Sorta OT--Ever hear of the "Merridian Highway"??

[1just4don]

Well our old cars had to travel it extensively. I cant imagine what this looked like during the 'old' days cause it is barely passable today in its improved state. It actually had concrete culverts(which was some kind of miracle 'back then'. These suicide concrete risers on each side of them. Dont think this road has been really regraded at all during the last 55 years I can remember. But even back then may have had a new inovation of the day,,,gravel. My dad says that wasnt always true either.

I live on the 'modern' concrete highway from town to town. Cant imagine the pitfalls and high water state of yesteryear. This Merridian highway is one mile east of me. Runs straight with the mile roads(sorta a unusual feature for 'SOME' places of the present USA)(We actually HAVE mile roads).

I own a piece of property ON the 'Meridian Highway'. It even features 2 concrete water 'spillways' for high water days(which were ALOT).

I guess this 4 or 5 mile stretch of this highway is all that remains of the original Canada to Mexico, 'thrufare' I just read this morning that it was actually started by bicyleists in the 1890's. Must have been some wicked 'cow trails' back in the day!!! By the way,,,our county still have the old fashion 'cow trails'. An interesting tour all of its own.

I was hoping to post a picture of the plaque they erected at the beginning of this section or remaining Merridian Highway. Wasnt one on the web,,,but it did mention exactly WHERE it is located. Here is a short link,easy load, an easy 1 minute in and out.

http://www.nebraskahistory.org/publish/markers/texts/meridian_highway.htm

Enjoy IF you like old history and a visual picture of WHAT kind of roads our beloved old cars had to travel. Amazing ANY of them survived. Like I said,this road this spring was passable only with a 4 wd 'tractor'. --d--

[Plymouthy Adams]

I thought we sold Nebraska....actually in all right probably a excellent place to live...wide open spaces..few large towns...farming and ranching at its best.

[Normspeed]

Back in the 70's on a road trip, I travelled down a long dirt road to a small lake in Nebraska. Overnight the storm front that had been chasing me finally caught up and there was the mother of all thunderstorms. I was camped in a pup tent, and traveling in a 71 Mazda. When I tried to leave, I didn't get 50 feet, the dirt road was the deepest slickest mud I'd ever seen. I hiked out to a small diner near the main road. A guy with a big old 4wd powerwagon drove me back in, hooked up a chain and towed my little car all the way out. He wouldn't take a penny for it. A very good memory of Nebraska.

[TodFitch]

My repro 1924 Rand McNally Auto Road Atlas shows US81 going through Pierce Neb., so I guess that is the road. But Rand McNally shows at least part of US81 as "Potash Highway". I wonder what that is about.

Looks like US77 was the Corn Husker Hwy. And on your east-west roads US30 was the Lincoln Hwy.

[1just4don]

that it didnt read pot "HOLE"?? Never heard it called potash highway,,,maybe they tried paving it with than. Always heard it as the Pan-Am highway!!

Norm- What part of the state was that?? That was the good news of the great 70's,,,now a days they would want a huge buck for it!! IF it was no fault of the guy or girl, you still may get a freebie, thats how we are. Mostly I try NOT to pull people if I can help it for insurance reasons,,,Everybody thinks, these days they want a freebie pull,,, then try to sue you for scratching the bumper if something goes wrong. Use to have people constantly walk up for free gas too,,,or water,,or whatever. Ever since the advent of the cell phone,,,dont have that any more. Cept for the cement guy(whole nuther story). Course cars ARE more dependable these days. Including tires.

Tim- Most people from other parts like you guys,,,still think we round up the covered wagons at night to protect us from the Inguns. They are NOT hiding behind every tree and rock,,,honest,,, they arent!! Another natural thing west of here are the "Sandhills". Pretty amazing in their own right,,,nobody really understands their history or significance!! If you want wide open spaces,,,there are 'some' left out there. I worked at a ranch when I was in high school. Imagine having to drive 38 miles one way if you needed a simple bolt,,,or a loaf of bread!!! You didnt need blinkers back then,,,everybody KNEW where you were going!!!Other way you KNOW your in a small town is you dial a wrong number,,,,and talk a half hour anyway!!!Keys are left in all vehicles just in case the neighbor needs it!!

[Plymouthy Adams]

I know what you mean..basically was like when I was a young kid growing up..out in the stick...no such thing as trespass etc etc...now..its as bad there as it is in many large urban areas...can't really blame the people these days for posting their land..no one shows any respect these days..good ole days are gone. In reality..I envy those that can affford to live out in the middle of nowhere...when a trip to town was a special event...you need mailbox money for that lifestyle today...

[Normspeed]

Been so darned long I don't recall the nearest town. I'll bet I could pin it down if I had a good Nebraska roadmap though. The guy that helped me was the brother of the waitress in the diner. First he tried to fire up his old Ford tractor but it wouldn't start, so he went with the power wagon. That tow must have been a couple of miles in deep mud and we did not slow down for anything. Along the way my steering wheel cocked to the right hand lock and I didn't realize it. No problem for the power wagon, we just kept plowing along! She had a bit of a shimmy after that, either bent my front rims or maybe it was all that mud packed in there. I wish I'd taken a photo of my car afterward, it was one huge mudpile. I owned the car a couple years more and I never did get all the mud off the undercarriage. Or out of the doors...

Norm- What part of the state was that?? That was the good news of the great 70's,,,now a days they would want a huge buck for it!! IF it was no fault of the guy or girl, you still may get a freebie, thats how we are. Mostly I try NOT to pull people if I can help it for insurance reasons,,,Everybody thinks, these days they want a freebie pull,,, then try to sue you for scratching the bumper if something goes wrong. Use to have people constantly walk up for free gas too,,,or water, or whatever. Ever since the advent of the cell phone,,,dont have that any more. Except for the cement guy(whole nuther story). Course cars ARE more dependable these days. Including tires.

[randroid]

and you have the choice of being comfortable by driving fast but tearing the snot out of your tires and suspension and battery, or going slow and making the vehicle last longer but churning your kidneys into salsa. More than a few of those decisions have been made by balancing last week's earnings against the urgency of getting where you're going. Getting in-and-out of the shiner's before the Gummit T-Men arrive can be worth a few miles less on your drive if you live in a dry county, but if you're headed for a goat roast it might not be a bad idea to awaken your kidneys a notch first.

We drive the same way today on modern roads. It has been demonstrated on many occasions that we are willing to take a certain level of risk while driving and as improvements in safety are made we will take advantage of them by becoming more reckless in the basic job of getting from "Point A" to "Point B". I have wondered if it could come to pass that somebody who is exceptionally stupid and convicted for causing a major accident might be able to be sentenced to a month or five years of driving with only a seatbelt for protection? I reckon not, but I'd vote for it.

-Randy

[John Burke]

Nebraska used to have a large potash mine out that-a-way. Can't remember the town name...might have been Antioch but I'm not sure...They made potash for explosives during and after WW1..I guess there are still some old ruins there...Maybe they shipped a lot of the stuff on that hiway?? John Burke