| Interstate 20 |
| U. S. Highway 90 |
| State Highway 1 |
| 1827 January |
In the winter of 1827-28, the first constructed road in north Louisiana appeared. U. S. Military Road Number 11 connected Fort Jesup in Sabine Parish west of Natchitoches to Fort Gibson and Fort Smith in Arkansas and Fort Towson in Oklahoma. Over this road troops and supplies, as well as many pioneers traveled to the frontier and opened these areas up to development. The officer in charge of the troops building the road was Major Samuel Ringgold, who made many friends in the area. |
| 1915 January |
The first meeting of the Jefferson Highway Association brings together 650 representatives of states along the intended route. The goal is to build a highway from the Gulf of Mexico to Winnipeg, Canada. |
| 1924 January |
The tenth annual meeting of the Jefferson Highway Association meets in New Orleans to celebrate the completion of the highway through the state of Louisiana. Louisiana is the first state to complete a road along the route, Minnesota is a distant second. The celebration has fudged a little as the route starts in downtown New Orleans and the road to the Gulf of Mexico will not be finished for another few years. |
| 1924 |
Many celebrations break out as Louisiana boasts that while traveling along the first road to be completed across the state, not once does the machine have to leave the gravel. Not mentioned is the fact that bridges will not replace many ferrys over the numerous streams for another few years. Even before the route is completed intrepid automobile travelers laud the Louisiana highways as the best in the nation. The federal government, which is funding many of the nation’s road-building efforts notes that Louisiana is second only to Texas in the number of miles laid down using federal aid. Most states are using local money because their laws are not written to take advantage of federal funds. |
| 1924 |
Jefferson Highway is completed across the state of Louisiana. Starting at New Orleans it heads through Baton Rouge across the Mississippi and the Atchafalaya through Melville and on to Bunkie and Alexandria. From Alexandria it heads toward Natchitoches and Mansfield, the only streatch that follows the Highway 1 of today. From Mansfield it heads to Shreveport. The total distance through Louisiana is 420 miles. During 1925 a more direct course between Natchitoches and Shreveport traveling along the west side of the Red River will knock another 20 miles off of the distance. There will be a total of 3,500 miles of gravel highway completed before the end of the year. Other highways near completion or in planningy this year are described here. Old Spanish Trail goes west along a southern route following the U. S. Highway 90 of today. It starts with a drawbridge built by the War Department over the West Pearl River to Slidell across the Rigolets and along Chef Menteur to New Orleans. From the west bank of New Orleans it heads toward Raceland with a detour past Thibodaux to Houma, Morgan City, Lafayette, Lake Charles and on to Orange, Texas. A short link near the Mermentau River is completed in October. The Dixie Overland Highway will stretch from Shreveport to Vicksburg across the Mississippi River. It is completed at the end of the year with the exception of 500 feet of swamp land in Lincoln Parish and a 7 mile stretch of Lafourche Swamp between Monroe and Rayville. This route includes two overhead crossings on either side of Arcadia to avoid dangerous grade crossings. It passes through Shreveport, Minden, Arcadia, Ruston and Monroe. Pershing Highway travels from the Arkansas state line north of Lillie through Dubach and (along today’s U. S. Highway 167) Ruston, Atlanta and Aloha (Grant Parish) to Alexandria. Pelican Highway is routed (along U. S. Highway 165) from Lake Charles through Oberlin, Oakdale, Alexandria, Pollock, Columbia, Monroe and Bastrop to the Arkansas state line. The Ozark or Mississippi Scenic Highway follows Jefferson Highway to Baton Rouge, turns toward St. Francisville (along U. S. Highway 61) through Woodville and Natchez across the Mississippi River back into Louisiana along the river (U. S. Highway 65) toward the Arkansas state line. Beauregard Highway is planned connecting Lake Charles with Shreveport follows the rout of U. S. Highway 171 through Deridder, Leesville Florien, Many, and catches the Jefferson Highway into Shreveport. Evangeline Highway starts at the Mississippi state line near Hammond through Baton Rouge and Opelousas to the Texas state line. |
| 1930 April |
Governor Huey Long announces a state-wide tour to gain support for an additional two-cent gas tax to modernize the state’s highways. On the first day he stumps at Greensburg, Amite, Pontchatoula and Covington. The next day he visits New Roads, Port Allen and Plaquemine. And on Monday he speaks at Saint Francisville, Clinton and Baton Rouge. He continues to visit rural parishes until the measure is passed. During his trip to the West Bank Long promises concrete highways going through Plaquemine, Port Allen, New Roads and on to Simmesport, the route of modern Highway 1. He also promises that toll bridges would be free. |
| 1931 April |
State Highway engineer Harry S. Henderlite announces a highway to be built between Golden Meadow and Grand Isle. The only alternate route to the popular off-shore resort is from Lafitte, but the cost is prohibitive. When taking the route through Raceland the mileage from New Orleans is 100 miles. |