Category Archives: Jefferson Highway
Less Traveled: A Journey from Pine to Palm
My film review that follows first appeared in the Jefferson Highway Declaration’s Winter edition, 2017. Less Traveled: A Journey from Pine to Palm A film by Darrell Johnston and Josiah Laubenstein Reviewed by Ren Holland, Little Falls, MN Last May, … Continue reading
A Mini-Minnesota Tour of Northern Minnesota
It is amazing how much of Minnesota’s resort country can be packed into four days of travel. My wife’s sister Ann, and her husband Ray, from Michigan, have been around the world twice on National Geographic Tours, but had never … Continue reading
Tracing the Jefferson Highway in a ’54 Dodge
I had the recent pleasure of meeting two young travelers/filmmakers who are following the route of the old Jefferson Highway to promote its 100th anniversary. Many of you know of this highway— the first international highway— connecting Winnipeg, Canada to … Continue reading
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The Jefferson Highway: From Palms to Pines? Or Palms to Prairies?
In 1916, at the dawn of the age of automobile tourism, the Jefferson Highway became the first transnational highway in the United States. It connected existing roads between Winnipeg, Manitoba and New Orleans, Louisiana, and was advertised as the “Pines … Continue reading
Gully Day Celebrates The Jefferson Highway
In my presentations on Minnesota’s early resorts and tourism, I have often included comments on the Jefferson Highway. However, with the 2015 centennial celebration of the highway’s conception, I have been presenting separate programs focusing primarily on the Jefferson. This … Continue reading
Jefferson Highway Centennial Programs Well Attended
I recently presented Jefferson Highway programs for the Wadena County Historical Society’s Spring Lecture Series and for the Northern Exposure to Lifelong Learning in conjunction with the Clearwater County Historical Society. I was surprised at the number of people who … Continue reading
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Highways Without Numbers
Minnesota’s International, Transcontinental, and Interstate Auto Trails The beginning of the twentieth century brought dramatic changes to tourism in Minnesota. The reasons? The emergence of continuous highways with uniform signage. This, coupled with the rapid development of the automobile industry, … Continue reading
Recent Presentations
Jefferson Highway Conference Since my last blog, the annual Jefferson Highway Association Conference, has come and gone, with members already anticipating next year’s 100 year celebration in Muskogee, Oklahoma (April 30–May 2, 2015). As a new member, I was … Continue reading
Welcome Jefferson Highway Association Members
We are happy to return to this website after experiencing a series of complex computer problems. The posting of early Minnesota resort photos will resume during the coming weeks. Meanwhile, we are anticipating the arrival on May 30-31, 2014 of … Continue reading