American Roads Forum

American Auto Trails => Bankhead Highway => Topic started by: Parsa on February 22, 2013, 03:33:07 PM

Title: Bankhead route in Arkansas
Post by: Parsa on February 22, 2013, 03:33:07 PM
This thread will be devoted to discussions of the route of the Bankhead Highway through the state of Arkansas. I'll be presenting sources, and working from east to west. I'll post map sections and guide book descriptions, and where relevant, things like aerial photos. Please feel free to post text, suggestions, or images. If you have no server space to link to, you can email me the images (see this page (http://www.americanroads.us/contact.html) for my email address).

Steve
Title: Re: Bankhead route in Arkansas
Post by: Parsa on February 23, 2013, 10:26:58 AM
The Bankhead entered Arkansas on the Harahan Bridge. This was a railroad bridge, but upon the insistence of residents in Arkansas, the bridge had two cantilevered roadways on each side. This is shown in both the Dunn and Locke maps. The lock map labels the bridge's name, and says to "drive on right."
Wikipedia article (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harahan_Bridge).

Picture of the roadway support, from the Bridgehunter website:

(http://www.americanroads.us/forum_files/Harahan_bridge_roadway_memphis_sm.jpg)


Postcard from 1938 showing the eastbound traffic lane. The Frisco Bridge (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frisco_Bridge) is on the left.

(http://www.americanroads.us/forum_files/PC_1938_bridges_memphis.jpg)


The traffic lanes have now been approved to be used as bike and walking lanes.
Title: Re: Bankhead route in Arkansas
Post by: Parsa on February 23, 2013, 11:14:42 AM
Locke's Good Road Maps of Local & Transcontinental Automobile Routes (1919), p. 287.
I'm a bit confused about this map. It shows "Patterson" half way between Marion and Forrest City. However, the town of Patterson is northwest of Forrest City on old US 64. This has got to be Arkansas State Route 218 linking up with the US 70 route. AR 218 is the "Old Military Road" which is a good clue to an old road predating the auto era. The Blackfish Lake crossing can only be near: 35.130752,-90.455925 (http://maps.google.com/maps?q=35.130752,-90.455925&hl=en&ll=35.130588,-90.456018&spn=0.005581,0.011104&num=1&t=h&gl=us&z=17). The first rail crossing after Blackfish Lake must be near AR 149, and the "Patterson" RR crossing must be near AR 75.

The other, more southerly road, seems to be drawn in a rather rough fashion. I'm assuming it's the same road shown on the Dunn guide map, but it shows absolutely no detail. None of the curves and turns of the real road are shown, but I can see no alternate road that it could be.

      (http://www.americanroads.us/forum_files/Locke_Good_Road_Maps_p287_100dpi.jpg)

Title: Re: Bankhead route in Arkansas
Post by: Parsa on February 23, 2013, 12:13:10 PM
In regards to Patterson... there's a Patterson School shown on the 1940 15-minute Whitmore topo map. It's right above Patterson Lake. This is not on US 70, but is still on the Old Military Road. Since the road on the Locke map bends northwest just to the west of Blackfish Lake, I'm assuming the road shown is following the Old Military Road west, not US 70. The school was approximately here: 35.150372,-90.557723 (http://maps.google.com/maps?q=35.150372,-90.557723&hl=en&ll=35.150126,-90.55717&spn=0.022317,0.044417&num=1&t=h&gl=us&z=15). There are no old rail lines evident, however.

(http://www.americanroads.us/forum_files/AR_Whitmore_Midway_area.jpg)


Title: Re: Bankhead route in Arkansas
Post by: Parsa on February 23, 2013, 12:27:48 PM
Here's an inset of a special 1925 topographic map. It's specifically of the Memphis area, but is not the standard 15-minute quad. In fact, later quads still use the old 1916 map and don't show much in the way of roads at all. This map says it was all survey in 1916, evidently to lay out the location of the new 1917 Harahan bridge and the proposed viaduct for the highway. I've inset the appropriate section from the Locke map. They seem to correspond almost exactly.

(http://www.americanroads.us/forum_files/TN_Memphis_1925_detail_west.jpg)

Title: Re: Bankhead route in Arkansas
Post by: Parsa on February 23, 2013, 01:00:45 PM
The remnant of the Harahan Bridge road viaduct at the west end of the bridge. The road splits and one ramp goes to the north side of the bridge, and one ramp to the south.

(http://www.americanroads.us/forum_files/Harahan_viaduct_remnant.jpg)

Title: Re: Bankhead route in Arkansas
Post by: Parsa on February 23, 2013, 01:07:09 PM
This detail of the 1925 topo shows the area of the Harahan bridge viaduct. I have to assume that the dirt road to the north of the bridge exit is the route shown on the Dunn guide map. This curves northwest to Mound City, AR.

(http://www.americanroads.us/forum_files/TN_Memphis_1925_detail_viaduct.jpg)

Title: Re: Bankhead route in Arkansas
Post by: Parsa on February 23, 2013, 03:55:10 PM
Did the road shown in the Locke guide follow US 70 or the Old Military Road west of Blackfish Lake? The post about Patterson above would seem to indicate a route along the Old Military Road. There is also that big jog shown at mile 40.9 (17.1), five miles west of "Patterson", and goes south 0.4 miles. US 70 doesn't ever seem to jog anywhere for quite some time after Blackfish Lake. However, the Old Military Road goes through a series of south and west steps, ending up in Widener where it rejoins the Dunn guide path.

I found evidence from multiple sources that there was a ferry on Blackfish lake where the Old Military Road crossed (such as this site (http://www.arkansaspreservation.com/historic-properties/_search_nomination_popup.aspx?id=2027) which details the history of the Old Military Road and its use in the Trail of Tears). The ferry was established in the 1830s, run by William D. Ferguson. In 1836 and 1837, he tried to get permission to build a toll bridge, but the request was denied. Was there ever a bridge? As late as 1892, a source says the crossing was via "an old rickety flat-boat", but this was an account of Civil War movement. An 1891 Arkansas Acts journal has the following:

(http://www.americanroads.us/forum_files/Blackfish_lake_1891_AR_acts.jpg)

Notice the phrase "to the west end of the bridge across Blackfish Bayou on the Old Military Road in Section 15, township 6 north, range 6 east...." That's exactly where the ferry/bridge site is shown on the map below. The US 70 bridge is in Section 16. So evidently there was a bridge there. However, I can't seem to find any other reference to it, and there are no older topo maps.

The road described above seems to be the US 70 path up to Blackfish Lake. Then it goes along the road on the west side of the lake, up to the bridge. So, evidently, that part of the US 70 path is pretty old. There's still the "Patterson" reference to consider for the Locke road path, however.


Here's a map of the area with notes.

(http://www.americanroads.us/forum_files/AR_Edmondson_Blackfish_detail.jpg)


Title: Re: Bankhead route in Arkansas
Post by: Parsa on February 23, 2013, 09:50:16 PM
I'm going to leave off on the Locke guide map for present. The left side is cropped, and when I get a better copy I'll be better able to tell what's going on.

A couple notes: The Automobile Blue Book for 1919 [Volume 7] has the route to Forrest City via what is now US 64 and Arkansas SR 1. That is via Crawfordsville, Earle, Parkin, Wynne, and Colt to Forrest City. This route (up to Wynne) is shown on the Rand McNally maps as a branch of the Bankhead Highway.
The Automobile Blue Book for 1923 [Volume 4] (about the same year as Dunn) shows the same route as the Dunn guide. So I'll write that full description with the Dunn map.

Here's the Rand McNally map from about 1920-21. Route 44 is the Bankhead, and there is a north and a south branch. Route 10 on the south branch is the Southern National Highway.

(http://www.americanroads.us/forum_files/RM_Dist18_Memphis-Hazen.jpg)
Title: Re: Bankhead route in Arkansas
Post by: Parsa on February 23, 2013, 10:52:44 PM
So here's the 1921 Dunn guide map (Authentic Road Map and Motor Tourist Guide of the Bankhead Highway) for this section.

(http://www.americanroads.us/forum_files/11B_Memphis-Brinkley_AR.jpg)
Title: Re: Bankhead route in Arkansas
Post by: Parsa on February 24, 2013, 10:54:36 AM
Although the Locke guide book page is cropped, the bottom does state that the road to the south is the newer road, and will be detailed in the next edition of the book. Therefore, we can assume that what could be called the Old Military Road route is the older path. By 1920, the Bankhead had assumed the road through Louise, Neuhardt, Simsboro, etc. It's possible the northern route of the Bankhead through Wynne was also "improved", but perhaps it's just equally likely that the towns up there had a lot of Good Roads boosters clamoring to get on the route.

The Locke guide seems to show the road that was proposed to have concrete paving in the 1925 topo map above. Oddly, the Dunn guide does not show this except for perhaps a small section of the road east of (below on the map) Marion. Before giving the 1923 ABB route description, here's a note from the 1919 ABB:



Cross long bridge over Mississippi river 2.8 [miles from Main St. and Madison Ave. in Memphis]
3.0  1.1  At the end of bridge; turn right along Mississippi river.

  Straight ahead from bridge is shorter way to Forrest City (48 m.), but is only advised during very dry weather.
Follow main road along Mississippi river on right. Cross RR 4.9. Curve left away from river at store 9.4.
14.4  11.4  Marion, Ark.  Straight through across RR. Avoid right-hand road at store 17.3. Thru Ebony 18.2, following along RR.
Bear right away from RR at 18.4.




The last is where the route begins to differ from the Locke and Dunn guide and takes the driver along the northerly route.

I believe the map below shows the route on the Dunn guide, and as described above from the 1919 ABB. The Dunn guide is inset on the map.
Red arrows show this route along the river to Marion and Ebony. The magenta arrows show the new road shown on the 1925 topo.

(http://www.americanroads.us/forum_files/TN_Memphis_1916_Marion_AR_detail.jpg)

Title: Re: Bankhead route in Arkansas
Post by: Parsa on February 24, 2013, 12:08:20 PM
So here is the 1923 Automobile Blue Book (Vol. 4) description as far west as Forrest City. I'll post the rest of the description to Little Rock when I get to the next section. This bit is complex enough to consider now.



0.0    MEMPHIS, TENN., Main & Monroe Sts. South on Main St.
1.4    End of street; right.
1.5    Florida St. beyond RR underpass; right 1 blk.
1.6    Virgina Av.; left.
2.2    Turn right under RR and left onto bridge over Mississippi river.
3.3    End of bridge; left. Keep ahead where concrete leaves 9.2. Avoid left 9.7.
15.3   End of road; left. Through Louise, Ark. 20.1
20.9   Right-hand road; right. Thru Neuhardt 23.0.
25.7   Right-hand road; right. Thru Simsboro, Ark., 27.8; Chatfield 29.7.
32.4   Fork; right.
48.4   Widener, right-hand street at sta. Right across RR 1 blk.
48.5   Left-hand road; left.
51.1   Madison, right-hand street. Right.
51.3   Left-hand road; left and next right.
52.2   End of road; right and next left.
55.7   Forrest City, Jackson & Rosser Sts. at filling sta. Ahead on Jackson St.

(Continues another 100 miles to Little Rock.)



I'll try to identify these mile points below.
Title: Re: Bankhead route in Arkansas
Post by: Parsa on February 24, 2013, 01:47:04 PM
So, here's map number 1. This is from the Memphis 1925 (surveyed 1916) 15-minute quad. It goes to the west end of the quad. I've oriented it with west upward like the Dunn guide map above.

Blue are waypoints from the Automobile Blue Book. Red are waypoints and miles from the Dunn guide. The ABB mileage numbers agree very well with the Locke guide above as well.

    (http://www.americanroads.us/forum_files/Memphis-Forrest_1.jpg)

Title: Re: Bankhead route in Arkansas
Post by: Parsa on February 24, 2013, 04:59:29 PM
The original site of Ebony, AR from the 1916 and 1925 maps is at: 35.200083,-90.24443 (http://maps.google.com/maps?q=35.200083,-90.24443&hl=en&ll=35.198711,-90.244789&spn=0.02325,0.044417&num=1&t=h&gl=us&z=15). As early as 1939, this spot is called Wylie Spur. It still has that name on the latest quads.
The location of Ebony on the 1939 Edmondson topo is at the railroad crossing (http://maps.google.com/maps?q=35.197098,-90.259929&hl=en&ll=35.197133,-90.260496&spn=0.023251,0.044417&num=1&t=h&gl=us&z=15). As late as the 1981 topo (revised 1993) there was a crossing here. The road to the west of the crossing carried US 64 and SR 16 traffic according to the 1939 map. Later, US 64 was routed on the north side, and this road became SR 218. Today, there is a truly huge railroad siding there, and the crossing is gone. The road is now called Kuhn Road.
Title: Re: Bankhead route in Arkansas
Post by: Parsa on February 24, 2013, 06:28:45 PM
Map number 2. This is from the turn south at Lehi down to the turn that will head west to Simsboro. I've also included the west end of the northerly loop through Ebony since the Dunn guide uses that route for it's mileage, despite the fact that it isn't shown as the main road.

Again, red items are from the Dunn guide, and blue are from the Automobile Blue Book of 1923.
The freeway running just north of US 70 is shown in green.

     (http://www.americanroads.us/forum_files/Memphis-Forrest_2.jpg)

Title: Re: Bankhead route in Arkansas
Post by: Parsa on February 25, 2013, 10:18:31 AM
Map number 3.
This is the 1939 Edmondson 15-minute quad.
It shows about 10 miles of the Bankhead Highway approximately mid way between Edmondson and Widener, Arkansas. The towns of Simsboro, Chatfield, Democrat, and Greasy Corner are pretty much non-existent now.

This one is also oriented with west upward and north to the right, the same orientation as the Dunn guide.
The mileages for both the Dunn guide and the Automobile Blue Book correspond to each other, and to the map, well.
The 45.3 waypoint is a creek (bayou) without any name in the Dunn guide. The point shown works out as exactly 5.5 miles past Cut-off Bayou according to my Garmin software, so it's likely correct. The road is not show in Dunn, but it might be why there was a mileage point here.
Red mileages and arrows are from the Dunn guide, while blue are from the 1923 ABB.

    (http://www.americanroads.us/forum_files/Memphis-Forrest_3.jpg)

Title: Re: Bankhead route in Arkansas
Post by: Parsa on February 25, 2013, 05:20:48 PM
Map number 4.
This is the 1940 Whitmore 15-minute quad.
It shows Madison and Widener, Arkansas and the area about 10 miles east of Widener.
This one is also oriented with west upward and north to the right, the same orientation as the Dunn guide.
The building on the Dunn Guide at 47.3 is likely the Shiloh Church (still extant), but the Blackfish School was once adjacent to the church. The school is not present on the map by 1956.
The old St. Francis River bridge is present on topo maps as late as 1960, but is gone on the 1986 1:100000 map.
Red mileages and arrows are from the Dunn guide, while blue are from the 1923 ABB.

    (http://www.americanroads.us/forum_files/Memphis-Forrest_4.jpg)
Title: Re: Bankhead route in Arkansas
Post by: Parsa on February 28, 2013, 08:04:11 PM
Map number 5.
This is from the 1939 Wynne 15-minute quad.
It shows Forrest City, Arkansas.
The magenta route seems to be fairly accurate to the path shown on the Locke guide and described in the 1923 Automobile Blue Book. The mileages on both match each other.
The Dunn guide goes along Front Street near the tracks. Red = Dunn, blue = Blue Book.

  (http://www.americanroads.us/forum_files/Memphis-Forrest_5.jpg)


This map shows what I think is this same route (but here shown in green). The approximate Dunn guide route is in red.

  (http://www.americanroads.us/forum_files/Forrest_city_map_routes.jpg)


Locke guide map showing Forrest City:

(http://www.americanroads.us/forum_files/Forrest_city_map_Locke.jpg)
Title: Re: Bankhead route in Arkansas
Post by: Parsa on February 28, 2013, 08:16:33 PM
I'll re-post the upper half of the Dunn guide for reference:

  (http://www.americanroads.us/forum_files/11B_Memphis-Brinkley_AR_upper.jpg)


And here is the Locke guide map showing the section between Forrest City and De Valls Bluff:

  (http://www.americanroads.us/forum_files/Locke_Good_Road_Maps_p288_100dpi.jpg)


The 1923 Automobile Blue Book description as far as Brinkley follows:



 55.7  Forrest City, Jackson & Rosser Sts. at filing sta. Ahead of Jackson St.
 55.8  End of street; jog left and right 1 blk.
 55.9  Division St.; left 1 blk.
 56.0  4-cor.; right.
 56.1  End of road; left. Thru Palestine 63.3; Goodwin 70.3.
 75.7  Wheatly [Wheatley], 4-cor. at stores. Left and right along RR and follow gravel.
 81.4  Brinkley, Main St. at RR. Left 1 blk.
 81.5  Ash St.; right.





Title: Re: Bankhead route in Arkansas
Post by: Parsa on March 01, 2013, 01:56:26 PM
Map number 6.
This is the 1940 Marianna 15-minute quad. West is at top, and north is to the right.
This is from west of Forrest City almost to Goodwin, Arkansas. Palestine, AR is at the center of the map.

This section includes a bypasses alignment adjacent to the L'Anguille River. The bridge seems to be gone, but there does seem to be a bit of structure on the east bank. The roads on either side of the river show as traces through the trees on aerial photos. A glimpse of road can be seen here and there. The railroad crossing between Becks and the river no longer exists. The easternmost section of this road still exists southwest of the old rail crossing.
A detour route is shown in orange.

Red = Dunn guide. Blue = Automobile Blue Book 1923. Black numbers = Locke guide mileages.

  (http://www.americanroads.us/forum_files/Memphis-Forrest_6.jpg)

Title: Re: Bankhead route in Arkansas
Post by: Parsa on March 03, 2013, 08:34:37 AM
Map number 7.
This one needs some annotation regarding the detours....
This is the east half of the 1940 Brinkley 15-minute quad.
It shows the section between the little village of Goodwin west to Wheatley, Arkansas.

The highway crossed to the north side of the RR line just to the west of Goodwin, AR. The first half mile is disused. County Road 125 crosses the tracks, and a primitive track heads west. However, there is no bridge, and a stream floods the old highway just west of Goodwin.
One half mile west of Goodwin, a county road (913 or 127) connects US 70 to the old highway. This section on the north side of the RR is marked CR 910. Between this crossing and Blossom Road there are two culverts. County Road 910 continues west for one more mile past Blossom Road (where there was once a siding). There are 3 culverts in this one mile stretch.
The next 3/4 mile section appears disused also. There is a drainage (not a creek I think, and perhaps more modern) about half way along this stretch, and it seems there may be no bridge, though it's not visible due to trees. The road appears as just a rough track on the east side of the drainage. Most of the road west of the drainage is good road as it leads to a radio tower near the drainage.
A crossing exists to access this road and a house, marked CR 906. From Goodwin to this point the road is shown as an improved tertiary road (the 1940 topo shows it as a red and white secondary road). The highway continues west of this crossing and is marked "Old US 70" on Google Maps. The modern topo shows this road as dirt. This road does appear to be two track dirt. A rough RR crossing occurs in about 0.6 miles where there was a well, and formerly several houses or buildings. At 0.75 miles there seems to be a culvert. The road continues all the way to Wheatley. A small culvert appears just before reaching  Arkansas SR 78 (that does not appear on the 1940 topo).
The highway enters Wheatley on 2nd Street. The Dunn guide almost makes it look like there was a jog north along 3rd. The main crossroads of town was evidently 2nd and Memphis Avenue, as a few old buildings exist there, and a whole block of buildings appear on the 1940 topo. The Dunn guide, Locke guide, and the Auto Blue Book may differ on the mileage point for Wheatley, but they all should be near this intersection. The road turned left (south) on Dennis St, as it does today. Where there is a crossing today, the road once continued west north of the tracks, but no road appears now. The current crossing is just east of an old RR line, and Union Street to the southeast runs along this old RR berm.
Just west of the Monroe-St. Francis county line there is a bridge over Flat Fork Creek (called Flat Fork Little River in 1940). This bridge still exists, and can be accessed from the RR crossing and a paved road west of the creek. This leads to a house and a former fish pond facility. The bridge is just to the right after the RR crossing.
The Bankhead crossed back to the south side of the tracks here and continued west.

Red = Dunn guide. Blue = Auto Blue Book 1923. Black mileages = Locke guide. Orange lines = detours onto US 70.

    (http://www.americanroads.us/forum_files/Forrest-Brinkley_1.jpg)

Title: Re: Bankhead route in Arkansas
Post by: Parsa on March 03, 2013, 02:25:50 PM
Map number 8.
This is the west half of the 1940 Brinkley 15-minute quad.
It shows the area of Brinkley, Arkansas, and about 3 miles east and 4 miles southwest of town.

A dogleg turn occurs east of Brinkley along Weller Lane and Bayne Avenue. The road crossed Piney Ditch on a small bridge that still seems to exist. The road then jogged south again and entered Brinkley on US 70. The section across Penny Ditch is bypassed now by US 70, which must be used as a detour.
The Dunn guide has its 0.0 mileage point at the St. Francis Motor Company. An old garage still exists at this location between the rail line and Main Street. It is just east of New Orleans Avenue, and has an old sign saying "Stewmon Auto Supply."
Ash Street in Brinkley eventually becomes Country Club Road. On the far west side of the map (top section), the Country Club Road alignment ends at Chicken Farm Road, though it once continued, and crossed US 70 at a shallow angle. It then passed into a farm, and made a right turn west. Evidently there was once a school here according to the Automobile Blue Book. Today, US 70 must be used as a detour from Chicken Farm Road to beyond the point where Arkansas SR 17 turns south.

Red = Dunn guide. Blue = Auto Blue Book 1923. Black mileages = Locke guide. Orange lines = detours onto US 70.

 (http://www.americanroads.us/forum_files/Forrest-Brinkley_2.jpg)
Title: Re: Bankhead route in Arkansas
Post by: Parsa on March 03, 2013, 04:04:05 PM
Time to post the next section of the Dunn guide to the Bankhead Highway. This is for Brinkley to Little Rock.

    (http://www.americanroads.us/forum_files/12_Brinkley-Little%20Rock_edit.jpg)


Here's the Automobile Blue Book 1923 description:



  81.4   Brinkley, Main St. at RR. Left 1 blk.
  81.5   Ash St.; right.
  85.9   Right-hand road at school; right.
  94.7   Cache River Ferry. Leaving ferry keep ahead. Through Brassfield 94.8.
  95.8   End of road; left and follow stone.
  96.9   4-cor.; right.
  97.1   Biscoe, end of street. Right 1 blk. and left across RR.
  97.8   4-cor.; right.
  100.7  White River Ferry. Leaving ferry kep ahead.
  101.7  DeValls Bluffs, irreg. 4-cor. Keep ahead 1 short blk. and turn right. Thru Mesa 103.7.
  103.9  End of road; left.
  104.6  4-cor.; right.
  109.3  4-cor.; right.
  109.7  Hazen, 4-cor. at park. Left. Thru Screeton 114.9; Carlisle 119.2.
  119.4  4-cor. left and follow macadam.
  130.3  Center St.; right.
  130.8  Lonoke, Center & Front Sts. at RR. Left onto Front St.
  131.2  Left-hand road; left.
  131.4  End of road; right.
  132.3  4-cor.; right and follow macadam. Thru Galloway 145.6.
  151.3  Diag. 4-cor. beyond RR. Right.
  154.1  Maple St. 1 blk. beyond trolley; left.
  154.6  LITTLE ROCK, Main & Markham Sts. beyond bridge.



Title: Re: Bankhead route in Arkansas
Post by: Parsa on March 05, 2013, 04:10:37 PM
Map number 9.
This is the east half of the De Valls Bluff 15-minute quad from 1941. West is upward, and north is to the right.
It shows the area of the small towns of Biscoe (aka Fedonia) and Brasfield, Arkansas, as well as about 7 miles of swampy forested land to the east.

The Dunn guide shows a turn north to the site of Dagmar on the former Chicago Rock Island railroad line. It then traveled west all the way to the Cache River Ferry crossing along the north side of the rail line. This evidently eventually became the first alignment of US 70. An entire 5 miles has been abandoned and is shown as "HIGHWAY ABANDONED" on the 1941 quad. All the bridges on current US 70 were built in 1930. The abandoned section has several concrete bridges visible through the trees. This is a real jungle here. The first section of this abandoned highway is through the Sheffield Nelson Dagmar Wildlife Management Area (WMA). The map for the WMA shows the old highway as unimproved. The animal list for the WMA shows every animal from the South you can think of in here: wild pigs, gators, bear, deer, all sorts of snakes including a half dozen venomous ones, etc.
I'm not sure how much of the total road is drivable. It's possible there's a gate on the west end of the WMA area, but since the road leads straight east to the ranger station, maybe not. In any event, this section should be awesome to explore.
The ferry was replaced by a bridge at some point. This is still shown on the 1941 topo. Another bridge is shown a bit farther north. This may have been an even older bridge as indicated on the Locke guide map. The piers of both bridges are all that remains.
The highway proceeded through Brasfield and west toward Biscoe, also known as Fredonia. The Dunn and Locke guides show a similar zig zag alignment. Unfortunately, the description in the Automobile Blue Book doesn't make much sense. The distances are too long and the directional turns take you around almost in a circle. Still, it does also indicate quite a bit of left and right turns. I've approximated what I think Dunn is showing on the second map. It's really just a guess based on the visible turns and the sizes of the roads in Biscoe. The rail line has been removed in town, but one signal still remains at the original crossing. All the business activity in Biscoe moved to current US 70 after 1930, so no commercial buildings seem to remain.
After crossing the rail line, the old highway continued straight south, then turned west, passing two cemeteries before rejoining current US 70.

The Locke guide does not follow the north side of the Rock Island RR as Dunn does. Instead, it remains on the south side of the RR until almost to the Cache River Ferry. It then crosses the tracks to the north side to reach the ferry. It's uncertain where that happened. The Dunn guide does show this route as a "detour", likely if the other road is flooded, which happens often in this area.

Red = Dunn guide. Blue = Auto Blue Book 1923. Black mileages = Locke guide. Orange lines = detours onto US 70.


    (http://www.americanroads.us/forum_files/Brinkley-Little_Rock_1.jpg)

(http://www.americanroads.us/forum_files/Biscoe_Brasfield_area.jpg)

Title: Re: Bankhead route in Arkansas
Post by: Parsa on March 08, 2013, 12:17:44 PM
Map number 10.
This is the west half of the De Valls Bluff 15-minute quad from 1941. West is upward, and north is to the right. (The survey section lines are quite skewed in this area.)
It shows the area around the town of DeValls Bluff, Arkansas.

I don't know the exact location of the White River ferry, but I assume it was approximately where the 1924 bridge was located. A great deal of information about the bridge, and a lot of history of the area, is available as a PDF via the bridge page on the Library of Congress site (http://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/ar0079/). The bridge site now has boat launches on each bank.

Red = Dunn guide. Blue = Auto Blue Book 1923. Black mileages = Locke guide. Orange lines = detours onto US 70.

    (http://www.americanroads.us/forum_files/Brinkley-Little_Rock_2.jpg)


The 1924 White River bridge at DeValls Bluff. This was a lift bridge with three Pratt trusses. In this picture the lift is in the up position. The bridge was taken down in 2002, and a new US 70 bridge built.

    (http://www.americanroads.us/forum_files/DeVallsBluff_1924_bridge_LOCimage1_edit.jpg)


Another view of the White River bridge. This is a relatively recent (1997) shot before its demolition. Photo by J. Lance courtesy of Bridgehunter.com (http://bridgehunter.com/ar/prairie/de-valls/).

    (http://www.americanroads.us/forum_files/DeVallsBluff_1924_bridge_image_edit.jpg)
Title: Re: Bankhead route in Arkansas
Post by: Parsa on March 08, 2013, 01:37:18 PM
Time for the third Locke guide map. This is DeValls Bluff to Little Rock, Arkansas.


(http://www.americanroads.us/forum_files/Locke_Good_Road_Maps_p289_100dpi.jpg)
Title: Re: Bankhead route in Arkansas
Post by: Parsa on March 09, 2013, 09:35:57 PM
Map number 11.
This is the Hazen 15-minute quad from 1941. West is upward, and north is to the right.
It shows the area of Hazen and Carlisle, Arkansas.

Red = Dunn guide. Blue = Auto Blue Book 1923. Black mileages = Locke guide.


    (http://www.americanroads.us/forum_files/Brinkley-Little_Rock_3.jpg)
Title: Re: Bankhead route in Arkansas
Post by: Parsa on March 13, 2013, 10:13:19 AM
Map number 12.
This is the Lonoke 15-minute quad from 1940. West is upward, and north is to the right.
It shows the area between Carlisle and Lonoke, Arkansas, as well as a few miles west of Lonoke.

Note that the road on the west side of Carlisle is called Bankhead Drive (Google has Avenue and Street). This road has been interrupted north of US 70 by a fairly new alignment of Arkansas State Route 13 (also called Bankhead). The street view doesn't even show this road yet (2013), so you can "drive" through fields in street view.

The Dunn guide seems to have an extra, unneeded jog south at the 43.7 mileage mark. Dunn seems to have used Locke as a source, at least that's my opinion, and he may have gotten confused by all the turns here. All the miles still work out with Locke, and would not if there were some extra jog south. It's possible that this was just some slight jog in the road, since Dunn often exaggerates such jogs, and his scales vary continuously. This map is a good example of that. Some legs of equal length on his map can vary from 0.3 to 1.5 miles.

The Automobile Blue Book was the most helpful in figuring out the stair step path on the west side of Lonoke. The mileages from the various sources agree fairly well. Locke shows no mileages on this stair step path. The last step on the south side (49.8 to 51.0 in Dunn) has a mileage that's a bit too long in Dunn, but the total miles all work out. It actually should be somewhere around 0.8 to 0.9 miles. The 1928 strip map from the Automobile Club of Southern California has 1.0 miles, which is closer. I've little doubt that my path is correct since it seems the early US 70 route went this way, and big curves were added to the the right angle turns.

Red = Dunn guide. Blue = Auto Blue Book 1923. Black mileages = Locke guide.

      (http://www.americanroads.us/forum_files/Brinkley-Little_Rock_4.jpg)

Title: Re: Bankhead route in Arkansas
Post by: Parsa on March 13, 2013, 12:05:01 PM
Map number 13.

This is the 7.5 minute (1:31680) Jacksonville quad from 1943.
This is a 7 mile section between Lonoke and Galloway, AR.
There are no 15 minute maps in the vicinity of Little Rock since there were preexisting 1:125000 (30 minute, 1 inch = 2 miles) topo maps. These, however, are quite old (1890s), so I'm using the oldest 7.5 minutes maps. These, fortunately, are from the same era as the 15 minutes maps (late 30s and into the 40s).

This map isn't too exciting. There's only one mileage point in this stretch, the junction and joining with current State Route 161.

Red = Dunn guide. Black mileage = Locke guide.


    (http://www.americanroads.us/forum_files/Brinkley-Little_Rock_5.jpg)
Title: Re: Bankhead route in Arkansas
Post by: Parsa on March 15, 2013, 08:33:10 AM
Map number 14.

This is the 7.5 minute (1:24000) Mc Almont quad from 1935.
This is the area east of Little Rock, AR.

The Bankhead is marked "US HY NO 70" on this map. The Automobile Blue Book (1923) directions seem to turn west along Broadway Street (US 70 path) at mileage point 151.3 rather than following Lincoln Avenue. However, Lincoln, according to the ABB map of Little Rock, is the main route, and is called Pike Avenue. The Locke guide was particularly clear as to the Bankhead route. The Dunn guide does not clearly show the turn onto Washington Ave, but the mileages for the RR crossings match those of the Locke guide.

Red = Dunn guide. Blue = Auto Blue Book 1923. Black mileage = Locke guide.

     (http://www.americanroads.us/forum_files/Brinkley-Little_Rock_6.jpg)
Title: Re: Bankhead route in Arkansas
Post by: Parsa on March 18, 2013, 04:25:05 PM
Map number 15.

This is a map that combines sections of the 1935 editions of the 7.5-minute North Little Rock quad and the 7.5-minute Little Rock quad.
The map shows the downtown areas of Little Rock and North Little Rock.

The route through North Little Rock and Little Rock differed for my sources. I will detail each route below.

Dunn Guide (the red path in Little Rock).


The road came in from the east on Washington Avenue (aka 1st St) in North Little Rock.
It proceeded west as far as Maple St where it turned south to cross the Arkansas River bridge. This area is called Argenta (which was actually the town's name between 1906 and 1917). The original bridge was aligned with Maple Street in Argenta and Main Street across the river in Little Rock. I find no information on the original bridge, but a new seven-span concrete arch bridge was built at the site in 1924. This 1924 bridge was replaced by the current bridge (which is a bit farther east) in 1973 (orange bridge crossing).
After crossing the Arkansas River, the road went west on Markham Street. At the intersection of Markham and Center Streets, the zero point of Little Rock is reached. This was at a gas station on one corner. Proceeding west one more block, the road turned south on Spring Street. It went 2 blocks south to 3rd Street, then 3 blocks west to Gaines Street (mileage 0.4). The highway followed Gaines south to 14th Street. However, this path is broken in two places (magenta sections). Firstly by the Federal building complex (between 4th St and Capitol Ave), and secondly by the I-630 freeway (between 10th and 11th). A detour down Broadway Street (US 67 and Business US 70) can be used instead of Gaines. This is also shown in orange.
The road turned west on 14th Street on its way west out of town (mileage 1.0).




Locke guide (the green path in Little Rock)


This followed the simplest path. It traveled by the same route as the Dunn guide in North Little Rock.
After crossing the Arkansas River bridge it reached the 0.0 mark at Main and Markham Streets.
Rather than turning west, it continued south on Main Street all the way to 14th Street (mileage 0.9). It then followed 14th St west out of downtown.




Automobile Blue Book (1923, volume 4) (the blue path in Little Rock)


The Blue Book path came from the east into North Little Rock on Broadway (aka 3rd St). This is evidently the later route as it eventually became US Highway 70.
It turned south at Maple (mileage 154.1), and crossed the Main Street Bridge into Little Rock.
The Blue Book's 0.0 mileage point is also at Main and Markham Streets.
It continued south to Capitol Avenue (mileage 0.3), taking Capitol west all the way west to the Arkansas State Capitol at Woodlane Street (formerly Cove St, mileage 1.2).
At 7th Street (mileage 1.4) it turned west one block, then continued south on High Street. This jog no longer exists, likely due to the I-630 freeway. However, Woodlane Street curves west a block to become Martin Luther King Drive (which was once High Street).
MLK Drive continues south to 14th Street (mileage 2.0), at which point it rejoins the other routes.




     (http://www.americanroads.us/forum_files/Little_Rock_City.jpg)
Title: Re: Bankhead route in Arkansas
Post by: Parsa on March 18, 2013, 06:41:27 PM
Maps of Little Rock

Here's a circa 1920 Automobile Blue Book map. This is closer to the Locke and Dunn period, and it still shows the road coming into North Little Rock on Pike Avenue (Lincoln) and Washington Avenue. 5th Street is Capitol Avenue. Oddly, it shows 15th and 16th Streets rather than 14th Street as all the other sources do.

     (http://www.americanroads.us/citymaps/Little_Rock_AR_c1920_ABB.jpg)


The next map is a smaller city map from the 1923 Automobile Blue Book (volume 4) that I've been using for mileages.

     (http://www.americanroads.us/citymaps/Little_Rock_AR_1923_ABB_100dpi.jpg)


The map below is a 1925 Rand McNally map from an auto trails booklet (which accompanied an auto trails map). The Bankhead route is 44. Number 10 is the Southern National Highway, and 51 is the Lee Highway. 7 is the Lone Star Route (not the Lone Star Trail), and 48 is the Pershing Way.

     (http://www.americanroads.us/citymaps/LittleRockAR1925RM.jpg)
Title: Re: Bankhead route in Arkansas
Post by: Parsa on March 19, 2013, 09:07:55 AM
The next stretch is Little Rock to Hot Springs.
I should note that although neither the Rush & Rush guide nor the Dunn guide show it, there was a possible connecting route directly connecting Benton with Arkadelphia, bypassing Hot Springs. This is only shown on some Rand McNally auto trails maps. The 1925 RM atlas does not show it, but many of the regional RM auto trail maps do show it. This connection was evidently used by the Southern National Highway. It's also the route given by the 1923 Automobile Blue book to travel from Little Rock to Texarkana.

The first map is the Dunn guide map. As with many of the Dunn guide maps, the scale radically changes across the map. For example the road section on 14th Street in Little Rock is from mileage 1.0 to 2.1, a 1.1 mile length. However, a similar length on the map  is from 38.4 to 48.3, which is 9.9 miles! That's a full order of magnitude greater. The map dates to around 1921.

(http://www.americanroads.us/forum_files/13_Little%20Rock-Hot%20Springs_edit.jpg)


Next, follows the Locke guide map. This is one of the 1918 maps in the book, so it's a bit older. However, the right seems to be the same.

(http://www.americanroads.us/forum_files/Locke_Good_Road_Maps_p290_100dpi.jpg)


Finally, below is the description from the 1923 Automobile Blue Book (volume 4) for the section between Little Rock and Benton. The ABB follows the direct, Southern National Highway, route through Malvern to Arkadelphia. I'll use the description there to later describe this connector.




0.0   Little Rock, Main & Markham Sts. South on Main St.
0.3   Capitol Av. at trolley; right.
1.2   End of street at state capitol; left.
1.4   7th St.; right and next left onto High St.
2.0   14th St., at filling sta.; right.
2.5   Park Av., at trolley; left.
2.8   End of street; right.
17.4  Fork; right.
23.4  Fork; left.
24.0  End of road; right.
24.2  Benton, 4-cor. at far side of courthouse; ...




Title: Re: Bankhead route in Arkansas
Post by: Parsa on March 21, 2013, 02:18:30 PM
Map number 16.

This is from the 1935 Little Rock 7.5-minute quad. West is upward and north is to the right. This 7.5 minute Little Rock topo map covers the northeast quarter of the 15 minute Alexander quad. I used this larger scale map instead of the Alexander quad because it is clearer.
The map shows the area on the west side of Little Rock, AR.

The Dunn guide and the 1923 Automobile Blue Book show a path south on Park St, then west on Wright Avenue. Note: immediately east of Little Rock Central High School, between 14th and 16th Streets, the road is one-way, southbound only.

The Locke guide shows a path straight west to Woodrow Street. Woodrow Street was called May Street in the 1920s.

The Arkansas state penitentiary shown on the Locke guide map was used between 1910 and 1933, and known as "The Walls." The land for the first state penitentiary was used for the current state capitol site. The site of The Walls state penitentiary is also still owned by the government, and is used for the Arkansas State Geological Survey among other things.

The red line shows the route of the Dunn guide and Auto Blue Book. The green line shows the Locke guide path.

Red = Dunn guide. Blue = Auto Blue Book 1923. Black mileage = Locke guide.


    (http://www.americanroads.us/forum_files/Little_Rock-Hot%20Springs_1.jpg)
Title: Re: Bankhead route in Arkansas
Post by: Parsa on March 29, 2013, 06:45:57 PM
Map number 17.

This is from the 1941 Alexander 15-minute quad. It is oriented normally, with north at the top. There are three different 15-minute topos that were surveyed from 1934-35. I chose the 1941 edition because it has the road in red, has better contrast, and therefore is much clearer. The regular 1935 edition is almost identical, but none of the roads are shown in color, which makes them hard to see. Only the contour lines are really clear. A slightly older map, also likely from 1935 was evidently a provisional map. It does not include the northeast quadrant at all, because that section is covered by the Little Rock 7.5-minute map. The scale is 1:48000 on this map, but it shows no more detail than the other two. It is also difficult to see the road on this one.
The map shows the area southwest of the Little Rock, AR region.

There seems to be an error in the mileage of the Dunn guide at Brodie Creek. This is the only substantial bridge and creek west of Rock Creek, and the mileage for it would be exactly on 7.9 miles. I believe the 8.9 mileage given is a typographical error for the bridge, and the error exists for the opposite direction mileage also. It could possibly be McHenry Creek, but that is well beyond 8.9 miles, and much closer to Fourche Creek than the map indicates.

Red = Dunn guide. Black mileage = Locke guide.


    (http://www.americanroads.us/forum_files/Little_Rock-Hot%20Springs_2.jpg)
Title: Re: Bankhead route in Arkansas
Post by: Parsa on April 03, 2013, 09:43:10 PM
Map number 18.

This is from the 1941 Alexander 15-minute quad.
The map shows the area north of Bryant between Little Rock, AR and Benton, AR.

Red = Dunn guide. Blue = Auto Blue Book 1923. Black mileage = Locke guide.

    (http://www.americanroads.us/forum_files/Little_Rock-Hot%20Springs_3.jpg)



Title: Re: Bankhead route in Arkansas
Post by: Parsa on April 05, 2013, 01:38:23 PM
Map number 19.

This is from the 1938 Benton 15-minute quad (1:62500).
The map shows the area northeast of Benton, AR.

Red = Dunn guide. Black mileage = Locke guide.


     (http://www.americanroads.us/forum_files/Little_Rock-Hot%20Springs_4.jpg)
Title: Re: Bankhead route in Arkansas
Post by: Parsa on April 07, 2013, 03:46:21 PM
Map number 20.

This is from the 1938 Benton 15-minute quad (1:62500 version). Another 1938 quad exists at a scale of 1:48000. The latter map is much harder to read, however.
The map shows the area in the vicinity of Benton, AR.

There are multiple routes shown through Benton.
The Bankhead enters the area from the northeast along Military Road.
• The red route is that of the Dunn guide. It turns south along East Street, goes west on Sevier Street to the court house square, turns south on Main Street (no longer possible as it's one way), then jogs west a very short way on South Street to meet River Road.
• The green route shows the path of the Locke guide. It continued past East Street along Military Road until its end at Main Street. It then turned south on Main Street, past the court house, and also jogged west on South Street to River Road.
• The blue route shows the route used by the Automobile Blue Book of 1923. This one is odd in that it turns south on Lillian Street until its end at Sevier Street. It then heads west to the southwest corner of the court house square ("far side of courthouse"), and then turns south on Market Street. It continues south on Market until the junction with River Road, which it also follows southwest. This route has no obstacles due to one way streets.
• The court house square two-block perimeter is one way counter-clockwise (anti-clockwise). It is shown as a magenta line.

Unfortunately, the old Saline River bridge is out, and the Bankhead route is discontinuous here. Two long spurs exist on each side of the river, both called River Road. The railroad crossing southwest of town is no longer in use, but the RR crossing signs still exist. Evidently, there was a southerly-bound road just west of the river bridge. Traces of this road still exist, including a railroad underpass, but it no longer seems to be a through road.
Since the Bankhead Highway path no longer goes through, a detour, shown as an orange line, should be taken west along what was once US 67. This follows South Street west, crosses I-30 on the overpass, and continues along South Street southwesterly until the junction with Arkansas State Route 229. AR 229 was the original path of US 67 and old AR 88 as well. Follow this across the Saline River. The road will bend south and cross under I-30, becoming US 67 once more. Procede southwest along US 67 to the junction with River Road (on the east) and Pawnee Road (on the west). These are both the Bankhead Highway.

Red = Dunn guide. Blue = Auto Blue Book 1923. Black mileage = Locke guide.




    (http://www.americanroads.us/forum_files/Little_Rock-Hot%20Springs_5.jpg)
Title: Re: Bankhead route in Arkansas
Post by: Parsa on April 14, 2013, 10:24:33 PM
Map number 21.

This is a dual map image. On the left is the Benton 15-minute quad from 1938. On the right is the Haskell 7.5 minute quad from 1974 (1984 revision). I did this because the US 70 alignment has partially wiped out the winding original Bankhead path.
West is upward, and north is to the right.
It shows the area between Benton and Hot Springs, Arkansas, just west of Benton.

The route can be driven through to US 70 from US 67. The section east of US 67 dead ends at the Saline River bridge, and the detour along US 67 (shown in orange) must be used, as described in the previous post.

Red = Dunn guide. Blue = Auto Blue Book 1923. Black mileage = Locke guide.

     (http://www.americanroads.us/forum_files/Little_Rock-Hot%20Springs_6.jpg)


Below is a detail of the east section at the split of the Bankhead and the Southern National Highway. Some Rand McNally maps showing Arkansas include this direct path from Benton to Arkadelphia via Malvern as a branch of the Bankhead Highway.

     (http://www.americanroads.us/forum_files/Bankhead-SNH_split_Benton.jpg)
Title: Re: Bankhead route in Arkansas
Post by: Parsa on April 14, 2013, 10:32:58 PM
Map number 22.

This is the Lonsdale 7.5-minute quad from 1972. I could find no 1930s or 1940s map for this section.
West is upward, and north is to the right.
It shows the area between Benton and Hot Springs, Arkansas, midway between the two towns.

Red = Dunn guide. Black mileage = Locke guide.

     (http://www.americanroads.us/forum_files/Little_Rock-Hot%20Springs_7.jpg)
Title: Re: Bankhead route in Arkansas
Post by: Parsa on April 16, 2013, 09:10:44 PM
Map number 23.

This is the Fountain Lake 7.5-minute quad from 1972 (1976 revision). There is also a snip of the 1978 Lake Catherine quad, since the old highway strays south of 34°30' for a short space. It is oriented with north down and to the right. This isn't my preference, but it let me fit the whole topo map strip onto one planning map.
This shows the area between Benton and Hot Springs, Arkansas, not far east of the Hot Springs area.

This map shows where the old highway made three railroad grade crossings. The Locke guide map even says "cross RR 3 times." This is not evident on this 1970s topo, but the 1912 15-minute map of the Hot Springs vicinity does show the three crossings. I've included a small clip of this map below the main map. Note, however, that the older road beyond the easternmost crossing does not follow the Bankhead (old SR 88) route eastward, but rather follows the rail line and East Branch Gulpha Creek. It crosses the railroad several times as it moves up the valley northeastward.

Red = Dunn guide. Black mileage = Locke guide.

     (http://www.americanroads.us/forum_files/Little_Rock-Hot%20Springs_8.jpg)

     (http://www.americanroads.us/forum_files/AR_Hot_Springs_and_Vicinity_1943clip1.jpg)
Title: Re: Bankhead route in Arkansas
Post by: Parsa on April 17, 2013, 09:41:25 PM
Map number 24.

This is the east side of the Hot Springs North 7.5-minute quad from 1966 (1976 revision).
This shows the area just to the east of Hot Springs, Arkansas.

Red = Dunn guide. Black mileage = Locke guide.


(http://www.americanroads.us/forum_files/Little_Rock-Hot%20Springs_9.jpg)
Title: Re: Bankhead route in Arkansas
Post by: Parsa on April 21, 2013, 10:43:43 AM
Map number 25.

This is the combined map of the Hot Springs North and Hot Springs South 7.5-minute quads from 1966 (1976 revisions).
This shows Hot Springs, Arkansas and the surrounding area to the south.

The highway comes in from the east along Spring Street, which later became State Route 88. According to a 1945 city map, SR 88 continued west along Spring Street. The Bankhead merged from Spring Street to Benton Street. It seems in the Dunn and Locke maps to just merge directly onto Benton. This would be possible via a diagonal street called Gentry Street, which no longer exists. This street appears on 1918 and 1945 Chamber of Commerce city maps. However, the mileage from both the east and west indicates a turn on Grand Avenue, which was a major street even in 1918. This is only a block away from Gentry Street, and the map mileages are often off by more than this distance anyway. Going west, it's possible to turn west on Autumn Street, which was once Benton Street. Convention Blvd did not exist until relatively recently. (It's not even on this 1976-revised topo map.) The extreme west side of Autumn Street is one way westbound only (shown as a magenta arrow), so I've shown the Convention Blvd detour for eastbound travel as an orange line.

From this point, the Dunn guide follows the red line to Central Street. The Auditorium shown is not the large convention center complex, and was once the site of the Chicago and Rock Island Railroad depot (on the south side of Benton Street just west of Cottage Street, now Opera Street). The highway went south on Broadway and west on Market to Como Square. The huge Como Hotel once stood on the south side of the square on Market between Central and Ouachita. This was the 0.0 point for the Dunn guide.

The Locke guide evidently followed the same path as the Dunn guide up to Malvern Avenue. Since the primary route in the Locke guide goes via Malvern the 0.0 point is at the Citizen's National Bank building where Malvern and Central nearly meet at Bridge Street. This beautiful wide but shallow old bank building still exists on the north side of Bridge Street. The Locke guide shows two routes to Arkadelphia. The western route is a narrow line following the same path as the Dunn guide. The main route, indicated by a thick line, goes to Malvern along US 270. This path is shown with a purple mileage and arrow. I may get around to showing this route later in this thread. The Locke guide also shows an extension north to one of it's sponsors, the Majestic Hotel and Bath House. This building, though no longer a hotel, still exists. Even the big Majestic Hotel sign atop the building remains.

The direct path to Arkadelphia, according to the Locke guide, was a more difficult drive. Considering all the river and stream crossings, I can see why. It was a very winding path in 1918. The Malvern route went over hills, but was shorter to get to a populated place.
The exact path over the Ouachita River is a bit of a mystery, but I'll discuss that on the next map. It's likely that Higdon Ferry Road was once the main road to that ferry, but all maps show the eastern path on State Route 7.

I haven't been using the 1928 Automobile Club of Southern California strip maps from 1928 so far. These were for the 1928 motorcade from San Diego to the Broadway of America convention in Memphis that year. I haven't used them because they often show later US 70 alignments, and for the path to Hot Springs, the northern Arkansas 5 and 7 path. Now, however, the path is pretty much the same as the Dunn guide, so I'll indicate these mileages in green.

Red = Dunn guide. Black mileage = Locke guide, including western path to Arkadelphia. Purple = the eastern route to Arkadelphia via Malvern. Green = 1928 ACSC strip map mileages.


(http://www.americanroads.us/forum_files/Hot_Springs.jpg)
Title: Re: Bankhead route in Arkansas
Post by: Parsa on May 12, 2013, 03:28:30 PM
Map number 26.

This is the Hot Springs South 7.5-minute quads from 1966 (1976 revisions).
This shows the area immediately south of Hot Springs, Arkansas, and covers Lake Hamilton, the old Ouachita River crossing.

All the mileages on this map are very suspect due to the change in Highway 7 after the construction of the dam and Lake Hamilton. The red triangles show possible locations for the bridge before the lake appeared. There was a beautiful arch bridge across the lake prior to the current one, but this was torn down. The railings appear as decorative fencing in a nearby property. I have no real clue at this time where the old bridge stood. It may have been near the current bridge, or it could have been at the site of the ferry crossings for the old Higdon Ferry. The ferry site is shown on the pre-1900 maps and reprints that continued into the 1940s. State highway construction maps from the 1920s may show this. The red path is taken from a road shown on the older topo maps.

Red = Dunn guide. Black mileage = Locke guide (western path to Arkadelphia)
.

   (http://www.americanroads.us/forum_files/Hot_Springs-Arkadelphia_1.jpg)
Title: Re: Bankhead route in Arkansas
Post by: Parsa on May 12, 2013, 04:46:14 PM
Here is the Dunn guide map for the Arkansas State Route 7 path between Hot Springs and Arkadelphia. North is at the bottom. This highway has been disrupted by the creation of several large reservoir lakes. Since there are very few landmarks except the town of Bismarck, it's pretty hard to identify the mileage points along the way.

           (http://www.americanroads.us/forum_files/14_Hot%20Springs-Arkadelphia.jpg)


The Locke guide has two routes. North is at the bottom. The main dark one on the left is the eastern route along current US 270. The thin one on the right is the same path as that of the Dunn guide above. it follows State Route 7.


    (http://www.americanroads.us/forum_files/Locke_Good_Road_Maps_p292_100dpi.jpg)


Lastly, we have a 1928 ACSC map, that is one of the only maps that shows the route and it's bridges before the lakes existed. North is at the top.
[This map is posted for educational, non-commercial purposes only.]

    (http://www.americanroads.us/forum_files/Prescott-HotSprings_836_1928_BOA_edit.jpg)
Title: Re: Bankhead route in Arkansas
Post by: Parsa on May 12, 2013, 08:25:50 PM
Map number 27.

This is the Bismarck 7.5-minute quad from 1966 (1976 revisions).
This shows the area south of Lake Hamilton near the small town of Bismarck, Arkansas.

Except for the Bismarck mileages, these could all very well be off. There are just not enough waypoints such as railroad or stream crossings to make these side road mileages certain.

Much of this road has now been straightened to eliminate smaller curves. Remnants of these older curves still exist, and are noted on the map.

Red = Dunn guide. Black mileage = Locke guide (western path to Arkadelphia). Green = 1928 ACSC strip map mileages.


    (http://www.americanroads.us/forum_files/Hot_Springs-Arkadelphia_2.jpg)
Title: Re: Bankhead route in Arkansas
Post by: Parsa on May 26, 2013, 12:17:06 PM
Map number 28.

This is the Bismarck 7.5-minute quad from 1966 (1976 revisions), with a small corner of the De Roche 7.5 minute quad (1966).
This shows the area midway between Hot Springs and Arkadelphia, between the small town of Bismarck, Arkansas and De Gray Lake.

A railroad line is shown on the Dunn guide map and on the ACSC 1928 strip map. I find no reference to the rail line elsewhere, but there is a faint trace of what may have been a railroad line at the point indicated on the Dunn guide.

Red = Dunn guide. Black mileage = Locke guide (western path to Arkadelphia). Green = 1928 ACSC strip map mileages.


    (http://www.americanroads.us/forum_files/Hot_Springs-Arkadelphia_3.jpg)
Title: Re: Bankhead route in Arkansas
Post by: Parsa on June 02, 2013, 10:11:16 AM
Map number 29.

This is the Caddo Valley 7.5-minute quad from 1959 (1976 revision). I did have the original 1959 map image to consult, and one section of that is given below for a reference on the area around the town of Caddo Valley.

This shows the area north of Arkadelphia, between the area near De Gray Lake and the Caddo River.

The road shown as "likely older path" seems to be the path indicated by the Dunn Guide. Dunn clearly shows an obvious jog east before the Caddo River bridge. Another possible clue is that the remaining southern section of this road is called "Hot Springs Drive." It seems unlikely that an isolated, minor road would have this name. The topo maps clearly show that this road left and rejoined current AR 7.

Red = Dunn guide. Black mileage = Locke guide (western path to Arkadelphia). Green = 1928 ACSC strip map mileages.

    (http://www.americanroads.us/forum_files/Hot_Springs-Arkadelphia_4.jpg)


This is a section of the 1959 topo for the area around Caddo Valley.

    (http://www.americanroads.us/forum_files/AR_Caddo%20Valley_area_1959_24000_clip.jpg)
Title: Re: Bankhead route in Arkansas
Post by: Parsa on June 02, 2013, 05:44:29 PM
Map number 30.

This is the Caddo Valley 7.5-minute quad from 1959 (1976 revision). I did have the original 1959 map image to consult, but no real changes to the highway occurred.

This shows the area immediately north of Arkadelphia, between the Caddo River and the outskirts of Arkadelphia.

Red = Dunn guide. Black mileage = Locke guide (western path to Arkadelphia). Green = 1928 ACSC strip map mileages.


     (http://www.americanroads.us/forum_files/Hot_Springs-Arkadelphia_5.jpg)
Title: Re: Bankhead route in Arkansas
Post by: Parsa on June 08, 2013, 08:16:56 PM
Here are the guide strip maps for the section southwest of Arkadelphia.

First is the Dunn guide map covering Arkadelphia to Prescott

     (http://www.americanroads.us/forum_files/14B_Arkadelphia-Prescott.jpg)


Next is the Locke guide map for Arkadelphia all the way to Hope.

     (http://www.americanroads.us/forum_files/Locke_Good_Road_Maps_p293_100dpi.jpg)


The 1928 Automobile Club of Southern California map for Hot Springs to Prescott is shown already above.

Title: Re: Bankhead route in Arkansas
Post by: Parsa on June 08, 2013, 08:24:57 PM
Map number 31.

This is the Arkadelphia Valley 7.5-minute quad from 1959 (1976 revision), as well as part of the eastern section of the Hollywood 7.5-minute quad from 1970.

This shows the area of Arkadelphia, Arkansas, and south about half way to Gurdon.

The routes of the Dunn guide and the Locke guide differ between Arkadelphia and Gurdon. The Locke guide seems to be the older road, and is stated to be impassible when wet. The Dunn guide route is exactly the same as the ACSC 1928 route, except for one jog along Main Street on the latter.
The routes in town are color coded. Red is the Dunn guide route, with the northernmost section being the same for Dunn, Locke, and the ACSC map. Green is where the ACSC 1928 route diverges from the Dunn Route. Blue is the route of the Locke guide heading southwest toward Gurdon. Purple is the eastern route of the Locke guide heading north to Hot Springs.

Since the Locke guide route (CR 476) is cut by Interstate 30, a 5.1 mile detour to the west will need to be taken. Continue on CR 76 until the Bankhead route resumes at the junction with Fincher Road. This is shown in orange.

Red = Dunn guide. Black mileage = Locke guide. Green = 1928 ACSC strip map mileages.

The following is a thumbnail image. Click on the map for a larger image. It may open in a new tab depending on your browser setting.

    (http://www.americanroads.us/forum_files/Arkadelphia-Prescott_1_thumb.jpg) (http://www.americanroads.us/forum_files/Arkadelphia-Prescott_1.jpg)

Title: Re: Bankhead route in Arkansas
Post by: Parsa on June 09, 2013, 11:48:07 AM
Map number 32.

This is a section of the Curtis 7.5-minute quad from 1970, and the Gurdon 7.5-minute quad also from 1970.

This shows the area of between Arkadelphia and Gurdon, Arkansas, near the small town of Curtis.

The Locke and Dunn route merge together on the northwest corner of this map.
A large number of historic bridges occur in this section. Time is likely running out on most of these, as they are in poor structural condition, and will likely be replaced soon. The Caney Creek pony truss has already been replaced.


Red = Dunn guide. Black mileage = Locke guide. Green = 1928 ACSC strip map mileages.


(http://www.americanroads.us/forum_files/Arkadelphia-Prescott_2.jpg)

Title: Re: Bankhead route in Arkansas
Post by: Parsa on June 09, 2013, 05:04:04 PM
Map number 33.

This is a section of the Gurdon 7.5-minute quad from 1970.

This shows the area of Gurdon, Arkansas.


The 1928 ACSC strip map shows a store just north of the railroad crossing in Smithton. The foundations of what appears to be a store, and possibly cabins, exist in this location on the east side of the road.
Both the Locke and Dunn guides seem to indicate a path along Cherry Street and North 1st Street in Gurdon. The turn west is just after the cemetery, and the mileages work out well. A small culvert with very old looking cement rails is located on 1st Street just southwest of Maple Street. A one block section of 1st adjacent to the depot is one way only, northeast bound. If heading west, one would need to use Walnut and 2nd Street.
Gurdon is the founding home of the International Concatenated Order of Hoo-Hoo (1892), a fraternal organization for people in the forestry industry. It sounds like a fun bunch of people. The CEO is called the "Snark of the Universe." A headquarters building is on Main Street.
After crossing the tracks, an immediately left onto Front Street is made. This road eventually becomes Old Gurdon Highway.

Red = Dunn guide. Black mileage = Locke guide. Green = 1928 ACSC strip map mileages.


    (http://www.americanroads.us/forum_files/Arkadelphia-Prescott_3.jpg)

Title: Re: Bankhead route in Arkansas
Post by: Parsa on June 10, 2013, 09:41:58 AM
Map number 34.

This is the Gurdon 7.5-minute quad from 1970.

This shows the area west of Gurdon, Arkansas, near the small town of Beirne.


The small McNeeley Creek pony truss bridge is a nice little 1923 bridge with wooden planking for the deck.

Red = Dunn guide. Black mileage = Locke guide. Green = 1928 ACSC strip map mileages.


    (http://www.americanroads.us/forum_files/Arkadelphia-Prescott_4.jpg)
Title: Re: Bankhead route in Arkansas
Post by: Parsa on June 10, 2013, 05:28:24 PM
Map number 35.

This is the Okolona South 7.5-minute quad from 1970. North is to the left on this map, and up is east.

This shows the area about half way between Gurdon and Prescott, Arkansas. It centers on the Little Missouri River.


Several old disused sections leave and return to the AR 51 route. The 1908 bridge over the Little Missouri River is no longer passable. Part of the structure has collapsed, and much of the deck is now missing. A detour, shown in orange, will need to be taken to bypass this section, and to reach both spur sections of the Bankhead Highway. The bridges on US 67 clearly show that the road was constructed in 1931. Several bridges from that date occur in this section. This means that the Bankhead route shown (also shown as the 1928 route on the auto club strip map) was US 67 prior to 1931.


Red = Dunn guide. Black mileage = Locke guide. Green = 1928 ACSC strip map mileages.


     (http://www.americanroads.us/forum_files/Arkadelphia-Prescott_5.jpg)
Title: Re: Bankhead route in Arkansas
Post by: Parsa on June 10, 2013, 08:13:00 PM
Map number 36.

This is the Prescott East 7.5-minute quad from 1970. North is to the left on this map, and up is east.

This shows the area northeast of Prescott, Arkansas. It includes the small town of Boughton.


Nea the junction with US 67, the 1928 ACSC strip map route takes a different path. This was likely the 1928 route of US 67. This path is shown with green arrows. The Bankhead Highway, as show on both the Dunn and Locke guides, crossed the rail line 0.9 miles west of Boughton. There is no trace of this road in aerial images, but it is still shown on the 1936 Arkansas state highway map for Nevada County. Since this is no longer a through route, a detour to US 67 will need to be made via CR 222. This is shown with orange arrows.

The Locke path on the southeast side of Prescott seems to show a railroad crossing right after the road intersects with Wildcat Road. Dunn, however, shows a slight jog north, then a path west along the south side of the rail line. This is shown as a dashed red line on the map.


Red = Dunn guide. Black mileage = Locke guide.


     (http://www.americanroads.us/forum_files/Arkadelphia-Prescott_6.jpg)

Title: Re: Bankhead route in Arkansas
Post by: Parsa on June 11, 2013, 06:16:02 PM
Here's the Dunn guide map for Prescott to Texarkana.


    (http://www.americanroads.us/forum_files/15A_Prescott-Texarkana.jpg)



And here is the 1928 Automobile Club of Southern California strip map covering Prescott to Texarkana. I turned it to fit, and to give the same orientation as the Dunn guide.


     (http://www.americanroads.us/forum_files/Redwater-Prescott_835_1928_BOA_edit_turn.jpg)
Title: Re: Bankhead route in Arkansas
Post by: Parsa on June 11, 2013, 06:27:51 PM
Map number 37.

This is the Prescott West 7.5-minute quad from 1970. North is to the left on this map, and up is east.

This shows the area southwest of Prescott, Arkansas. It includes the most of the town of Prescott.

The 1928 ACSC map shows a path in Prescott with a jog to the north. It seems as if the highway turned north at Monson Street, then followed 2nd Street west, rather than 1st Street. It then jogged south again, likely on Main Street. I have no idea why this route is shown.
The eastern section of CR 48 is no longer a through road. The orange route shown will need to be used as a detour. The zigzag route shown was likely the path of 1920s US 67, as it is shown on the 1928 ACSC map.


Red = Dunn guide. Black mileage = Locke guide. Green = 1928 ACSC strip map mileages.


    (http://www.americanroads.us/forum_files/Prescott-Texarkana_1.jpg)
Title: Re: Bankhead route in Arkansas
Post by: Parsa on June 11, 2013, 07:46:48 PM
Map number 38.

This is the Emmet 7.5-minute quad from 1973. North is to the upper left on this map, so up is northeast.

This shows the area of Emmet, Arkansas. This is between Prescott and Hope.


Some traces of old road seem to occur adjacent to US 67. There may be old pavement on either side of the creek crossings on the south side of the highway. There is definitely an old road curve on the north side of US 67 where it bends at a creek crossing. this older road path had a sharper curve. The original creek bridge appears to be gone.

Between Emmet and Hope, the old highway path did not follow US 67, which is more direct. Instead it curved well north along Arkansas SR 299, SR 174, and Hempstead CR 4.


Red = Dunn guide. Black mileage = Locke guide. Green = 1928 ACSC strip map mileages.


     (http://www.americanroads.us/forum_files/Prescott-Texarkana_2.jpg)
Title: Re: Bankhead route in Arkansas
Post by: Parsa on June 12, 2013, 12:02:39 PM
Map number 39.

This is the Hope 7.5-minute quad from 1951. North is to the upper left on this map, so up is approximately northeast.

This shows the area of Hope, Arkansas.


The Locke and Dunn maps are nearly identical for this section. However, the 10.1 and 10.6 Dunn mileage numbers must be wrong for those points. The corresponding mileage points on the Locke guide are correct. Conversely, the roads on the east side of Hope seem to be drawn incorrectly in the Locke guide, while the Dunn map is quite accurate as to both road path and mileages. The path through Hope is shown as a red track.
The depot shown in the guides is still present, and not serves as a museum and visitor center. Three blocks to the west is the boyhood home of President Bill Clinton.
A couple of jogs occurred on the west side of Hope that connected A Street to B Street. This connection is now made by "Pond Street", but likely had the nature of a couple steps in the past.


Red = Dunn guide. Black mileage = Locke guide. Green = 1928 ACSC strip map mileages.



    (http://www.americanroads.us/forum_files/Prescott-Texarkana_3.jpg)
Title: Re: Bankhead route in Arkansas
Post by: Parsa on June 13, 2013, 11:47:46 AM
Map number 40.

This is the Sheppard 7.5-minute quad from 1951 (revised 1978). North is to the upper left on this map, so up is approximately east-northeast.

This shows the rural area west of Hope, Arkansas.


Red = Dunn guide. Black mileage = Locke guide. Green = 1928 ACSC strip map mileages.


     (http://www.americanroads.us/forum_files/Prescott-Texarkana_4.jpg)

Title: Re: Bankhead route in Arkansas
Post by: Parsa on June 14, 2013, 05:21:08 PM
Map number 41.

This is the Fulton 7.5-minute quad from 1951 (revised 1970). A very small section of the McNab 7.5 minute quad is also included. North is to the left on this map, so up is east.

This shows the Fulton, Arkansas, and a few miles of area to the east.


The highway was cut and made discontinuous by I-30. A connecting route, shown in orange, can be made via CR 189.
The route through Fulton is uncertain. I can find no maps predating the building of the new 1931 bridge across the Red River. All three maps, the 1928 ACSC map, the Dunn guide, and the Locke guide, show a jog to the north, probably on AR 355 (Mount-Prairie). However, the evidence of a curved corner at AR 355 and Ogan Street, and what seems to be a path down to the Red River from Ogan, makes me think that was the path. It's possible, however, that the ferry was reached from Jefferson Street, which has a longer extension to the west than other streets.
In any event, the highway crossed north of the rail line, not south of it as US 67 does. It stayed on the north side, running on a causeway. I'll show what I think was the path of this road on the next map.

Red = Dunn guide. Black mileage = Locke guide. Green = 1928 ACSC strip map mileages.


     (http://www.americanroads.us/forum_files/Prescott-Texarkana_5.jpg)
Title: Re: Bankhead route in Arkansas
Post by: Parsa on June 14, 2013, 08:12:52 PM
Map number 42.

This is the Fulton 7.5-minute quad from 1951 (revised 1970). The 1951 quad is avaialble, and I consulted it to see the pre-1954 alignment of US 67, which was the Bankhead west of the Red River. North is to the left on this map, so up is east.

This shows Fulton, Arkansas, the small former site of Clipper, and a few miles of area to the west.


The Bankhead Highway and pre-1931 US 67 traveled on the north side of the railroad after crossing the Fulton Ferry. The new US 67 bridge was constructed in 1931. The map shows the likely location of the ferry crossing and the highway path (shown highlighted in red). Traces of this road appear to exist in several places, and two of the maps show the highway crossing a "dike" or "levee." The place where this crossing occurred is still visible.
To the west of the dike, and continuing on all the way to the outskirts of Texarkana is original US 67 pavement. The current wider alignment dates to 1954. The old alignment starts out on the north side of the current highway, then at Clipper it switches to the south side of the road. Approaching Texarkana, this road finally veers southwest away from current US 67.


Red = Dunn guide. Black mileage = Locke guide. Green = 1928 ACSC strip map mileages.



     (http://www.americanroads.us/forum_files/Prescott-Texarkana_6.jpg)
Title: Re: Bankhead route in Arkansas
Post by: Parsa on June 15, 2013, 06:12:39 PM
Map number 43.

This is the Homan 7.5-minute quad from 1951 (revised 1970). The 1951 quad is available, and I consulted it to see the pre-1954 alignment of US 67, which was the Bankhead. North is to the up and to left on this map, so up is northeast.

This shows the small towns of Homan, Clear Lake Junction, and Paup between Fulton and Texarkana.


Early US 67 with pavement and bridges from about 1929 runs parallel to current (1954) US 67 for the entire length of the map. Interstate 30 has caused a realignment of AR 108, so it's original junction point has shifted east half a mile. The original junction appears on the 1951 map, but almost no trace now remains on the ground.


Red = Dunn guide. Black mileage = Locke guide. Green = 1928 ACSC strip map mileages.


    (http://www.americanroads.us/forum_files/Prescott-Texarkana_7.jpg)
Title: Re: Bankhead route in Arkansas
Post by: Parsa on June 15, 2013, 06:21:42 PM
Map number 44.

This is the Mandeville 7.5-minute quad from 1952 (revised 1975). The 1952 quad is available, and I consulted it to see the pre-1954 alignment of US 67, which was the Bankhead. North is to the up and to left on this map, so up is northeast.

This shows the small town of Mandeville east of Texarkana.


Early US 67 with pavement and bridges from about 1929 runs parallel to current (1954) US 67, then veers south to reach the town of Mandeville. It returns back to current US 67 after about 3 miles, but it then is largely subsumed by the wide berm of US 67 all the way into Texarkana. A few traces may remain between the current highway and the railroad line.


Red = Dunn guide. Black mileage = Locke guide. Green = 1928 ACSC strip map mileages.


     (http://www.americanroads.us/forum_files/Prescott-Texarkana_8.jpg)

Title: Re: Bankhead route in Arkansas
Post by: Parsa on June 15, 2013, 06:42:17 PM
Map number 45.

This is the Texarkana 7.5-minute quad from 1954 (revised 1975). The 1909 and 1954 15-minute quads, and the 1954 7.5-minute quad were available, and I consulted them to see the early alignment of US 67, which was the Bankhead. North is to the up and to left on this map, so up is northeast.

This shows Texarkana, Arkansas and Texas.


According to both the Locke and Dunn guides, the Bankhead highway followed Broad Street into downtown Texarkana. It then went north on Texas Blvd, which at that time was still Maple Street. The 1928 ACSC strip map shows a route approximately parallel to the current routes of US 67, 71, and 82, which travel on 8th Street (MLK Blvd) westbound and 7th Street eastbound. The 1928 map moves off the Bankhead route along 9th Street (as did US 67). It then went west on 7th Street (eastbound only now) and turned south on Hickory Street to 6th Street. It followed 6th Street west to the large traffic circle around the Federal building, and went along it to 5th Street. it then followed 5th Street to Texas Blvd. This is shown highlighted in green on the map.


Red = Dunn guide. Black mileage = Locke guide. Green = 1928 ACSC strip map mileages.


    (http://www.americanroads.us/forum_files/Prescott-Texarkana_9.jpg)