, Tennessee is actually where I grew up)......and Whitwell is where I taught school......kind of looks like what we called highway 41......

You're correct tnweasel

the "western leg" of The Dixie followed the route of US 41 quite a distance...    I posted a nice map of US 41 in a thread way before we got to discussing The Dixie...   well, in the history topic anyway:

http://monroetalks.com/forum/index.php?topic=25949.msg555161#msg555161

[family man]

This reminds me...   

I keep forgetting to ask admin for a smilie face "whistling while it ignores a poster"

Well excuse me for replying with what I thought the thread was about. I didn't mean to get your panties in a twist.

[BigRedDog]

Some interesting info on the Old Dixie down through parts of Ohio:

http://toledoblade.typepad.com/roadwarrior/2012/11/dixie-highway-revival-and-other-sign-stories.html