1.
Interstate 10
–
Interstate 10 is the southernmost cross-country interstate highway in the American Interstate Highway System. It stretches from the Pacific Ocean at State Route 1 in Santa Monica, California, to I-95 in Jacksonville and this freeway is part of the originally planned Interstate Highway network that was laid out in 1956, and its last section was completed in 1990. I-10 is the fourth-longest Interstate Highway in the United States, following I-90, I-80, about one-third of its length is within the state of Texas, where the freeway spans the state at its widest breadth. Between its west terminus in Santa Monica, California, and the major East Los Angeles Interchange, the Santa Monica Freeway is also called the Rosa Parks Freeway for the segment beginning at I-405, and ending at I-110/SR110. The segment between the East Los Angeles Interchange and the city of San Bernardino,63 miles long, is called the San Bernardino Freeway, for example, a sign near the western terminus of the highway in Santa Monica proclaims this highway the Christopher Columbus Transcontinental Highway. I-10 is known to a lesser degree as the Veterans Memorial Highway. In Palm Springs, I-10 is also named the Sonny Bono Memorial Freeway as a tribute to the late entertainer who served both as the mayor and as a U. S. Congressman, another stretch a short distance east in Indio is proclaimed the Doctor June McCarroll Memorial Freeway. In Arizona, the highway is designated the Pearl Harbor Memorial Highway, the portion through Phoenix is named the Papago Freeway, and it is a vital piece of the metropolitan Phoenix freeway system. This designation starts at Loop 101, near 99th Avenue, from the southern terminus of I-17 to the southernmost junction with Loop 202, the highway is signed as the Maricopa Freeway. This name holds true as well for I-17 from its terminus to the Durango Curve south of Buckeye Road. From Loop 202 south to the terminus of I-8 just southeast of Casa Grande. The Arizona Department of Transportation also has maps that show it as the Maricopa Freeway, while the American Automobile Association, the latters name is used on a stretch of Loop 101 from Loop 202 to I-17. Between I-17 in Phoenix and the I-19 interchanges in Tucson, I-10 is included in the federally designated CANAMEX Corridor, extending from Mexico City to Edmonton, in Tucson, Arizona, between I-10 mileposts 259 and 260 are interchange ramps connecting I-10 with the northern terminus of I-19. The highest elevation along I-10 occurs just east of Tucson,20 miles west of Willcox, at the mile marker 320 exit for the Amerind Foundation, the westbound lanes of I-10 briefly cross above 5,000 feet above sea level. I-10 passes through three Southern New Mexico municipalities of regional significance before the junction with I-25, Lordsburg, Deming, most of I-10 in New Mexico, between Exit 24 and Exit 135, is concurrent with US70. At Lordsburg is the junction of US70 and a concurrency. Several exits between Lordsburg and Deming are either for former towns or lack any town at all, at Deming is the western junction of US180, which also forms a concurrency with I-10 all the way to El Paso. One mile north of Deming on US180 is New Mexico State Road 26 which serves as a cut to north I-25
Interstate 10
–
The San Bernardino Freeway in California near the interchange with the Ontario Freeway (I-15)
Interstate 10
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Interstate 10
Interstate 10
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I-10 approaching the eastern terminus of I-8
Interstate 10
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I-17 terminus with I-10, in Phoenix
2.
Mobile, Alabama
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Mobile is the county seat of Mobile County, Alabama, United States. Alabamas only saltwater port, Mobile is located at the head of the Mobile Bay, Mobile is the principal municipality of the Mobile metropolitan area. This region of 412,992 residents is composed solely of Mobile County, Mobile is the largest city in the Mobile-Daphne−Fairhope CSA, with a total population of 604,726, the second largest in the state. As of 2011, the population within a 60-mile radius of Mobile is 1,262,907, Mobile began as the first capital of colonial French Louisiana in 1702. During its first 100 years, Mobile was a colony of France, then Britain, Mobile first became a part of the United States of America in 1813, with the annexation of West Florida under President James Madison. In 1861 Alabama joined the Confederate States of America, which surrendered in 1865, Mobile is known for having the oldest organized Carnival celebrations in the United States. The festival began to be celebrated in the first decade of the 18th century by its first French Catholic colonial settlers. Mobile was host to the first formally organized Carnival mystic society, known elsewhere as a krewe, to celebrate with a parade in the United States, in 2005 the first integrated mystic society had a parade for Mardi Gras. The city gained its name from the Mobile tribe that the French colonists encountered living in the area of Mobile Bay. The Mobile tribe, along with the Tohomé, obtained permission from the colonists, about seven years after the founding of the Mobile settlement, to settle near the fort. It was founded by French Canadian brothers Pierre Le Moyne dIberville and Jean-Baptiste Le Moyne, Sieur de Bienville, Bienville was appointed as royal governor of French Louisiana in 1701. Mobiles Roman Catholic parish was established on July 20,1703, by Jean-Baptiste de la Croix de Chevrières de Saint-Vallier, the parish was the first French Catholic parish established on the Gulf Coast of the United States. In 1704 the ship Pélican delivered 23 French women to the colony, though most of the Pélican girls recovered, numerous colonists and neighboring Native Americans contracted the disease in turn and died. This early period was also the occasion of the importation of the first African slaves, the population of the colony fluctuated over the next few years, growing to 279 persons by 1708, yet descending to 178 persons two years later due to disease. A new earth-and-palisade Fort Louis was constructed at the new site during this time, by 1712, when Antoine Crozat was appointed to take over administration of the colony, its population had reached 400 persons. The capital of La Louisiane was moved in 1720 to Biloxi, leaving Mobile to serve as a regional military and trading center. In 1723 the construction of a new fort with a stone foundation began and it was renamed Fort Condé in honor of Louis Henri, Duc de Bourbon. In 1763, the Treaty of Paris was signed, ending the Seven Years War, by this treaty, France ceded its territories east of the Mississippi River to Britain
Mobile, Alabama
–
From top: Pincus Building,
Old City Hall and Southern Market,
Fort Condé,
Barton Academy,
Cathedral Basilica of the Immaculate Conception, and the skyline of downtown Mobile from the
Mobile River.
Mobile, Alabama
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Mobile and Fort Condé in 1725.
Mobile, Alabama
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Bastion of the Fort Condé reconstruction.
Mobile, Alabama
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HABS photo of the Southern Hotel on Water Street, completed in 1837. (destroyed during urban renewal)
3.
Interstate 85
–
Interstate 85 is a major Interstate Highway in the Southeastern United States. Its current southern terminus is at an interchange with I-65 in Montgomery, Alabama, its northern terminus interchanges with I-95 in Petersburg, Virginia and it is nominally north–south, but physically mostly northeast–southwest. While most interstates that end in a 5 are cross-country routes, I-85 is mainly a regional route, I-85 begins as a fork off I-65 in Montgomery. From there, I-85 parallels U. S. Route 80 until the highway nears Tuskegee, at Tuskegee, I-85 leaves US80 and starts to parallel US29, which the highway parallels for much of its length. I-85 also passes near Auburn, Opelika, Valley and Lanett before crossing the Chattahoochee River into Georgia, I-85 will soon be rerouted southward just east of Montgomery, where it will intersect with I-65 just south of downtown Montgomery. Future I-685 will be the new designation for the route of current I-85, in Georgia, I-85 bypasses West Point before coming into the LaGrange area. East of LaGrange, I-85 intersects I-185 which connects to Columbus, in the Atlanta area, I-85 intersects I-20 and merges with I-75 through the downtown area. North of Atlanta, I-985 provides a link to Gainesville before heading through northeastern Georgia, due to a bridge collapse on March 30,2017, parts of I-85 in Atlanta were closed. I-85 provides the transportation route for the Upstate of South Carolina, linking together the major centers of Greenville. In Spartanburg, BMW has a manufacturing plant near the highway. In South Carolina, I-85 bypasses Clemson and Anderson on the way to Greenville, beginning at Anderson, I-85 widens from four to six lanes. Near Powdersville, US29 joins I-85 and they run concurrently until they cross the Saluda River, I-85 bypasses just south of Greenville, but provides two links into the city via spur routes I-185 and I-385. I-85 also bypasses Greenville–Spartanburg International Airport, which serves the Greenville–Spartanburg metropolitan area, I-85 then bypasses the city of Spartanburg to the north where its original route is now signed as Business Loop 85 and was approved by AASHTO on April 22,1995. Near mile marker 70, I-85 intersects with I-26, the exits are signed as exits 70A for eastbound traffic and 70B for westbound traffic. North of Spartanburg, I-85 narrows from six lanes back to four lanes and bypasses Gaffney, much of the terrain between Spartanburg and the North Carolina border is rural in nature. In North Carolina, I-85 enters a rural area near Kings Mountain before entering the Gastonia. North of Charlotte, the passes near Concord, Salisbury, Lexington. At Greensboro, I-85 shifts away from downtown I-85 Business Loop, from Durham, I-85 turns northeastward and heads through Oxford then Henderson toward Virginia
Interstate 85
–
I-75 co-signed with I-85 in downtown
Atlanta, GA
Interstate 85
–
Interstate 85
Interstate 85
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Interstate 85 North after Exit 1 in
Oconee County, South Carolina, in 2008
Interstate 85
–
I-40/85 through
Burlington, North Carolina
4.
Montgomery, Alabama
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Montgomery /mɒntˈɡʌməri/ is the capital of the U. S. state of Alabama and is the county seat of Montgomery County. Named for Richard Montgomery, it is located on the Alabama River, as of the 2013 Census, Montgomery has a population of 201,332. It is the second-largest city in Alabama, after Birmingham, and is the 115th largest in the United States, the Montgomery Metropolitan Statistical Area had a 2010 estimated population of 374,536. It is the fourth-largest in the state and 136th among United States metropolitan areas, the city was incorporated in 1819 as a merger of two towns situated along the Alabama River. In February 1861, Montgomery was selected as the first capital of the Confederate States of America, until the seat of government moved to Richmond, Virginia, in May of that year. During the mid-20th century, Montgomery was a center of events and protests in the Civil Rights Movement, including the Montgomery Bus Boycott. Two ships of the United States Navy have been named after the city, Montgomery has also been recognized nationally for its downtown revitalization and new urbanism projects. It was one of the first cities in the nation to implement Smart Code Zoning, prior to European colonization, the east bank of the Alabama River was inhabited by the Alibamu tribe of Native Americans. The Alibamu and the Coushatta, who lived on the west side of the river, were descended from the Mississippian culture. This civilization had numerous chiefdoms throughout the Midwest and South along the Mississippi and its tributaries and its largest location was at Cahokia, in present-day Illinois east of St. Louis. The historic tribes spoke mutually intelligible Muskogean languages, which were closely related, present-day Montgomery is built on the site of two Alibamu towns, Ikanatchati, meaning red earth, and Towassa, built on a bluff called Chunnaanaauga Chatty. The first Europeans to travel through central Alabama were Hernando de Soto and his expedition, the next recorded European encounter occurred more than a century later, when an English expedition from Carolina went down the Alabama River in 1697. The first permanent European settler in the Montgomery area was James McQueen and he married a high-status woman in the Coushatta or Alabama tribe. Their mixed-race children were considered Muskogean, as both tribes had a system of property and descent. The children were considered born into their mothers clan. In 1785, Abraham Mordecai, a war veteran from a Sephardic Jewish family of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the Coushatta and Alabama had gradually moved south and west in the tidal plain. By the time Mordecai arrived, Creek had migrated into and settled in the area, as they were moving away from Cherokee, when her people had to cede most of their lands after the 1813-14 Creek War, she joined them in removal to Indian Territory. Mordecai brought the first cotton gin to Alabama, the Upper Creek were able to discourage most European-American immigration until after the conclusion of the Creek War
Montgomery, Alabama
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View of the Capitol, an engraving published in 1857
Montgomery, Alabama
Montgomery, Alabama
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1887 bird's eye illustration of Montgomery
Montgomery, Alabama
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Cotton being brought to market, Montgomery, c. 1900
5.
Interstate 20
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Interstate 20 is a major east–west Interstate Highway in the Southern United States. I‑20 runs 1,535 miles beginning near Kent, Texas, at I-10 to Florence, South Carolina, between Texas and South Carolina, I‑20 runs through northern Louisiana, central Mississippi, western and north-central Alabama, and north-central Georgia. I‑20 intersects seven of the ten primary north–south Interstates and also the east-west Interstates 10 and 30, from its terminus at I‑95, the highway continues about 2 miles eastward into the city of Florence as Business Spur 20. I-20 begins 10 miles east of Kent at a fork with I-10, from there, the highway travels east-northeastward through Odessa, Midland, and Abilene before turning eastward towards Dallas/Fort Worth. The La Entrada al Pacifico corridor runs along I-20 between U. S. Route 385 and Farm to Market Road 1788, between Monahans and I-10, I-20 has an 80 miles per hour speed limit. From the highways opening in the 1960s through 1971, I-20 originally went through the heart of the Metroplex via the Dallas-Fort Worth Turnpike and this old route is now signed I-30, US80 and Texas Spur 557. In 1987, I-20 was rerouted to go through the sections of Fort Worth, Arlington, Grand Prairie, Dallas. Part of I-20 in Dallas is named the Lyndon B. Johnson Freeway, I-20 continues eastward from Terrell, bypassing Tyler, Marshall, and Longview, before crossing the Louisiana border near Waskom. In Louisiana, I-20 roughly parallels U. S. Route 80 through the part of the state. From that area, the highway traverses rural, hilly terrain, bypassing Minden, Ruston. From Monroe, I-20 enters flatter terrain as it approaches the Mississippi River, before crossing the Mississippi, the highway passes Tallulah. At the Mississippi River, I-20 leaves Louisiana and enters Vicksburg, upon entering Mississippi by crossing the Mississippi River, I-20 immediately enters Vicksburg. Between Edwards and Clinton, the highway follows the original two-lane routing of US80. In Jackson, I-20 sees a short concurrency with both I-55 and US49, also in Jackson is an unusually expansive stack interchange, at the junction of I-20, I-55 North and US49 South. The interchange replaces a former interchange at I-55 North and a cloverleaf at Highway 49. From the Stack, I-20 continues eastward to Meridian, where it begins the nearly 160-mile overlap with I-59, the route of the Mississippi section of I-20 is defined in Mississippi Code § 65-3-3. I-20 crosses the Alabama state line near York, and it stays conjoined as it passes through western Alabama, at Birmingham, the two highways pass through downtown together before splitting at Exit 130 just east of the Birmingham airport. I-20 continues eastward through Oxford/Anniston, Alabama, and the Talladega National Forest, passing by the Talladega Superspeedway in the process, I-20 enters Georgia near Tallapoosa and after passing through western Georgia, it enters the Atlanta metropolitan area
Interstate 20
–
I-20 in southern Fort Worth
Interstate 20
–
Interstate 20
Interstate 20
–
A photo of the state welcome sign westbound.
Interstate 20
–
I-20 (co-signed with I-59) approaching I-65 in downtown Birmingham. This is sometimes referred to as Malfunction Junction.
6.
Interstate 59
–
Interstate 59 is a north–south Interstate Highway in the southern United States. The highways major purpose is to connect Chattanooga, Tennessee, and points north, with New Orleans via Birmingham, along its entire route, I-59 is parallel to U. S. Route 11. I-59 is a freeway along its entire route except for some portions north of Tuscaloosa, Alabama and in the Birmingham, Alabama, metropolitan area. About a third of the route overlaps with Interstate 20 between Birmingham, Alabama and Meridian, Mississippi. In the U. S. state of Louisiana, I-59 is shorter than it is in any state, Alabama, Mississippi. From south-to-north, I-59 begins at its junction with I-10 and I-12 near Slidell, then it bypasses Pearl River before crossing the West Pearl River and then the East Pearl River. At the East Pearl River, I-59 leaves St. Tammany Parish and it enters Pearl River County, for its length in Mississippi, I-59 either travels concurrent with, or runs close to, US11. Between the towns of Pearl River and Picayune, US11 travels concurrent with I-59, the highway also has concurrencies with US98 in Hattiesburg, US84 and Mississippi Highway 15 in Laurel, and US80, US11, and MS19 in the Meridian area. A notoriously sharp S-curve, at milepost 96 in Laurel, was the subject of a reconstruction project. This work was completed in 2009, just west of Meridian, I-20 joins I-59 and these two highways continue together for 145 miles, across the border with Alabama to and through Birmingham. The exit numbers are given as those of I-59, at 4,00 p. m. on August 27,2005, for the first time in its history, the southbound lanes of I-59 were temporarily redirected northward to accommodate evacuation for Hurricane Katrina. This was a previously agreed to joint plan by the states of Mississippi, the program began at the Louisiana–Mississippi state line and continued 21 miles north to Poplarville. I-59 and I-20 travel together for about 40 percent of their route through Alabama, in Birmingham, many wrecks and accidents occur near the cross-over interchange of I-20/I-59 and I-65. On two occasions, 18-wheelers crashed and burned fiercely enough to melt the support beams of overpasses, beginning in eastern Birmingham, I-59 continues on its own northeast, passing by Gadsden and Fort Payne in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains, before entering Georgia. I-59 from Gadsden at mile marker 182 to Stephens Gap at mile marker 193 had degraded over the decades since it was opened into a concrete highway. Between 2010 and 2014, a project called Project 59 took place between Gadsden and Fort Payne. This project consisted of reconstructing the Interstate Highway with unbonded concrete as well as modifications to the width, I-59 has a short trek through Georgia, with only three exits before ending at I-24 several miles west of Chattanooga, Tennessee, in Wildwood, Georgia. Within Georgia it carries unsigned designated as State Route 406 for internal Georgia Department of Transportation purposes, i-359 in Tuscaloosa, Alabama I-459 in Birmingham, Alabama I-759 in Gadsden, Alabama U. S
Interstate 59
–
At the bottom of I-12's eastbound ramp to LA 59, travelers also find a shield for the unrelated I-59, some 20 miles (32 km) farther east
Interstate 59
–
Interstate 59
Interstate 59
–
A stretch of I-59 in Mississippi
Interstate 59
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I-59 (co-signed with I-20) approaching I-65 in downtown Birmingham.
7.
Birmingham, Alabama
–
Birmingham is the most populous city in the U. S. state of Alabama and the county seat of Jefferson County. The citys population was 212,237 in the 2010 United States Census, the Birmingham-Hoover Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of about 1,128,047 according to the 2010 Census, which is approximately one quarter of Alabamas population. Birmingham was founded in 1871, during the post-Civil War Reconstruction period and it was named for Birmingham, England, one of the UKs major industrial cities. The Alabama city annexed smaller neighbors and developed as an industrial and railroad center, based on mining, the new iron and steel industry. Most of the settlers who founded Birmingham were of English ancestry. From its founding through the end of the 1960s, Birmingham was an industrial center of the southern United States. Its growth from 1881 through 1920 earned its nicknames as The Magic City and its major industries were iron and steel production, plus a major component of the railroading industry. Rails and railroad cars were manufactured in Birmingham. The two primary hubs of railroading in the Deep South have been nearby Atlanta and Birmingham, since the 1860s, the economy has diversified since industrial restructuring in the latter half of the 20th century. Banking, telecommunications, transportation, electrical transmission, medical care, college education. Except for coal mining, the industry has declined in the Birmingham area, Birmingham ranks as one of the most important business centers in the Southeastern United States and as one of the largest banking centers in the nation. In higher education, Birmingham has been the location of the University of Alabama School of Medicine, since that time it has also gained the University of Alabama at Birmingham, one of three main campuses of the University of Alabama System. It is also home to three institutions, Samford University, Birmingham-Southern College, and Miles College. In total, the Birmingham area has major colleges of medicine, dentistry, optometry, physical therapy, pharmacy, law, engineering, the city has three of the states five law schools, Cumberland School of Law, Birmingham School of Law, and Miles Law School. Birmingham is also the headquarters of the Southwestern Athletic Conference, and Southeastern Conference, Birmingham was founded on June 1,1871, by the Elyton Land Company, whose investors included cotton planters, bankers and railroad entrepreneurs. It sold lots near the crossing of the Alabama & Chattanooga and South & North Alabama railroads. The first business at that crossroads was the trading post and country store operated by Marre, the site of the railroad crossing was notable for its proximity to nearby deposits of iron ore, coal, and limestone – the three main raw materials used in making steel. Birmingham is the only place worldwide where significant amounts of all three minerals can be found in close proximity, from the start the new city was planned as a center of industry
Birmingham, Alabama
–
From top left: Downtown from
Red Mountain; Torii in the
Birmingham Botanical Gardens;
Alabama Theatre;
Birmingham Museum of Art; City Hall; Downtown Financial Center.
Birmingham, Alabama
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Child labor at Avondale Mills in Birmingham, 1910, photo by
Lewis Hine
Birmingham, Alabama
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Panorama of Birmingham, Alabama in 1916
Birmingham, Alabama
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16th Street Baptist Church, now a National Historic Landmark
8.
Interstate 565
–
Interstate 565 is a 22-mile-long Interstate spur that connects I-65 in Decatur with U. S. Route 72 in Huntsville, in the U. S. state of Alabama. I-565 serves the cities of Decatur, Madison, and downtown Huntsville and it also provides a route to the Huntsville International Airport. The interstate forms a part of Appalachian Development Highway System Corridor V. US-72 Alternate travels concurrent with I-565 for its entire length, I-565s connection with the rest of the Interstate Highway System occurs at its western terminus, at an interchange with I-65. The interchange was extant prior to I-565s construction, it served Alabama State Route 20, from the interchange, I-565 takes a brief northerly swing to bypass the town of Mooresville before joining and subsuming the former right of way of SR-20 through rural southeastern Limestone County. Progressing eastward, as the edge of the city of Madison it diverges slightly to the south of the former SR-20 route. Continuing east, I-565 goes through the part of Madison. At Governors Drive, I-565 takes a turn northward away from the old route. At Oakwood Avenue, it subsumes what was once the easternmost half mile of Andrew Jackson Way, after the completion of I-565, the SR-20 designation was removed from all remaining portions of the former route east of I-65. When the Interstate Highway System was first laid out during the mid-1950s, I-65 was routed on a bee line connecting Nashville, Tennessee with Birmingham. This route passes just to the east of Decatur, which was a river port on the Tennessee River at the time. Huntsville, however, was still a town about 20 miles east of I-65. By 1960, Huntsville had grown to be more than twice the size of Decatur and it became clear that an Interstate Highway spur route would be beneficial to connect Huntsville with I-65, and to the rest of the country. I-565 was chosen as the Federal Highway Administrations number for this proposed spur expressway and it was decided that rather than terminating at the western edge of Huntsville, I-565 would extend farther eastward, providing an east-west freeway for Huntsville. On the eastern edge of Huntsville, I-565 was designed to feed into US-72, which was being widened to a highway traveling from Huntsville to Kimball, Tennessee. Construction of I-565 began in 1987, and the freeway was opened on October 26,1991, by the time construction had begun, Huntsville had become one of the most populous cities in the contiguous United States without a freeway connection to the Interstate system. Phase 1 opened in 1989, and ran from the east side of Mooresville to County Line Road, at the time, traffic from I-65 still had to drive through Mooresville to where the interstate started while the Mooresville overpasses and bridges over creeks were constructed. Phase 2 added a bypass through Madison, the Interstate still ended at County Line Road requiring traffic to take SR-20 through Madison until about Slaughter Road where a temporary entrance/exit merged traffic back onto I-565. The route then traveled along the old Governors Drive path past the Space, the eastern terminus at Governors drive was to allow for construction of the elevated sections crossing Memorial Parkway and extending over Pratt and Oakwood to the terminus at US-72
Interstate 565
–
I-565 passing through the city of Huntsville
Interstate 565
Interstate 565
–
I-565 passing by the
US Space and Rocket Center
9.
Huntsville, Alabama
–
Huntsville is a city located primarily in Madison County in the central part of the far northern region of Alabama. Huntsville is the county seat of Madison County, the city extends west into neighboring Limestone County. Huntsvilles population was 180,105 as of the 2010 census, the Huntsville Metropolitan Areas population was 417,593 in 2010 to become the 2nd largest in Alabama. Huntsville metros population reached 441,000 by 2014, the National Trust for Historic Preservation named Huntsville to its Americas Dozen Distinctive Destinations for 2010 list. The first settlers of the area were Muscogee-speaking people, the Chickasaw traditionally claim to have settled around 1300 after coming east across the Mississippi. The 1805 Treaty with the Chickasaws and the Cherokee Treaty of Washington of 1806 ceded native claims to the United States Government, the area was subsequently purchased by LeRoy Pope, who named the area Twickenham after the home village of his distant kinsman Alexander Pope. Twickenham was carefully planned, with streets laid out on the northeast to southwest direction based on the Big Spring. However, due to anti-British sentiment during this period, the name was changed to Huntsville to honor John Hunt, both John Hunt and LeRoy Pope were Freemasons and charter members of Helion Lodge #1, the oldest Lodge in Alabama. In 1811, Huntsville became the first incorporated town in Alabama, however, the recognized birth year of the city is 1805, the year of John Hunts arrival. The citys sesquicentennial anniversary was held in 1955, and the bicentennial was celebrated in 2005, Huntsvilles quick growth was from wealth generated by the cotton and railroad industries. Many wealthy planters moved into the area from Virginia, Georgia, in 1819, Huntsville hosted a constitutional convention in Walker Allens large cabinetmaking shop. The 44 delegates meeting there wrote a constitution for the new state of Alabama, in accordance with the new state constitution, Huntsville became Alabamas first capital when the state was admitted to the Union. This was a designation for one legislative session only, and the capital was then moved to Cahawba, then to Tuscaloosa. In 1855, the Memphis and Charleston Railroad was constructed through Huntsville, Huntsville initially opposed secession from the Union in 1861, but provided many men for the Confederacys efforts. The 4th Alabama Infantry Regiment, led by Col. Egbert J. Jones of Huntsville, distinguished itself at the Battle of Manassas/Bull Run, the first major encounter of the American Civil War. The Fourth Alabama Infantry, which contained two Huntsville companies, were the first Alabama troops to fight in the war and were present when Lee surrendered to Grant at Appomattox in April 1865. Eight generals of the war were born in or near Huntsville, Huntsville was the control point for the Western Division of the Memphis &Charleston, and by controlling this railroad the Union had a direct connection to Charleston South Carolina. During the first occupation, the Union officers occupied many of the homes in the city while the other men camped on the outskirts
Huntsville, Alabama
–
Clockwise from top:
Big Spring Park,
the Old Times Building, the Madison County Courthouse, the
Von Braun Center, and
Governors Drive
Huntsville, Alabama
–
The Big Spring, basis of street plan in Twickenham (renamed "Huntsville" in 1812)
Huntsville, Alabama
–
Bird's eye view of 1871 Huntsville, Alabama
Huntsville, Alabama
–
Child workers at Merrimac Mills in Huntsville, November 1910, photographed by
Lewis Hine
10.
Interstate 24
–
Interstate 24 is an Interstate Highway in the Midwestern and Southeastern United States. It runs diagonally from I-57,10 miles south of Marion, Illinois, to Chattanooga, Tennessee, as an even-numbered Interstate, it is signed as an east–west route, though the route follows a more southeast–northwest routing. Because the routing of I-24 is diagonal, the numbering is a bit unusual as it not completely follow the Interstate Highway System numbering conventions. I-24 makes up the majority of a corridor between St. Louis, Missouri, and Atlanta. This corridor utilizes I-64 and I-57 northwest of I-24, and I-75 southeast of I-24, I-24 begins at exit 44A on I-57 in southern Williamson County, near the community of Pulleys Mill. The highway heads southeast into rural Johnson County, bypassing Goreville to the east and it reaches an exit at Tunnel Hill Road, which serves Goreville and Tunnel Hill. The highway continues south to its exit at U. S. Route 45 north of Vienna. It reaches its next exit at Illinois Route 146 in eastern Vienna, I-24 heads southeast from Vienna into Massac County. Its first exit in Massac County is at Big Bay Road, I-24 continues southward, bypassing the community of Round Knob before entering Metropolis. The highway meets US45 again in Metropolis and passes west of Fort Massac State Park and it leaves Metropolis to the south by crossing the Interstate 24 Bridge over the Ohio River, continuing into Kentucky. I-24 crosses into Kentucky on a bridge over the Ohio River, passing to the west of the city of Paducah and intersecting US60, US45, the freeway then passes near the communities of Woodlawn-Oakdale and Reidland, and connects with US68. East of this point, I-24 runs concurrently with I-69, intersecting US62 and crossing the Tennessee River, the roadway travels along the north shore of the Cumberland River as I-69 splits off to the east just north of Mineral Mound State Park. I-24 continues east, away from the river, through farmland for several miles, near the Tennessee border, I-24 passes north of Fort Campbell before crossing into Tennessee. I-69 runs concurrently with I-24 for 17 miles from the Purchase Parkway in Calvert City to the Western Kentucky Parkway near Eddyville, compared to grades elsewhere, Monteagles 4–6% grade does not come close to the steepest, but the slope is protracted over a distance of several miles. While all motorists need to exercise caution, truckers are particularly vexed by Monteagle, owing to geography, these two ramps are on the left side of the grade. This stretch of highway inspired Johnny Cash to write a song about Monteagle Mountain, there is more than a mile between the eastbound and westbound lanes at one point. The eastbound lanes descend the mountain on one side of a ridge, also of interest on Monteagle Mountain is the steep grade on I-24 north of Monteagle. This steep grade occurs for westbound traffic and features a sharp 45 mph curve to the right while descending steeply at the same time and this downhill curve also features off-ramp approach style lane dividers, in order to slow both motorists and truckers
Interstate 24
–
I-24 Bridge connects Illinois with Kentucky across the
Ohio River
Interstate 24
–
Interstate 24
Interstate 24
–
I-65 junction with I-24 in
Nashville.
11.
Nashville, Tennessee
–
Nashville is the capital of the U. S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in the central part of the state. The city is a center for the music, healthcare, publishing, banking and transportation industries and it is known as a center of the country music industry, earning it the nickname Music City, U. S. A. Since 1963, Nashville has had a consolidated city-county government which includes six municipalities in a two-tier system. Nashville is governed by a mayor, vice-mayor, and 40-member Metropolitan Council, thirty-five of the members are elected from single-member districts, five are elected at-large. Reflecting the citys position in government, Nashville is home to the Tennessee Supreme Courts courthouse for Middle Tennessee. According to 2015 estimates from the U. S. Census Bureau, the balance population, which excludes semi-independent municipalities within Nashville, was 654,610. The 2015 population of the entire 13-county Nashville metropolitan area was 1,830,345, the 2015 population of the Nashville-Davidson–Murfreesboro–Columbia combined statistical area, a larger trade area, was 1,951,644. The town of Nashville was founded by James Robertson, John Donelson, and it was named for Francis Nash, the American Revolutionary War hero. Nashville quickly grew because of its location, accessibility as a port on the Cumberland River, a tributary of the Ohio River. By 1800, the city had 345 residents, including 136 African American slaves and 14 free blacks, in 1806, Nashville was incorporated as a city and became the county seat of Davidson County, Tennessee. In 1843, the city was named the permanent capital of the state of Tennessee, by 1860, when the first rumblings of secession began to be heard across the South, antebellum Nashville was a prosperous city. The citys significance as a port made it a desirable prize as a means of controlling important river. In February 1862, Nashville became the first state capital to fall to Union troops, the state was occupied by Union troops for the duration of the war. Within a few years after the Civil War, the Nashville chapter of the Ku Klux Klan was founded by Confederate veteran John W. Morton, meanwhile, the city had reclaimed its important shipping and trading position and developed a solid manufacturing base. The post–Civil War years of the late 19th century brought new prosperity to Nashville and these healthy economic times left the city with a legacy of grand classical-style buildings, which can still be seen around the downtown area. Circa 1950 the state approved a new city charter that provided for the election of city council members from single-member districts. This change was supported because at-large voting diluted the minority populations political power in the city and they could seldom gain a majority of the population to support a candidate of their choice
Nashville, Tennessee
–
From top left: 2nd Avenue, Kirkland Hall at
Vanderbilt University, the
Parthenon, the Nashville skyline,
Nissan Stadium,
Dolly Parton performing at the
Grand Ole Opry, and
Ryman Auditorium
Nashville, Tennessee
–
Nashville riverfront shortly after the
Civil War
Nashville, Tennessee
–
A satellite image of Nashville
Nashville, Tennessee
–
Downtown Nashville
12.
Interstate 40
–
Interstate 40 is a major east-west Interstate Highway running through the south-central portion of the United States generally north of Interstate 10 and Interstate 20 but south of Interstate 70. The western end is at Interstate 15 in Barstow, California, its end is at a concurrency of U. S. Route 117 and North Carolina Highway 132 in Wilmington. It is the third longest interstate in the United States, behind Interstate 80 and Interstate 90. Much of the part of I-40, from Oklahoma City to Barstow, parallels or overlays the historic U. S. Route 66, east of Oklahoma City the route generally parallels U. S. Route 64. Interstate 40 is a major east–west route of the Interstate Highway System and its western end is in Barstow, California. Known as the Needles Freeway, it heads east from Barstow across the Mojave Desert in San Bernardino County to Needles, I-40 covers 155 miles in California. A sign in California showing the distance to Wilmington, North Carolina has been several times. Interstate 40 is a route to the South Rim of the Grand Canyon, with the exits leading into Grand Canyon National Park in Williams. I-40 covers 359 miles in Arizona, just west of exit 190, west of Flagstaff, is its highest elevation along I-40 in the US, as the road crosses just over 7,320 feet. I-40 also passes through the Navajo Nation, the largest Indian reservation in the US, I-40 covers 374 miles in New Mexico. Notable cities along I-40 include Albuquerque, Santa Rosa, Tucumcari, Grants, I-40 also travels through several different Indian reservations in the western half of the state. It reaches its highest point of 7,275 feet at the Continental Divide in western New Mexico between Gallup and Grants. Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas are the three states where I-40 has a speed limit of 75 mph instead of 70 mph which happens in California, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Tennessee. In the west Texas panhandle area, there are several ranch roads connected directly to the interstate, one of the marked at-grade crossings is shown to the right. The only major city in Texas that is served by I-40 is Amarillo. I-40 has only one center in the state that Is located in Amarillo at the exit for Rick Husband Amarillo International Airport. I-40 covers 331 miles in Oklahoma, Interstate 40 enters the west-central part of the state and runs for 284 miles in Arkansas. The route passes through Van Buren, where it intersects the southbound Interstate 540/US71 to Fort Smith, the route continues east to Alma to intersect Interstate 49 north to Fayetteville, Arkansas
Interstate 40
–
A sign showing the distance to Wilmington, North Carolina at the start of Interstate 40. This sign has been stolen several times.
Interstate 40
–
Interstate 40
Interstate 40
–
I-40 eastbound heading towards Flagstaff
Interstate 40
–
Interstate 40 in eastern New Mexico
13.
Interstate 64
–
Interstate 64 is an Interstate Highway in the Eastern United States. Its western terminus is at I-70, U. S. Route 40 and its eastern terminus is at an interchange with I-264 and I-664 at Bowers Hill in Chesapeake, Virginia. At 953.74 miles, I-64 is the second longest interstate highway not ending with a 5 or 0, the Missouri Department of Transportation has completed extending I-64 to I-70 in Wentzville, Missouri. I-64 overlaps with I-55, I-57, I-75, I-77, I-81, I-64 does not maintain exit number continuity for any of the overlaps, as each of the six north-south routes maintain their exit numbering on their respective overlaps with I-64. This road is also the southernmost portion of the Avenue of the Saints, an interchange at Highway N OFallon, Missouri opened on December 13,2004. This interchange also accommodates the tie-in of the Missouri Route 364 freeway to I-64, in April 2007, construction started to rebuild 10.5 miles of I-64 in St. Louis, Missouri, from Spoede Road to Kingshighway. This project included repaving the road, rebuilding the overpasses and interchanges. Construction resulted in the closure of portions of the expressway in 2008 and 2009. In 2008, I-64 was closed from I-270 to I-170, re-opening December 15,2008, beginning December 15,2008, I-64 from I-170 to Kingshighway was closed. The portion of Interstate 64 in St. Louis has been named the Jack Buck Memorial Highway, I-64 enters Illinois from St. Louis, Missouri, via the Poplar Street Bridge, where it overlaps I-55 as it crosses the Mississippi River. After crossing the city of East St. Louis and the rest of suburban St. Clair County, shortly after passing Mid-America Airport at Exit 23, I-64 enters Clinton County, then Washington County. After providing access to such as Carlyle, Breese, Nashville, and Centralia. East of Mt. Vernon in Illinois, services along I-64 are few, the freeway crosses Jefferson, Wayne, and White counties as it progresses east toward Indiana and the Evansville area. East of the St Louis area, there are numerous oil wells dotting the landscape, the section from IL127 to I-57 opened on October 4,1974. The section from IL161 to IL127 opened in December 1973, the section in the Metro East, except for a short section near I-55/70, opened on December 23,1975. The section from US460 to US45 opened on August 7,1975, I-64 crosses the Wabash River and enters the state of Indiana. Near milepost 61, there is a change from Central Time Zone to Eastern Time Zone. As with all time zone changes on highways maintained by the Indiana Department of Transportation, the 123-mile route in Indiana can be described as being somewhat winding, especially the farther east one travels within the state
Interstate 64
–
The Spoede Road overpass in Missouri above I-64, demolished in June 2008
Interstate 64
–
Interstate 64
Interstate 64
–
I-64 crosses the
Poplar Street Bridge from Missouri to Illinois
Interstate 64
–
I-64 crosses the
Sherman Minton Bridge in New Albany, Indiana
14.
Interstate 71
–
Interstate 71 is an Interstate Highway in the Great Lakes/Midwestern and Southeastern region of the United States. Its southern terminus is at an interchange with Interstate 64 and Interstate 65 in Louisville and its northern terminus is at an interchange with Interstate 90 in Cleveland, Ohio. I-71 runs concurrently with Interstate 75 from a point about twenty miles south of Cincinnati, almost three quarters of the route lies east of I-75, thereby putting it out of its proper place in the Interstate grid. While I-71 is designated a highway, it is a major east–west route for cross-country traffic. It links I-80 and I-90 to I-70, and ultimately links to I-40, in Kentucky, I-71 begins east of Downtown Louisville at the Kennedy Interchange, where it meets I-64 and I-65. This interchange is sometimes called the Spaghetti Junction, from Louisville, it roughly follows the Ohio River in a diagonal path toward Northern Kentucky. Between Louisville and Cincinnati, I-71 is largely a four-lane highway and it is one of the worst bus accidents in state and national history. I-71 merges with Interstate 75 near Walton and intersects Interstate 275, after passing through Covington, the freeway crosses the Ohio River via the lower level of the Brent Spence Bridge and continues into Cincinnati. In Cincinnati, I-71 splits immediately from I-75 and heads due east onto Fort Washington Way, just east of downtown, US-50 splits from I-71 and continues east, I-71 bends north and receives Interstate 471, a spur from southeast of the city. I-71 then heads in a general northeast direction through urban Cincinnati, after another interchange with the Interstate 275 beltway, the freeway leaves the metropolitan area and heads towards Columbus. It continues northeast until it reaches South Lebanon, Ohio, where it begins cutting east across the plains of southwest Ohio. The freeway crosses the Little Miami River on the Jeremiah Morrow Bridge, which is a truss bridge. I-71 heads towards Columbus then intersects with the bypass I-270 before heading north into urban Columbus, about a mile north of the I-70 junction, it intersects with I-670. After another interchange with the I-270 bypass, the exits out of Columbus and continues north until near Delaware. Beginning its path to Cleveland, I-71 enters the farm country on the edges of the Allegheny Plateau. It continues in this fashion to Lodi/Westfield Center and its junction with I-76, heading north to Medina, it meets the terminus of I-271. The highway then continues north into urban Cuyahoga County and Clevelands suburbs, passing Cleveland Hopkins International Airport, I-71 meets I-480 and enters Clevelands west side, continuing on to downtown. It junctions with State Route 176 and terminates at Interstate 90 on the Innerbelt, the first section of I-71 in Louisville opened in December 1966 between its terminus at Spaghetti Junction and Zorn Avenue, its first exit
Interstate 71
–
A section of the Fort Washington Way in Cincinnati
Interstate 71
–
Interstate 71
Interstate 71
–
Heading northbound into Columbus from the south
Interstate 71
–
Intersection of I-70 and I-71 in Columbus, Ohio.
15.
Louisville, Kentucky
–
Louisville is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Kentucky and the 30th-most populous city in the United States. It is one of two cities in Kentucky designated as first-class, the other being the states second-largest city of Lexington, Louisville is the historical seat and, since 2003, the nominal seat of Jefferson County. Louisville was founded in 1778 by George Rogers Clark and is named after King Louis XVI of France, making Louisville one of the oldest cities west of the Appalachian Mountains. Sited beside the Falls of the Ohio, the major obstruction to river traffic between the upper Ohio River and the Gulf of Mexico, the settlement first grew as a portage site. It was the city of the Louisville and Nashville Railroad. Its main airport is also the site of United Parcel Services worldwide air hub, since 2003, Louisvilles borders have been the same as those of Jefferson County because of a city-county merger. The official name of this consolidated city-county government is the Louisville/Jefferson County Metro Government, the citys total consolidated population as of the 2014 census estimate was 760,026. However, the total of 612,780 excludes other incorporated places and semiautonomous towns within the county and is the population listed in most sources. As of 2014, the MSA had a population of 1,269,702, the history of Louisville spans hundreds of years, and has been influenced by the areas geography and location. The rapids at the Falls of the Ohio created a barrier to river travel, the first European settlement in the vicinity of modern-day Louisville was on Corn Island in 1778 by Col. George Rogers Clark, credited as the founder of Louisville. Several landmarks in the community are named after him, two years later, in 1780, the Virginia General Assembly approved the town charter of Louisville. The city was named in honor of King Louis XVI of France, early residents lived in forts to protect themselves from Indian raids, but moved out by the late 1780s. In 1803, explorers Meriwether Lewis and William Clark organized their expedition across America in the town of Clarksville, Indiana at the present-day Falls of the Ohio opposite Louisville, Kentucky. The citys early growth was influenced by the fact river boats had to be unloaded and moved downriver before reaching the falls. By 1828, the population had swelled to 7,000, the city grew rapidly in its formative years. Louisville was a shipping port and slaves worked in a variety of associated trades. The city was often a point of escape for slaves to the north, during the Civil War, Louisville was a major stronghold of Union forces, which kept Kentucky firmly in the Union. It was the center of planning, supplies, recruiting, and transportation for numerous campaigns, by the end of the war, Louisville had not been attacked, although skirmishes and battles, including the battles of Perryville and Corydon, took place nearby
Louisville, Kentucky
–
From top:
Louisville downtown skyline at night,
Cathedral of the Assumption,
Thunder Over Louisville fireworks during the
Kentucky Derby Festival,
Kentucky Derby,
Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory,
Fourth Street Live!,
The Kentucky Center for the Performing Arts
Louisville, Kentucky
–
Louisville's founder,
George Rogers Clark
Louisville, Kentucky
–
View of Main Street Louisville in 1846
Louisville, Kentucky
–
Memorial to the
1890 tornado, on Main Street in
downtown Louisville
16.
Interstate 74
–
Interstate 74 is an Interstate Highway in the midwestern and southeastern United States. Its western end is at an interchange with Interstate 80 in Davenport, Iowa, I-74 also exists as several disconnected sections of highways in North Carolina. In the state of Iowa, Interstate 74 runs south from Interstate 80 for 5.36 miles before crossing into Illinois on the Interstate 74 Bridge, North of the Mississippi River, I-74 bisects Bettendorf and Davenport. In the state of Illinois, Interstate 74 runs south from Moline to Galesburg, from this point it runs southeast through Peoria to the Bloomington-Normal area, I-74 continues southeast to the Champaign-Urbana area, intersecting with Interstate 57. The interstate then runs east past Danville at the Illinois-Indiana state line, U. S. Route 150 parallels Interstate 74 in Illinois for its entire length, save the last few miles on the eastern end, where it parallels U. S. Route 136. In the state of Indiana, Interstate 74 runs east from the Illinois state line to the Crawfordsville area before turning southeast and it then runs around the city center of Indianapolis along Interstate 465. Once I-74 reaches the southeast side of Indianapolis it diverges from I-465 and it then enters Ohio in Harrison, Ohio. In the state of Ohio, Interstate 74 runs southeast from the Indiana border to the western segments current eastern terminus at Interstate 75 just north of downtown Cincinnati and it is also signed with U. S. Route 52 for its entire length. While planned to continue through West Virginia and Virginia to the Interstate 74 section in North Carolina, at this point, I-74 would follow U. S. Route 52 east from Cincinnati and the current Interstate 74. In the state of North Carolina, as of May 2015 I-74 exists in several segments, Route 220 from just north of Asheboro to south of Ellerbe, and finally a more eastern segment that runs from Laurinburg to an end at NC41 near Lumberton. The 1991 plan to build Interstate 73 soon included an extension of I-74 from where it ended in Hamilton County to I-73 at Portsmouth, Ohio, on August 31,1992, the Ohio Turnpike Commission passed a resolution to study making the extension of I-74 a toll road. Congress had authorized paying for 80 percent of the cost, and it was estimated that improving US52 to interstate standards in West Virginia would cost $2 billion. Still, by 1994, improvements to US52 were planned, the I-74 extension seemed more certain. I-73 and I-74 overlap to Rockingham, in 1996 AASHTO approved the signing of highways as I-74 along its proposed path east of I-81 in Wytheville, Virginia, where those highways meet Interstate Highway standards. North Carolina started putting up I-74 signs along its roadways in 1997, as of October 2009, Interstate 74 remains unbuilt in the state of West Virginia. WVDOT is currently upgrading the Tolsia Highway to four lanes, as of December 2008, Interstate 74 is proposed to follow the path of Interstate 77 through the state of Virginia, but remains unsigned from the West Virginia border to the North Carolina border. Two sections of I-74 in North Carolina are currently under construction. S,158, this project should also be completed by 2018. The proposed path of I-74 east of I-95 in North Carolina is still being debated, the current plan takes the route along US74 to NC211 near Bolton then south along US17 to near the South Carolina border
Interstate 74
–
The
Interstate 74 Bridge over the
Mississippi River between
Bettendorf, Iowa and
Moline, Illinois.
Interstate 74
–
Regional map of Interstate Highways with I-74 highlighted in red.
Interstate 74
–
Murray Baker Bridge over the
Illinois River in
Peoria, Illinois.
17.
Interstate 465
–
Interstate 465, also known as the USS Indianapolis Memorial Highway, is the beltway circling Indianapolis, Indiana, United States. It is roughly rectangular in shape and has a perimeter of approximately 53 miles and it lies almost completely within the boundaries of Marion County, except for two short sections on the north leg in Boone and Hamilton Counties. It crosses I-65, I-69, I-70 and I-74, and provides access to I-65 via I-865. Except for I-65 and I-70, no numbered highways run through downtown Indianapolis, a beltway for Indianapolis was part of the original plan of the Interstate System in 1955. On the citys west side, an alignment corridor paralleling High School Road was preferred, development along 86th Street made its use unfeasible for I-465, so a 91st Street alignment was initially proposed. This proved to be controversial, and caused delays in final alignment selection for the North Leg. Like all Interstate highways in Indiana, the I-465 beltway was constructed in segments which when all were complete, made up the route we know today. There were 16 segments along the original semi-circumferential selected alignment between I-65 in Boone County at exit 129 and that same highway six miles to the south at exit 123 in Marion County. By the time that added section was completed in 1970, Indiana had obtained approval to sign it as I-465 as well. State highway officials concentrated on building the west and south legs of I-465 early in the overall project, the south side sections were next be completed, with three opening in the second half of 1963 and two more on October 15,1964. With these sections open, the length of I-74s concurrency over I-465 was now available for motorists. Also the south junction with I-65 was completed, but that freeway was only open to the north until early 1971. In January 1968 two sections of the east leg, between Pendleton Pike and the SR100 junction near Raymond Street, were completed and opened a day apart. This allowed through traffic from both US36 and SR67 to bypass the increasingly congested SR100 by using the new sections of I-465 instead. On October 23,1968, the section of I-465 between Pendleton Pike and 56th Street at Shadeland Avenue was finished and opened to traffic, completing the east legs eastern bypass of SR100. With its alignment controversies now settled and in the read-view mirror, the section between Michigan Road and Meridian Street was the first on this side of town to see traffic, on October 20,1968. A year to the day later, the segment from US31 to Keystone Avenue was opened to motorists. That occurred on August 18,1970, when the end of the north leg between I-65 near Royalton and Michigan Road was finished and opened to traffic
Interstate 465
18.
Indianapolis, Indiana
–
Indianapolis, is the capital and largest city of the U. S. state of Indiana and the seat of Marion County. It is in the East North Central region of the Midwestern United States, with an estimated population of 853,173 in 2015, Indianapolis is the second most populous city in the Midwest, after Chicago, and 14th largest in the U. S. The city is the economic and cultural center of the Indianapolis metropolitan area, home to 2 million people and its combined statistical area ranks 26th, with 2.4 million inhabitants. Indianapolis covers 372 square miles, making it the 16th largest city by area in the U. S. The city grew beyond the Mile Square, as completion of the National Road and advent of the railroad solidified the position as a manufacturing. Indianapolis is within a single-day drive of 70 percent of the nations population, Indianapolis has developed niche markets in amateur sports and auto racing. The city is perhaps best known for hosting the worlds largest single-day sporting event. The city is notable as headquarters for the American Legion and home to a significant collection of monuments dedicated to veterans and war dead, the most in the U. S. outside of Washington, D. C. Since the 1970 city-county consolidation, known as Unigov, local government administration has operated under the direction of an elected 25-member city-county council, Indianapolis is considered a high sufficiency global city. In 1816, the year Indiana gained statehood, the U. S. Congress donated four sections of land to establish a permanent seat of state government. Two years later, under the Treaty of St. Marys and this tract of land, which was called the New Purchase, included the site selected for the new state capital in 1820. The availability of new lands for purchase in central Indiana attracted settlers. Although many of these first European and American setters were Protestants, few African Americans lived in central Indiana before 1840. The first European Americans to permanently settle in the area that became Indianapolis were either the McCormick or Pogue families, on January 11,1820, the Indiana General Assembly authorized a committee to select a site in central Indiana for the new state capital. The state legislature approved the site, adopting the name Indianapolis on January 6,1821, in April, Alexander Ralston and Elias Pym Fordham were appointed to survey and design a town plan for the new settlement. Indianapolis became a seat of county government on December 31,1821, a combined county and town government continued until 1832, when Indianapolis incorporated as a town. Indianapolis became an incorporated city effective March 30,1847, Samuel Henderson, the citys first mayor, led the new city government, which included a seven-member city council. In 1853, voters approved a new city charter provided for an elected mayor
Indianapolis, Indiana
–
The
Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument looms over the intersection of
Washington and
Meridian streets (1904).
Indianapolis, Indiana
–
Clockwise from top:
Downtown Indianapolis skyline, as seen from
IUPUI, the
Indiana Statehouse,
Lucas Oil Stadium,
Indianapolis Motor Speedway, the
Indiana World War Memorial Plaza, and the
Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument.
Indianapolis, Indiana
–
The inaugural Indy 500 (1911).
Indianapolis, Indiana
–
Athletes at Pan American Games X (1987).
19.
Interstate 70
–
Interstate 70 is a major Interstate Highway in the United States that runs from I-15 near Cove Fort, Utah to I-695 near Baltimore, Maryland. I-70 approximately traces the path of U. S. Route 40 east of the Rocky Mountains, West of the Rockies, the route of I-70 was derived from multiple sources. The Interstate runs through or near major cities, including Denver, Kansas City, St. Louis, Indianapolis, Columbus, Pittsburgh. The sections of the interstate in Missouri and Kansas have laid claim to be the first interstate in the United States. The construction of I-70 in Colorado and Utah is considered an engineering marvel as the passes through the Eisenhower Tunnel, Glenwood Canyon. The Eisenhower Tunnel is the highest point along the Interstate Highway system with an elevation of 11,158 ft. Interstate 70 begins at an interchange with Interstate 15 near Cove Fort. Upon leaving the valley near Salina, I-70 crosses 7,923 ft Salina Summit, prior to the construction of I-70, the swell was inaccessible via paved roads and relatively undiscovered. It also became the longest piece of highway to be opened at one time. Although opened in 1970, this section was not formally complete until 1990, since I-70s construction, the swell has been noted for its desolate beauty. The swell has since been nominated for National Park and/or National Monument status on multiple occasions, if the swell is granted this status it arguably would be the first time a National Park owes its existence to an interstate highway. Most of the exits in this span are rest areas, brake check areas, I-70 exits the swell near Green River. From Green River to the Colorado state line, I-70 follows the edge of the Book Cliffs. Entering from Utah, I-70 descends into the Grand Valley where it meets the Colorado River, here I-70 serves the Grand Junction metro area before traversing more mountainous terrain. The last section of I-70 to be completed was the 15-mile Glenwood Canyon, construction was delayed for many years due to environmental concerns. Much of the highway is elevated above the Colorado River, the speed limit in this section is 50 mph due to the limited sight distance and sharp corners. The Eisenhower–Johnson Memorial Tunnel, the highest vehicular tunnel in North America, because of the rugged and narrow terrain of the Rocky Mountains, I-70 is one of few roads connecting Colorados ski resorts with Denver. Descending through the foothills of the Rocky Mountains, the Denver skyline can be seen on a clear day. This can fool truckers and other unsuspecting drivers because there is still over 10 miles of steep grade road before reaching the city, a series of signs warns truckers of the steep grade
Interstate 70
–
I-70 passes through Spotted Wolf Canyon inside the
San Rafael Swell
Interstate 70
–
Interstate 70
Interstate 70
–
I-70 at
Glenwood Canyon
Interstate 70
–
I-70 at the portal of the
Eisenhower–Johnson Memorial Tunnel. The traffic signal is controlled from a command center and used for incident management.
20.
Interstate 80
–
Interstate 80 is a transcontinental limited-access highway in the United States that runs from downtown San Francisco, California, to Teaneck, New Jersey, in the New York City Metropolitan Area. The highway was designated in 1956 as one of the routes of the Interstate Highway System. Its final segment was opened to traffic in 1986 and it is the second-longest Interstate Highway in the United States, following I-90. I-80 is the Interstate Highway that most closely approximates the route of the historic Lincoln Highway, from near Chicago east to near Youngstown, Ohio, I-80 is a toll road, containing the majority of both the Indiana Toll Road and the Ohio Turnpike. I-80 runs concurrently with I-90 from near Portage, Indiana, to Elyria, in Pennsylvania, I-80 is known as the Keystone Shortway, a non-tolled freeway that crosses rural north-central portions of the state on the way to New Jersey and New York City. I-80 begins at an interchange with U. S. Route 101 in San Francisco and it then heads northeast through Vallejo, Sacramento, and the Sierra Nevada mountains before crossing into Nevada. A portion of the route through Pinole involved the experimental transplantation of the rare species Santa Cruz tarweed in the right-of-way, in Nevada, I-80 traverses the northern portion of the state. The Nevada portion of I-80 follows the paths of the Truckee and Humboldt rivers, the Interstate also follows the historical routes of the California Trail, First Transcontinental Railroad, and Feather River Route throughout portions of the state. I-80 in Nevada closely follows, and at points directly overlaps, the original route of the Victory Highway, State Route 1. After crossing Utahs western border in Wendover, I-80 crosses the desolate Bonneville Salt Flats west of the Great Salt Lake, the longest stretch between exits on an Interstate Highway is located between Wendover and Knolls, with 37.4 miles between those exits. This portion of I-80, crossing the Great Salt Lake Desert, is flat and straight, dotted with large warning signs about driver fatigue. It ascends Parleys Canyon and passes within a few miles of Park City as it follows a route through the mountains towards the junction with the terminus of the western section of I-84. From the junction it continues up Echo Canyon and on towards the border with Wyoming, the route of the Utah section of I-80 is defined in Utah Code Annotated § 72-4-113. In Wyoming, I-80 reaches its maximum elevation of 8,640 feet above sea level at Sherman Summit, near Buford, farther west in Wyoming, the Interstate passes through the dry Red Desert and over the Continental Divide. I-80 enters Nebraska west of Bushnell, the western portion of I-80 in Nebraska runs very close to the state of Colorado, without entering the state. The intersection of I-76 and I-80 is visible from the Colorado–Nebraska state line, from its intersection with I-76 to Grand Island, I-80 lies in the valley of the South Platte River and the Platte River. Along this length, the road does not vary from a straight line by more than a few yards. After Lincoln, I-80 turns northeast towards Omaha and it then crosses the Missouri River in Omaha to enter the state of Iowa
Interstate 80
–
Interstate 80 is a major urban freeway in the San Francisco Bay Area
Interstate 80
–
Interstate 80
Interstate 80
–
I-80 descending into
Reno from the
Sierra Nevada
Interstate 80
–
Mountains of the
Great Salt Lake as seen approaching
Salt Lake City from the west
21.
Interstate 94
–
Interstate 94 is an east–west Interstate Highway connecting the Great Lakes and Intermountain regions of the United States. I-94s western terminus is in Billings, Montana, at a junction with I-90 and it lies along the primary overland route from Seattle to Toronto. I-94 is the eighth longest Interstate highway and the longest Interstate highway whose number does not end in a 0 or a 5, I-94 intersects with I-90 several times, at its western terminus, near Madison, Wisconsin, in Chicago, and in Lake Station, Indiana. I-94 begins at Billings and travels northeastward toward Glendive before exiting the state to the east, the Highway is notable for following the Yellowstone River from Billings through Glendive. Beyond the western terminus of I-94, I-90 connects westbound I-94 travelers to points west such as Butte and Seattle, the route enters at Beach and passes through the Badlands near Medora. A public rest area about seven miles east of Medora provides a view, especially at sunset. The highway intersects with the Enchanted Highway 11 miles east of Dickinson at exit 72, at New Salem, it passes Salem Sue, a 38-foot high sculpture of a Holstein cow and is clearly visible from I-94 on the south side of the road. A drive up the road to Sue will take visitors to a point where you can see a panoramic landscape for many miles. Between Mandan and Bismarck, I-94 crosses the Missouri River with a view of the Northern Pacific/BNSF Railroad Bridge on the side of the road. At Steele, it passes the worlds largest sculpture of a sand hill crane, at Jamestown, it passes the worlds largest sculpture of the buffalo named Dakota Thunder, which is 28 feet tall and is visible from I-94 on the north side of the road. The highway reaches Fargo, before the Red River, leaving Fargo, ND and entering Moorhead, MN, I-94 crosses the Red River. East of the Moorhead airport, the travels in a northwest-southeast trajectory past Fergus Falls, Alexandria, and St. Cloud on the way to the Twin Cities. The road crosses the Mississippi River in Minneapolis between the Prospect Park and Seward neighborhoods, the highway joins Minneapolis and St. Paul together where it meets MN Highway 280. In the Twin Cities, the routing of the highway is politically charged, primarily through many historic working-class and African-American neighborhoods. In Saint Paul, the routing of I-94 is set through and displaces the historic Rondo neighborhood, east of Saint Paul, I-94 leaves Minnesota between Lakeland, MN and Hudson, WI, while crossing the St. Croix River. Interstate 94 enters Wisconsin east of the Twin Cities at Hudson and it passes Eau Claire before turning southeastward and joining with Interstate 90 in Tomah and Interstate 39 in Portage. I-94 leaves I-90 and I-39 near Madison and resumes its path toward Milwaukee before turning south and heading to Chicago. In the state of Illinois, I-94 runs south from Wisconsin to Indiana via downtown Chicago and it is tolled on the Tri-State Tollway to the I-94/I-294 split, it then runs east to the Edens Expressway, where it turns south through the city of Chicago
Interstate 94
–
Billings, MT is the western terminus of I-94
Interstate 94
–
Interstate 94
Interstate 94
–
East bound on I-94, the main highway east–west through North Dakota.
Interstate 94
–
Lowry Hill Tunnel in Minneapolis
22.
Gary, Indiana
–
Gary is a city in Lake County, Indiana, United States,25 miles from downtown Chicago, Illinois. The population of Gary was 80,294 at the 2010 census, from the middle of the twentieth century to the present, Gary has experienced drastic population loss, falling by 55 percent from its peak of 178,320 in 1960. Gary is adjacent to the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore and borders Lake Michigan, the city is known for its large steel mills, and for being the birthplace of The Jackson 5 music group. Gary, Indiana, was founded in 1906 by the United States Steel Corporation as the home for its new plant, the city was named after lawyer Elbert Henry Gary, who was the founding chairman of the United States Steel Corporation. Gary was the site of civil unrest in the Steel Strike of 1919, on October 4,1919, a riot broke out on Broadway, the main north-south street through downtown Gary, between striking steel workers and strike breakers brought in from outside. Three days later, Indiana governor James P. Goodrich declared martial law, shortly thereafter, over 4,000 federal troops under the command of Major General Leonard Wood arrived to restore order. The jobs offered by the industry provided Gary with very rapid growth. At that time,19. 3% of the population was classified as foreign-born, Gary was also becoming increasingly racially diverse, with 17. 8% of the population classified as black, and 3. 5% as Mexican. Garys fortunes have risen and fallen with those of the steel industry, the growth of the steel industry brought prosperity to the community. Broadway was known as a center for the region. Department stores and architecturally significant movie houses were built in the downtown area, in the 1960s, like many other American urban centers reliant on one particular industry, Gary entered a spiral of decline. Garys decline was brought on by the growing overseas competitiveness in the steel industry, the U. S. Steel Gary Works employed over 30,000 in 1970, declined to just 6,000 by 1990, and further declined to 5,100 in August of 2015. As the city declined, crime increased, rapid racial change occurred in Gary during the late 20th century. Non-whites were primarily restricted to live in the Midtown section just south of downtown, Gary had one of the nations first African-American mayors, Richard G. Hatcher, and hosted the ground-breaking 1972 National Black Political Convention. Since the 1930s, Gary had developed a reputation as a city due to rampant political corruption, racial violence & segregation, labor unrest. In the 1960s through the 1980s, surrounding localities such as Merrillville and Crown Point experienced rapid growth, including new homes. Owing to white flight, economic distress, and a perception of skyrocketing crime, many middle-class, in the late 1990s and early 2000s, Gary had the highest percentage of African-Americans of U. S. cities with a population of 100,000 or more, 84%. This no longer applies to Gary since the population of the city has now fallen well below 100,000 residents, as of 2013, the Gary Department of Redevelopment has estimated that one-third of all homes in the city are unoccupied and/or abandoned
Gary, Indiana
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The Genesis Towers (originally the Hotel Gary) and Gary State Bank Building in downtown Gary
Gary, Indiana
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5th Ave and Broadway in 1909
Gary, Indiana
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Lake County, Indiana Superior Court Building.
Gary, Indiana
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Gary Centennial Landmark.
23.
Interstate 90
–
Interstate 90 is a transcontinental freeway, and the longest Interstate Highway in the United States at 3,020.54 miles. Its western terminus is in Seattle, at Edgar Martinez Drive S. near Safeco Field and CenturyLink Field, I-90 crosses the Continental Divide over Homestake Pass just east of Butte, Montana. East of the Wisconsin-Illinois border, much of I-90 follows several toll roads, the Interstate is not tolled through some segments in downtown Chicago, Greater Cleveland, and the rest of Northeast Ohio, Pennsylvania, and through brief sections near Buffalo, Albany, and Boston. Erie, Pennsylvania, Madison, Wisconsin, Billings, Montana, the western I-90 terminus is in the SoDo neighborhood of Seattle. I-90 eastbound begins at exit 2B, Edgar Martínez Drive S and 4th Avenue S. I-90 westbound exit 2B ends at Edgar Martínez Dr and 4th Ave near Safeco Field, as well as 4th Ave just north of S. Royal Brougham Way near CenturyLink Field, about a block east of the entrance to the Port of Seattles container shipping terminal 46, the tunnel that carries I-90 under the Mount Baker Ridge is on the National Register of Historic Places. The east portal of the tunnel is constructed as a bas relief concrete sculpture and they are the second and fifth longest such bridges, respectively. Forty miles east of Bellevue, I-90 traverses the Cascade Ranges Snoqualmie Pass and it intersects I-82 shortly after exiting the mountains and crosses the Columbia River on the Vantage Bridge at mile post 137. After entering Spokane near mile post 279, it enters Idaho eighteen miles later, since 1980, I-90 from Seattle to Thorp was designated the Mountains to Sound Greenway to protect its outstanding scenic and cultural resources. The Washington section of I-90 is defined in the Revised Code of Washington, the small town of Wallace still prides itself on having what was the last stop light in the Rocky Mountains on I-90. As a result, the government was forced, at great expense, to reroute the freeway to the northern edge of downtown. That section of I-90 opened in September 1991, a bicycle path is routed beneath part of that segment. In the period between 1995 and 1999, there was no numbered speed limit on I-90 in Montana, the speed limit was simply defined as reasonable and prudent as determined on a case-by-case basis by the Montana Highway Patrol. The speed limit in Montana is now 80 mph, from the west I-90 enters Montana on the summit of Lookout Pass. It passes between the Gallatin and Bridger mountain ranges over Bozeman Pass between Bozeman and Livingston and it follows the Yellowstone River from Livingston to Billings where it connects the suburbs of Laurel and Lockwood with the rest of the Billings area. In Lockwood it intersects with I-94s western terminus and turns south, South of Hardin it passes the site of the Battle of the Little Bighorn at Crow Agency on the Crow Indian Reservation. Montana boasts the longest stretch of I-90, ranging just over 551 miles, I-90 enters the state of Wyoming from the north after splitting off from I-94 in Billings, Montana. The first major town is Sheridan where it heads southbound and it then goes across the Powder River Basin toward Gillette, Moorcroft, and Sundance where it shares alignments with both US14 and US16
Interstate 90
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I-90 crossing Lake Washington
Interstate 90
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Interstate 90
Interstate 90
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I-90 on the 1991 viaduct in Wallace, Idaho
Interstate 90
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I-90 near Park City, Montana
24.
U.S. Route 12
–
U. S. Route 12 is an east–west United States highway, running from Aberdeen, Washington to Detroit, Michigan, for almost 2,500 miles. As a thoroughfare, it has mostly supplanted by I-90 and I-94. The western terminus of US12 is located in Aberdeen, Washington. In the 1960s, a portion of US12 was moved north to the town of Morton, the old two-lane highway now bears the name Wine Country Road. The highway loosely follows the eastbound leg of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, between Wallula, Washington and Clarkston, Washington, thus being marked as part of the Lewis and Clark Trail. The east end of the highway in the state is at Clarkston, the Washington section of US12, other than a concurrency with Interstate 5, is defined at Washington Revised Code §47.17.055. US12 enters the state at Lewiston, crossing the Snake River from Clarkston, Washington and it ascends the Clearwater River, concurrent with US95 for 7 miles. It continues up the Lochsa and climbs to Lolo Pass at the Montana border and this portion of the highway is also designated as part of the Lewis and Clark Trail. Most of the highway in Idaho is within the Clearwater National Forest, the eastern section of US12, through remote mountain forest and up to Lolo Pass, was built in the early 1960s, making US12 the last US highway constructed. No services are available between Lowell and Powell, about 70 miles further east, on two-lane portions of the road, the equipment, weighing as much as 300 tons and as much as 30 feet high and 24 feet wide, would occupy the entire roadway. The route is preferable to other routes due to the lack of underpasses, the alternative is transport across the Great Plains from Texas or New Orleans On U. S.12, the major obstacle would be power lines which would have to be raised or buried. That and other alterations to the such as turnouts would be paid for by the companies. The trucks would transport only at night, moving short distances between places where they would pull off and let traffic pass, a permit granted by the Idaho Transportation Department to ConocoPhillips in August 2010 is the subject of litigation initiated by householders along the route. On January 19,2011 it was announced that the Idaho government would issue permits for four loads of equipment to be transported from Lewiston to Billings. US12 in Montana has been defined as the Lewis and Clark Highway, despite not being the route followed by Lewis, US 12s 592 miles through Montanas mountains and plains is the greatest distance that US12 traverses through any state. The highway enters Montana at Lolo Pass, seven miles southwest of Lolo Hot Springs in the Lolo National Forest, US12 continues northeast through Missoulas downtown, eventually meeting I-90. It then overlaps I-90 for 69 miles, until Garrison, where it heads east toward Helena for 48.8 miles, US12 passes over Interstate 15 at which, point it joins US287 south. US12 overlaps US287 and heads southeast, toward Townsend for 33.4 miles, where it splits from US287, US287 culminates 121 miles, in Yellowstone National Park
U.S. Route 12
–
Logging truck at
Lolo Hot Springs, Montana
U.S. Route 12
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U.S. Route 12
25.
U.S. Route 20
–
U. S. Route 20 is an east–west United States highway. The 0 in its number indicates that US20 is a coast-to-coast route. Spanning 3,365 miles, it is the longest road in the United States, there is a discontinuity in the official designation of US20 through Yellowstone National Park, with unnumbered roads used to traverse the park. It and US30 break the general U. S. Route numbering rules in Oregon, since US30 actually starts north of US20, the two overlap and continue in the correct positioning near Caldwell, Idaho. This is because US20 was not a planned coast-to-coast route while US30 was, US20 originally ended at the eastern entrance of Yellowstone Park, it was extended in 1940. The highways eastern terminus is in Boston, Massachusetts, at Kenmore Square and its western terminus is in Newport, Oregon, at an intersection with US101, within a mile of the Pacific Ocean. The highway passes through the states, US20 begins at an intersection with US101 in Newport, Oregon. It eventually overlaps with US26 in Vale, and the two roads continue concurrently to the Idaho border, US20 crosses into Idaho from Oregon northwest of Parma. It runs concurrently with US26 and joins US95 through Parma, US 20/US26 leaves US95 southeast of Parma and runs to Caldwell where US 20/US26 joins with I-84 and US30 for a short time. It continues into and across Camas County through Fairfield to Timmerman Junction, the intersection in Blaine County with State Highway 75, the route to Sun Valley, Galena Summit, and Stanley. US20 continues east through Picabo and Carey, joined with US26 and US93, to Craters of the Moon and Arco, where US93 splits off and turns north-northwest to climb the Big Lost River valley. US20 then climbs through the communities of St. Anthony, Ashton, and Island Park, in the state of Montana, US20 runs for less than 10 miles. It runs from the Idaho state line to West Yellowstone, Montana, US20 is known as the Targhee Pass Highway in Montana. In the state of Wyoming, the segment of US20 starts at the eastern entrance to Yellowstone National Park along with the western termini of US14. These three routes run east to Greybull, where US14 continues east and US 16/US20 turns south, at Worland, US20 joins US26 in Shoshoni, where it turns east. In Casper it joins I-25 and US87 and these four routes stay combined to Orin, where US20 turns east. At its intersection with I-25, US18 begins, US18 and US20 are concurrent from Orin to Lusk. US18 separates there and US20 runs east into Nebraska, in the state of Nebraska, US20 runs from west of Harrison to South Sioux City on the Missouri River
U.S. Route 20
–
US 20 origin at Newport, Oregon
U.S. Route 20
–
U.S. Route 20
U.S. Route 20
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US 20 enters Nebraska from Wyoming
U.S. Route 20
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US 20 crosses the Mississippi River connecting Dubuque, Iowa, and East Dubuque, Illinois
26.
Alabama
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Alabama is a state in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, Alabama is the 30th-most extensive and the 24th-most populous of the U. S. states. At nearly 1,500 miles, Alabama has one of the nations longest navigable inland waterways, Alabama is nicknamed the Yellowhammer State, after the state bird. Alabama is also known as the Heart of Dixie and the Cotton State, the state tree is the longleaf pine, and the state flower is the camellia. The largest city by population is Birmingham, which has long been the most industrialized city, the oldest city is Mobile, founded by French colonists in 1702 as the capital of French Louisiana. From the American Civil War until World War II, Alabama, like many states in the southern U. S. suffered economic hardship, like other southern states, Alabama legislators disenfranchised African Americans and many poor whites at the turn of the century. Following World War II, Alabama grew as the economy changed from one primarily based on agriculture to one with diversified interests. The state economy in the 21st century is based on management, automotive, finance, manufacturing, aerospace, mineral extraction, healthcare, education, retail, in the Alabama language, the word for a person of Alabama lineage is Albaamo. The word Alabama is believed to have come from the Alabama language, the words spelling varies significantly among historical sources. As early as 1702, the French called the tribe the Alibamon, other spellings of the name have included Alibamu, Alabamo, Albama, Alebamon, Alibama, Alibamou, Alabamu, Allibamou. Sources disagree on the words meaning, some scholars suggest the word comes from the Choctaw alba and amo. The meaning may have been clearers of the thicket or herb gatherers, the state has numerous place names of Native American origin. However, there are no correspondingly similar words in the Alabama language, an 1842 article in the Jacksonville Republican proposed it meant Here We Rest. This notion was popularized in the 1850s through the writings of Alexander Beaufort Meek, experts in the Muskogean languages have not found any evidence to support such a translation. Indigenous peoples of varying cultures lived in the area for thousands of years before the advent of European colonization, trade with the northeastern tribes by the Ohio River began during the Burial Mound Period and continued until European contact. The agrarian Mississippian culture covered most of the state from 1000 to 1600 AD, with one of its major centers built at what is now the Moundville Archaeological Site in Moundville, Alabama. This is the second-largest complex of the classic Middle Mississippian era, after Cahokia in present-day Illinois, Analysis of artifacts from archaeological excavations at Moundville were the basis of scholars formulating the characteristics of the Southeastern Ceremonial Complex. Contrary to popular belief, the SECC appears to have no links to Mesoamerican culture
Alabama
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One of the entrances to
Russell Cave in Jackson County. Charcoal from indigenous camp fires in the cave has been dated as early as 6550 to 6145 BC.
Alabama
Alabama
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The
Moundville Archaeological Site in Hale County. It was occupied by Native Americans of the
Mississippian culture from 1000 to 1450 AD.
Alabama
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The main house, built in 1833, at
Thornhill in Greene County. It is a former
Black Belt plantation.
27.
Tennessee
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Tennessee is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. Tennessee is the 36th largest and the 16th most populous of the 50 United States, Tennessee is bordered by Kentucky and Virginia to the north, North Carolina to the east, Georgia, Alabama, and Mississippi to the south, and Arkansas and Missouri to the west. The Appalachian Mountains dominate the eastern part of the state, Tennessees capital and second largest city is Nashville, which has a population of 654,610. Memphis is the states largest city, with a population of 655,770, the state of Tennessee is rooted in the Watauga Association, a 1772 frontier pact generally regarded as the first constitutional government west of the Appalachians. What is now Tennessee was initially part of North Carolina, Tennessee was admitted to the Union as the 16th state on June 1,1796. Tennessee was the last state to leave the Union and join the Confederacy at the outbreak of the American Civil War in 1861, occupied by Union forces from 1862, it was the first state to be readmitted to the Union at the end of the war. Tennessee furnished more soldiers for the Confederate Army than any other state besides Virginia and this sharply reduced competition in politics in the state until after passage of civil rights legislation in the mid-20th century. This city was established to house the Manhattan Projects uranium enrichment facilities, helping to build the worlds first atomic bomb, Tennessees major industries include agriculture, manufacturing, and tourism. Poultry, soybeans, and cattle are the primary agricultural products, and major manufacturing exports include chemicals, transportation equipment. In the early 18th century, British traders encountered a Cherokee town named Tanasi in present-day Monroe County, the town was located on a river of the same name, and appears on maps as early as 1725. The meaning and origin of the word are uncertain, some accounts suggest it is a Cherokee modification of an earlier Yuchi word. It has been said to mean meeting place, winding river, according to ethnographer James Mooney, the name can not be analyzed and its meaning is lost. The modern spelling, Tennessee, is attributed to James Glen, the governor of South Carolina, the spelling was popularized by the publication of Henry Timberlakes Draught of the Cherokee Country in 1765. In 1788, North Carolina created Tennessee County, the county to be established in what is now Middle Tennessee. When a constitutional convention met in 1796 to organize a new out of the Southwest Territory. Other sources differ on the origin of the nickname, according to the Columbia Encyclopedia. Tennessee ties Missouri as the state bordering the most other states, the state is trisected by the Tennessee River. The highest point in the state is Clingmans Dome at 6,643 feet, Clingmans Dome, which lies on Tennessees eastern border, is the highest point on the Appalachian Trail, and is the third highest peak in the United States east of the Mississippi River
Tennessee
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Monument near the ancient site of Tanasi in Monroe County
Tennessee
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Flag
Tennessee
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View from atop
Mount Le Conte in the
Great Smoky Mountains National Park, April 2007
Tennessee
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Autumn in Tennessee. Roadway to Lindsey Lake in
David Crockett State Park, located a half mile west of
Lawrenceburg
28.
Kentucky
–
Kentucky, officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a state located in the east south-central region of the United States. Kentucky is one of four U. S. states constituted as a commonwealth, originally a part of Virginia, in 1792 Kentucky became the 15th state to join the Union. Kentucky is the 37th most extensive and the 26th most populous of the 50 United States, Kentucky is known as the Bluegrass State, a nickname based on the bluegrass found in many of its pastures due to the fertile soil. One of the regions in Kentucky is the Bluegrass Region in central Kentucky. In 1776, the counties of Virginia beyond the Appalachian Mountains became known as Kentucky County, the precise etymology of the name is uncertain, but likely based on an Iroquoian name meaning the meadow or the prairie. Kentucky is situated in the Upland South, a significant portion of eastern Kentucky is part of Appalachia. Kentucky borders seven states, from the Midwest and the Southeast, West Virginia lies to the east, Virginia to the southeast, Tennessee to the south, Missouri to the west, Illinois and Indiana to the northwest, and Ohio to the north and northeast. Only Missouri and Tennessee, both of which border eight states, touch more, Kentuckys northern border is formed by the Ohio River and its western border by the Mississippi River. The official state borders are based on the courses of the rivers as they existed when Kentucky became a state in 1792, for instance, northbound travelers on U. S.41 from Henderson, after crossing the Ohio River, will be in Kentucky for about two miles. Ellis Park, a racetrack, is located in this small piece of Kentucky. Waterworks Road is part of the land border between Indiana and Kentucky. Kentucky has a part known as Kentucky Bend, at the far west corner of the state. It exists as an exclave surrounded completely by Missouri and Tennessee, Road access to this small part of Kentucky on the Mississippi River requires a trip through Tennessee. The epicenter of the powerful 1811–12 New Madrid earthquakes was near this area, much of the outer Bluegrass is in the Eden Shale Hills area, made up of short, steep, and very narrow hills. The Jackson Purchase and western Pennyrile are home to several bald cypress/tupelo swamps, located within the southeastern interior portion of North America, Kentucky has a climate that can best be described as a humid subtropical climate. Temperatures in Kentucky usually range from daytime summer highs of 87 °F to the low of 23 °F. The average precipitation is 46 inches a year, Kentucky experiences four distinct seasons, with substantial variations in the severity of summer and winter. The highest recorded temperature was 114 °F at Greensburg on July 28,1930 while the lowest recorded temperature was −37 °F at Shelbyville on January 19,1994, due to its location, Kentucky has a moderate humid subtropical climate, with abundant rainfall
Kentucky
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Narrow country roads bounded by stone and wood plank fences are a fixture in the Kentucky
Bluegrass region.
Kentucky
Kentucky
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Kentucky's regions (click on image for color-coding information.)
Kentucky
–
The
Eastern Kentucky Coalfield is known for its rugged terrain.
29.
Indiana
–
Indiana /ɪndiˈænə/ is a U. S. state located in the midwestern and Great Lakes regions of North America. Indiana is the 38th largest by area and the 16th most populous of the 50 United States and its capital and largest city is Indianapolis. Indiana was admitted to the United States as the 19th U. S. state on December 11,1816, before becoming a territory, varying cultures of indigenous peoples and historic Native Americans inhabited Indiana for thousands of years. Indiana has an economy with a gross state product of $298 billion in 2012. Indiana has several areas with populations greater than 100,000. The states name means Land of the Indians, or simply Indian Land and it also stems from Indianas territorial history. On May 7,1800, the United States Congress passed legislation to divide the Northwest Territory into two areas and named the section the Indiana Territory. In 1816, when Congress passed an Enabling Act to begin the process of establishing statehood for Indiana, a resident of Indiana is officially known as a Hoosier. The first inhabitants in what is now Indiana were the Paleo-Indians, divided into small groups, the Paleo-Indians were nomads who hunted large game such as mastodons. They created stone tools made out of chert by chipping, knapping and flaking, the Archaic period, which began between 5000 and 4000 BC, covered the next phase of indigenous culture. The people developed new tools as well as techniques to cook food, such new tools included different types of spear points and knives, with various forms of notches. They made ground-stone tools such as axes, woodworking tools. During the latter part of the period, they built mounds and middens. The Archaic period ended at about 1500 BC, although some Archaic people lived until 700 BC, afterward, the Woodland period took place in Indiana, where various new cultural attributes appeared. During this period, the people created ceramics and pottery, an early Woodland period group named the Adena people had elegant burial rituals, featuring log tombs beneath earth mounds. In the middle portion of the Woodland period, the Hopewell people began developing long-range trade of goods, nearing the end of the stage, the people developed highly productive cultivation and adaptation of agriculture, growing such crops as corn and squash. The Woodland period ended around 1000 AD, the Mississippian culture emerged, lasting from 1000 until the 15th century, shortly before the arrival of Europeans. During this stage, the people created large urban settlements designed according to their cosmology, with mounds and plazas defining ceremonial
Indiana
–
State sign,
Interstate 65
Indiana
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Flag
Indiana
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Native Americans guide French explorers through Indiana, as depicted by
Maurice Thompson in Stories of Indiana.
Indiana
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Child laborers in glassworks, by
Lewis Hine. Indiana, August 1908.
30.
Interstate Highway System
–
The Dwight D. Eisenhower National System of Interstate and Defense Highways is a network of controlled-access highways that forms a part of the National Highway System of the United States. The system is named for President Dwight D. Eisenhower, who championed its formation, construction was authorized by the Federal Aid Highway Act of 1956, and the original portion was completed 35 years later, although some urban routes were cancelled and never built. The network has since been extended and, as of 2013, as of 2013, about one-quarter of all vehicle miles driven in the country use the Interstate system. In 2006, the cost of construction was estimated at about $425 billion, the nations revenue needs associated with World War I prevented any significant implementation of this policy, which expired in 1921. In the plan, Mehren proposed a 50, 000-mile system, the system would include two percent of all roads and would pass through every state at a cost of $25,000 per mile, providing commercial as well as military transport benefits. As the landmark 1916 law expired, new legislation was passed—the Federal Aid Highway Act of 1921 and this new road construction initiative once again provided for federal matching funds for road construction and improvement, $75 million allocated annually. The Bureau of Public Roads asked the Army to provide a list of roads that it considered necessary for national defense. A boom in construction followed throughout the decade of the 1920s. As automobile traffic increased, planners saw a need for such a national system to supplement the existing, largely non-freeway. By the late 1930s, planning had expanded to a system of new superhighways, in 1938, President Franklin D. Roosevelt gave Thomas MacDonald, chief at the Bureau of Public Roads, a hand-drawn map of the United States marked with eight superhighway corridors for study. He recognized that the system would also provide key ground transport routes for military supplies. The publication in 1955 of the General Location of National System of Interstate Highways, informally known as the Yellow Book, assisting in the planning was Charles Erwin Wilson, who was still head of General Motors when President Eisenhower selected him as Secretary of Defense in January 1953. The Interstate Highway System was authorized on June 29,1956 by the Federal Aid Highway Act of 1956, popularly known as the National Interstate, three states have claimed the title of first Interstate Highway. Missouri claims that the first three contracts under the new program were signed in Missouri on August 2,1956, the first contract signed was for upgrading a section of US Route 66 to what is now designated Interstate 44. On August 13,1956, Missouri awarded the first contract based on new Interstate Highway funding, kansas claims that it was the first to start paving after the act was signed. Preliminary construction had taken place before the act was signed, the state marked its portion of I-70 as the first project in the United States completed under the provisions of the new Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1956. The Pennsylvania Turnpike could also be considered one of the first Interstate Highways, on October 1,1940,162 miles of the highway now designated I‑70 and I‑76 opened between Irwin and Carlisle. The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania refers to the turnpike as the Granddaddy of the Pikes, October 12,1979, The final section of the Canada to Mexico freeway Interstate 5 is dedicated near Stockton, California
Interstate Highway System
–
A rural stretch of
I-5, with two lanes in each direction separated by a large grassy
median and with cross-traffic limited to overpasses and underpasses
Interstate Highway System
–
Interstate Highways in the 48 contiguous states.
Alaska, Hawaii, and Puerto Rico also have Interstate Highways. (
See version with numbers.)
Interstate Highway System
–
I‑55 under construction in Mississippi, photo from May 1972
Interstate Highway System
–
Interstate highway in
New Jersey built to modern standards
I‑10 in Mobile, AL
US 12 / US 20 in Gary, IN
I‑10 in Mobile
US 90 in Mobile
US 98 in Mobile
US 45 in Prichard
I‑165 in Prichard
US 43 north-northeast of Satsuma
US 84 west-southwest of Evergreen
US 31 on the Hope Hull–Montgomery line
US 80 in Montgomery. The highways travel concurrently through Montgomery.
US 80 / US 82 in Montgomery. I-65/US 82 travels concurrently to Prattville.
I‑85 in Montgomery
I‑459 in Hoover
US 11 / US 78 in Birmingham
I‑20 / I‑59 in Birmingham
I‑22 in Fultondale
US 278 in Cullman
I‑565 on the Decatur–Huntsville city line
US 72 in Athens
US 64 west of Frankewing
US 412 in Columbia
I‑440 in Nashville
I‑40 in Nashville. The highways travel concurrently through Nashville.
US 70 / US 70S / US 431 in Nashville
I‑24 in Nashville. The highways travel concurrently through Nashville.
US 31W / US 41 in Nashville
US 231 in Bowling Green
US 68 in Oakland
US 62 in Elizabethtown
I‑265 in Louisville
I‑264 in Louisville
US 150 in Louisville
I‑64 in Louisville
US 50 in Seymour
I‑74 / I‑465 / US 31 / US 36 / US 40 in Indianapolis
I‑70 in Indianapolis. The highways travel concurrently through Indianapolis.
I‑865 / US 52 north-northwest of Royalton. I-65/US 52 travels concurrently to Lebanon.
US 30 in Merrillville
I‑80 / I‑94 / US 6 in Gary
I‑90 in Gary
US 12 / US 20 in Gary
Media related to Interstate 65 at Wikimedia Commons
Main Interstate Highways
