Stuck in the Mud, Hereford, Texas, 1900s, The Portal to Texas History
Early Roads
As automobiles revolutionized the transportation of people and goods throughout the early 1900s, existing roads became inadequate. Improved roadways were seen as a necessary turning point in supporting the growing nation.
Automobile travelers on a California road, 1910, California Department of Transportation
Highways of Old
Poorly built and maintained, many roads of the early 1900s were unpaved and unsafe. This resulted in numerous fatalities, automobile failures, and unreliable transportation for industries like postal services and shipping.
Unpaved roads were common, 1916, Federal Highway Administration
"At the beginning of the year, 90 percent, or approximately 2,000,000 miles, of the roads in this country were earth. The repair and proper maintenance of earth roads are therefore of great importance."
~ Hewes, Laurence, 1913, Highway engineer, Office of public roads
1919 Transcontinental Motor Convoy
The 1919 Transcontinental Motor Convoy was a 62-day, coast-to-coast military expedition to test military mobility. Despite traveling on the nation's primary highway, the convoy faced frequent vehicle breakdowns and delays due to poor road conditions. The convoy included a young Dwight D. Eisenhower, who experienced firsthand the poor road conditions of the early 1900s.
"This is where the work was" 1919 Transcontinental Motor Convoy, 1919, Eisenhower Presidential Library
1919 Transcontinental Motor Convoy, 1919, Eisenhower Presidential Library
'"Helping along a 'B'" 1919 Transcontinental Motor Convoy, 1919, Eisenhower Presidential Library
1919 Transcontinental Motor Convoy, Eisenhower Presidential Library
"The success of the Convoy is quite remarkable as the roads encountered through the mountains of the West required driving skill of the highest order."
"It became increasingly difficult to get the heaviest trucks through the soft, sandy roads and over the bad grades."
~ 1st Lieutenant E.R. Jackson