Did US 81 go through Cleburne,TX ?

[Brian556]

This map is posted on the Bankhead Highway Facebook Page. It was posted to debate whether TX 1 went through Commerce.

I happened to notice that it shows US 81 following SH 2A through Cleburne.
I kinda have doubts about this. It seems odd that a US Highway would follow an ALT State Route rather than the Primary Route.
Every other map I've seen including the 1927 in my collection show US 81 following SH 2 in this area.
Does anybody have maps that shows this?

[NE2]

That's either a typo or a temporary detour.

cropped from http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:1926us.jpg

[usends]

What's the date of the map in the OP?  Since US 77 is shown ending in Dallas, I'm assuming no later than 1933.  The 1927 RMN does not show US 81 in Cleburne:
http://www.davidrumsey.com/luna/servlet/s/pppfp2

[Brian556]

That map is dated 1927.

I, too, have a 1927 Rand NcNally TX map, and it also shows
US 81 following SH 2, not going through Cleburne.

Something I noticed about your map was the stairstep in US 77 between Lewisville and Garza (now Lake Dallas). I have not seen that on any other map. Do you have any other maps that show it?

The other stairstep, which is well known, and I knew of, between Lewisville and Carrollton, existed until 1941.

[bassoon1986]

of those 2 US 77 stairsteps, what path did that follow? Are those roads defunct or still around?

[NE2]

of those 2 US 77 stairsteps, what path did that follow? Are those roads defunct or still around?

Here's the one between Carrollton and Lewisville:
http://research.archives.gov/description/5839628
http://research.archives.gov/description/5839638 (image 5)

http://www.tsl.texas.gov/cgi-bin/aris/maps/maplookup.php?mapnum=4843 shows an improved route that could be the old alignment north of Lewisville.

Also perhaps useful: http://ims.er.usgs.gov/gda_services/download?item_id=5678872

[bassoon1986]

of those 2 US 77 stairsteps, what path did that follow? Are those roads defunct or still around?

Here's the one between Carrollton and Lewisville:
http://research.archives.gov/description/5839628
http://research.archives.gov/description/5839638 (image 5)

http://www.tsl.texas.gov/cgi-bin/aris/maps/maplookup.php?mapnum=4843 shows an improved route that could be the old alignment north of Lewisville.

Also perhaps useful: http://ims.er.usgs.gov/gda_services/download?item_id=5678872

Thanks! I think it's funny that the population of Sanger was once greater than Lewisville...

[Brian556]

I am well aware of the old route through Lewisville that followed N Mill St, and went through what is now Lewisville Lake. This route was used until 1955, and would not have been a stairstep.

What I'm wondering, if that 1927 map second stairstep were correct, what roads it would have followed. Jones St /Grandy's Ln and McGee Ln look like a possibility.
However, this is just speculation, because we don't even know if that second stairstep even existed.

This is quite interesting to me, as this is very close to where I live.

[NE2]

I'm thinking the old route went Main-Cowan/Catfish (what the Goog calls Sand Bass) and into Main in Lake Dallas. This matches the shape though not the exact dimensions (which may be misleading at this scale). I'm also seeing Garth-Hook-Carlisle as a wild ass guess (note that the 1925 USGS topo doesn't have the diagonal part of Main in Lake Dallas).

The little secondary jog to the west south of Lewisville is clearly shown on the topo (north of FM 3040), though again the details are misleading.

An Automobile Blue Book for this area would help pinpoint the exact alignment of the main road ca. 1920.

[Brian556]

NE2, I think you are referring to a different map than I am.
What you are saying seems to be based on the map posted above (and re-posted below). I tend to think it shows the US 77 alignment that existed up until 1955, but I really can't be sure. This map is rather ambiguous, and not highly accurate. Krum was not on SH 39.

As for the secondary jog west on the stairstep south of Lewisville (in the area of SH 121 BUS and FM 3040), that has always intrigued me. There was an old road west of SH 121 BUS in that area. It is visable on Historic Aerials, but has been wiped out by development. That could've been the main rd in the very early days. ,

Here is that map that I was referring to concerning the stairstep between Lewisville and Garza (now Lake Dallas):

This one does appear to show US 77 going east for a hair out of Garza (Lake Dallas), before heading due south, then east into Lewisville.
My local history contact does not know of any other maps form this time period that would help on this debate.

Concerning the area between Lewisville and Lake Dallas:
I have always found it odd that there were two routes (US 77; and the county rd to the east that became FM 423 for it's last few years) between these tw o cities. Esp since Hickory Creek had to be crossed with major bridges. I have found no evidence that the eastern route (Former FM 423; Cowan/Main in Lk Dallas) was ever the primary route.

The weird thing is that the eastern route became FM 423 in 1948, which is the same year that construction started on the Lewisville Dam, which would close the route in the early-mid 50's. There was a vintage truss bridge over Hickory Creek on this route that had to be destroyed when the lake began to fill.

[NE2]

Perhaps these will help, especially if you can find a Blue Book route description.
http://cartweb.geography.ua.edu/lizardtech/iserv/calcrgn?cat=Special%20Topics&item=Soil%20Surveys/Texas/Denton%20Co%20TX%201918.sid&wid=1500&hei=800&props=item%28Name,Description%29,cat%28Name,Description%29&style=simple/view.xsl&plugin=
http://cartweb.geography.ua.edu/lizardtech/iserv/calcrgn?cat=Special%20Topics&item=Soil%20Surveys/Texas/Dallas%20Co%20TX%201920.sid&wid=1500&hei=800&props=item%28Name,Description%29,cat%28Name,Description%29&style=simple/view.xsl&plugin=