Abilene Texas History

abilenet July 12th, 2009

The Bankhead Highway was a United States cross-country automobile highway connecting Washington, D.C. and San Diego. It was part of the National Auto Trail system. The road was named for Alabama politician John Hollis Bankhead, a leader in the early national road building movement. This road has the distinction of being the first all-paved road to stretch across the United States.

In his series of historical documentaries called, “History in Plain Sight,” Jay Moore tells about the creation of the Bankhead Highway, what it meant to the people of West Texas, particularly Abilene and Baird, Texas, and what happened to the highway that once stretched across the southern part of the United States. Parts of this road can still be found and driven on in and around Abilene and other parts of Texas.

The entire story on the Bankhead Highway will begin airing on the local access channel, Channel 7, for the Abilene, Texas viewing area on July 14th at 7PM CST.

For a DVD Copy of this presentation, contact Jay Moore at jay.moore@abileneisd.org or by writing to him at the following location: 601 Amarillo Abilene, TX 79601-5811 (325) 676-3775.

• 1900s , Abilene , Pre-1950 , Taylor County , Texas , Transportation
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