This is just the beginning! Our collection holds over 300 years of history, including rare newspapers, obituaries, marriage records, birth records, and so much more—most of which you won’t find anywhere else!
Dixie Highway born to lure wealthy to Miami
Larry McClellan outlines how the Dixie Highway emerged from a land scheme by Carl Fisher to lure Chicago area wealth to Florida. The route branched from Mackinaw City down two paths toward Chattanooga and then Florida, linking Chicago, Detroit, Indianapolis, and Tallahassee before reaching Miami. Illinois pioneered paved Dixie Highway sections by 1921, with the Lincoln-Dixie Theater at Chicago Heights opening in 1921 and burning in 1970, its memory lingering in the region’s road history.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Carl Fisher
Miami
Chicago
Illinois
Michigan
Ohio
Indiana
Florida
Mackinaw City
Lake Huron
Detroit
Cincinnati
Chattanooga
Atlanta
Tallahassee
Jacksonville
Dixie Highway Association
Danville
State Line
Indianapolis
The
Star
Momence
Watseka
Vincennes Trace
Sauk Trail
St. James Hospital
Chicago Road
Chicago Heights
Larry McClellan
St. Paul Community Church
Homewood
the Star
Otto Blvd