Comparing the federal aid primary system to U.S. Highways, ca. 1926

[NE2]

When the U.S. Highways were planned in 1925-6, the federal aid primary system was used as a starting point. I'm going to attempt to determine how closely it was followed:

Arkansas (1924 federal aid map from http://www.arkansashighways.com/planning_research/mapping_graphics/archived_tourist_maps/archived_tourist_maps.aspx)
*A-1: Fort Smith-West Memphis via US 64-65-70 (haters of the jog in I-40 should note this)
*A-2: Texarkana-Moark via US 67
*A-3: Arkla-Gateway via US 65 to Harrison (US 65 then used FAS B-14), then state highways 12, 72, and 47 to Missouri (became US 62 by 1931, except north of Gateway, which is now 37, part of the NHS)
*A-4: LA-Gateway via US 71 (except for a realignment between Ashdown and De Queen) to Rogers (US 71 then used FAS B-28?), then state highway 47 to Gateway (became US 62 by 1931)
*A-5: Junction City-Little Rock via US 167
*A-6: Y City-Benton via state highway 6 to Hot Springs (became US 270 by 1932), then US 70 (US 70 west of Hot Springs used FAS B-5, the rest of which would also become US 270)
*A-7: West Memphis-Walnut Ridge via US 61-63 (US 63 then used FAS B-12 and B-11)
*A-8: Turrell-MO via US 61
*A-9: De Valls Bluff-Helena via state highways 33-3-20 (mostly became US 49 by 1964, soon after the bridge over the Mississippi opened)

As for the other U.S. Highways, US 165 used B-1 south of McGehee and US 271 used B-41 (though it appears that Arkansas may have never recognized US 271 to Mena).

So most of the FAP routes in Arkansas became U.S. Highways in 1926, with the exception of several that used roughly parallel corridors, and eventual US 49. Secondary corridors were used for US 63 north of Hoxie and US 165.

[agentsteel53]

this is some great research here, and I'd love to see how it shows up in all 48 states at the time!

[NE2]

this is some great research here, and I'd love to see how it shows up in all 48 states at the time!

The problem is that it's rather hard to find details of the federal aid system from the 1920s. I'll see what I can find for other states.

[NE2]

Oklahoma (1924 federal aid map from http://www.okladot.state.ok.us/hqdiv/p-r-div/maps/state-maps/index.htm)
The map doesn't give numbers.
*Enid-Fort Smith via US 64
*Texola-Warner via US 66-266
*TX-KS via US 75-73-66
*TX-KS via US 77 (except using what would become US 177 by 1928; US 77 north of the split was secondary)

US 54, US 64 west of Enid, US 66 from Edmond to Vinita, US 271, US 73 north of Vinita, US 75 north of Atoka, and US 81 were all secondary. I can't tell how much of US 70 was primary due to the low scan quality.

Here we see a lot more use of secondary routes than Arkansas, but the U.S. Highway system in Oklahoma looks a little denser (in particular 73/75 and 77/81 served similar corridors).

[NE2]

Arizona (1927 map on http://www.azdot.gov/highways/EPG/EPG_Common/PDF/Technical/Cultural_Good_Roads_Everywhere.pdf p. 59/178)
The map doesn't give numbers.
*CA-NM via US 66
*Holbrook-NM via US 70
*CA-NM via US 80
*Tempe-NM via US 180
*Nogales-Ash Fork via US 89
*NV-UT via US 91

Only US 89 north of Flagstaff was a federal aid secondary highway.

[NE2]

Washington (1924 list)
Numbers are state highway numbers, listed on the map from the report, which I downloaded a while ago from the WSDOT site but can't find now.
*1 Blaine-Vancouver via US 99
*2 Seattle-ID via US 10
*3 Spokane-Swauk Creek via US 195-295-410-97
*3 Dodge-Clarkston via US 410
*3 Colfax-ID via US 195-95
*3 Uniontown-ID via US 95
*3 Wallula-OR via US 730
*3 Walla Walla-OR (never a U.S. Highway, now SR 125 and part of the NHS)
*9 Olympia-Aberdeen via US 410
*9 Perry Creek-Port Angeles via US 101

US 410 from Tacoma to Yakima, US 830, US 195 north of Spokane, US 395, US 97 south of Yakima and north of Orondo, and US 101 south of Port Angeles were secondary.

[NE2]

Utah (1923 article; also 1998 traffic count maps which show FAP routes)
*1 ID-AZ via US 91
**Later assigned to I-15; old FAP 1 north of Brigham became 17
*2 WY-Wendover via US 30S-530-40
**Later assigned to I-80
*3 Echo-Ogden via US 30S
**Later assigned to I-84 (Echo-Ogden was FAP 23 until 1968)
*4 Brigham-Tremonton via US 30S (which continued to the Idaho line on a non-FAP road)
**Later assigned to I-70; old FAP 4 was absorbed by new FAP 3
*5 WY-ID via SR 3 (now SR 16, SR 30, and US 89; north of Garden City became US 89 ca. 1934)
**Later assigned to I-215; old FAP 5 became 12
*6 Kimball Junction ("Main Forks")-Orem via US 40-SR 7 (SR 7 became US 189 ca. 1939)
**Later renumbered FAP 19
*7 Duchesne-CO via US 40 (not sure if the omission of Heber-Duchesne is an error)
**Later renumbered FAP 15 all the way from Heber to Colorado
*8 Springville-Utaline via US 89-50
**Later renumbered FAP 28
*9 Nephi-Panguitch via SR 11-US 89 (SR 11 became US 189 ca. 1930)
**Later renumbered FAP 22 from Nephi to Salina via SR 28-US 89 and FAP 27 from Sevier to Arizona via US 89-89A; Nephi-Ephraim became FAS 279 and Thistle-Gunnison became FAP 40
*10 Sevier-Cove Fort via SR 13 (now I-70, but never a U.S. Highway)
**Later part of FAP 4 (I-70)
*11 Garfield-Tooele via SR 36 (the first bit of the Lincoln Highway to Ely)
**Later extended south to Eureka, but kept its number

Of the 1926 U.S. Highways, this leaves off US 30S northwest of Tremonton (not sure what this was before FAP 3/I-84), US 40 from Heber to Duchesne (later FAP 15), US 89 south of Panguitch (later FAP 27), US 89 from Ephraim to Thistle (later FAP 40), and US 450 (later FAP 13). The omission of US 89 south of Panguitch jibes with Arizona, which had nothing north from Flagstaff.

Later U.S. Highway additions:
*13 CO-Crescent Junction via US 491-191 (US 450 in 1926)
*21 Logan-Garden City via US 89 (became US 89 ca. 1934)
*29 NV-Santaquin via US 6 (became US 6 ca. 1937)
*30 Farmington-Uintah Junction via US 89 (became US 89 ca. 1934)
*35 AZ-Kanab via US 89 (became US 89 in 1959)
*36 Vernal-WY via US 191-SR 44-43 (became US 191 ca. 1982)
*37 Greendale Junction-WY via US 191 (became US 191 ca. 1982)
*50 Bluff-Monticello via US 191 (became US 163 ca. 1971)
*51 AZ-CO via US 163-SR 262-SR 162 (became US 163 ca. 1971)
*56 Helper-Duchesne via US 191 (became US 191 ca. 1982)
*70 AZ-Bluff via US 191: added to the federal aid system in 1989 (became US 191 ca. 1982)

The only secondary corridor (as opposed to surface road parallelling an Interstate) was US 50 from Delta to Salina. I don't know what US 30S northwest of Tremonton or US 191 north of Tremonton was pre-Interstate.

[NE2]

California (1922 list, 1925 map on last page)
*1 OR-San Francisco via US 199-101
*2 San Francisco-San Diego via US 101
*3-7-6 OR-Sacramento via US 99
*4 Sacramento-Los Angeles via US 99
*12-27 San Diego-Yuma via US 80
*14-7-3-17-37 San Francisco-Verdi via US 40
*5 San Jose-French Camp via US 48

U.S. Highways that were secondary (as of 1922):
*9-26 Los Angeles-El Centro via US 99
*31-58 San Bernardino-Needles via US 66
*31 (became a state highway in 1925) Goffs (Daggett as of 1925)-NV via US 91
*11 Sacramento-NV via US 50
*71 (became a state highway in 1925) Crescent City-OR via US 101

[NE2]

Nevada (1926 map, 1936 list)
*1 CA-UT via US 40
*2 Fernley-Caliente via SR 2-US 50-SR 7 (SR 7 became US 93 ca. 1932)
*3 CA-Goldfield via SR 9-3 (portions became US 395 ca. 1934 and US 95 ca. 1938)
*4 CA-Leeteville via US 50 (may have gone only to Mound House in 1926)
*5 CA-AZ via US 91
*6 Winnemucca-OR via SR 8 (went only to Paradise Hill in 1926) (became US 95 ca. 1938)
*7 Ely-Wendover (went only to McGill via SR 2 in 1926; extended to Wendover via SR 24 in 1928) (became US 50 ca. 1932)
*8 SR 3-SR 2A via SR 17 (went only to Virginia City in 1926)
*9 Wells-ID via US 93 (added to federal aid system in 1928)
*10 SR 24-Wells via SR 13 (added to federal aid system in and after 1928) (became US 93 ca. 1932)
*11 Las Vegas southeast 10 mi via SR 5 (not on federal aid system in 1926) (became US 466 ca. 1936)
*12 Rhodes-CA via SR 10 (not on federal aid system in 1926) (became US 6 west of Basalt ca. 1937)
*13 Basalt-Coaldale via SR 15 (not on federal aid system in 1926) (became US 6 ca. 1937)

So of the few U.S. Highways in Nevada in 1926, all but US 93 and maybe US 50 from Mound House to Leeteville were on the federal aid system, and both of these segments would soon be added.

The following routes existed in 1971:
*1 CA-UT via US 40
*2 CA-Wendover via US 50-50 Alternate
*3 CA-CA via US 395
*4 CA-UT via US 6
*5 CA-AZ via US 91
*6 CA-OR via US 95-50 Alternate-40-95
*6 Spur AZ-Boulder City via US 93
*7 Caliente-ID via US 93
*8 Panaca-UT via SR 25 (now SR 319)
*9 through Reno on Kietzke Lane (now SR 667)
*10 Schurz-Fernley via US 95 Alternate

Old FAP 3 became FAS 560 between Holbrook Junction and Yerington. FAP 8 became FAS 552 and 652 (?) and FAP 12 from Rhodes to Basalt became FAS 662. US 93 from US 91 to Caliente was FAS 544 and US 95 from Fallon to US 40 was FAS 507.

[roadfro]

^ Interesting find for Nevada...hadn't seen those reports before. I'll have to review in more detail as time permits.

[NE2]

Florida (1939 list on a planning map)
*1 Pensacola-Flomaton via US 331 (now US 29)
*2 GA-Kissimmee via US 41-441-92
*3 GA-Royal Palm State Park, Homestead-Key Largo, Big Pine Key-Key West via US 1, spur on SR 205 (now SR 9336) (US 1 ended at Miami until ca. 1938)
*4 AL-Marianna via US 231 (now partly SR 73; US 231 rerouted ca. 1935)
*5 GA-Tallahassee via SR 10 (became US 19 ca. 1929 and US 319 ca. 1935)
*6 AL-Jacksonville via US 90
*7 Tampa-Melbourne via US 92-192
*8 Gainesville-Yulee via SR 13 (now SR 24 south of Waldo and SR 200 east of Callahan; the rest became US 301 ca. 1949)
*9 Gainesville-Bunnell via SR 14-28 (now SR 20-100)
*10 Daytona-Orlando via US 92
*11 Ocala-Ft. Myers via US 41 (now SR 200 north of Hernando; US 41 realigned ca. 1935) (now US 301 from Tampa to Palmetto; US 41 realigned ca. 1952)
*12 Ft. Myers-Miami via US 41-94
*13 GA-Maxville via US 17-SR 204 (now SR 228)
*14 GA-Madison via SR 9 (now SR 53)
*15 GA-Live Oak via SR 50 (became US 129 ca. 1941 to Jasper and ca. 1948 beyond)
*16 Tallahassee-Hernando via SR 500-15-81-5 (became US 19 ca. 1930 north of Chiefland; US 19 removed north of Capps ca. 1935; US 19 rerouted via Lebanon by 1946; US 27 added from Tallahassee to Perry ca. 1949)
*17 Tallahassee-Milton via SR 10-110-175-10 (became US 319-98 ca. 1934; US 98 later rerouted west of Navarre, with SR 87 on the old route)
*18 Tampa-SR 64 (Clearwater?) via SR 17 (now SR 580-590)
*19 Leesburg-Miami via SR 8A-8-67-25-26 (became US 27 ca. 1949)
*20 SR 6-Panama City via SR 20 (became US 231 ca. 1935)
Later additions:
*26 Miami-north of Ft. Lauderdale via SR 9 (I-95 north of Golden Glades), approved in 1946
*Jacksonville-DeLand via US 17
*Lake Alfred-Punta Gorda via US 17
*Lebanon-Memphis via US 19
*Perry-High Springs via US 27
*High Springs-Hernando via US 41
*Chassahowitzka-Trilby via US 98
*Dade City-Lakeland via US 98
*Trilby-Tampa via US 301
*Holopaw-West Palm Beach via US 441-98
*Tampa?-Vero Beach via SR 60
*South Bay-Belle Glade via SR 80

All original 1926 U.S. Routes were FAP by 1939.

Other significant sections of U.S. Routes:
*GA-Capps via US 19 (may have been FAP)
*GA-Tallahassee via US 27
*Williston-Ocala via US 27 (may have been FAP)
*Chiefland-Williston via US 27 Alternate (may have been FAP)
*Crawfordville-Perry via US 98
*Fort Meade-Frostproof via US 98
*Sebring-Okeechobee via US 98
*Live Oak-Chiefland via US 129
*GA-Perry via US 221
*Waldo-Ocala via US 301
*Belleview-Trilby via US 301
*AL-Santa Rosa Beach via US 331
*GA-Lake City via US 441
*West Palm Beach-Miami via US 441 (may have been FAP)
*Tampa-Palmetto via US 541 (became US 41 ca. 1952)

[bugo]

When the U.S. Highways were planned in 1925-6, the federal aid primary system was used as a starting point. I'm going to attempt to determine how closely it was followed:

Arkansas (1924 federal aid map from http://www.arkansashighways.com/planning_research/mapping_graphics/archived_tourist_maps/archived_tourist_maps.aspx)
*A-1: Fort Smith-West Memphis via US 64-65-70 (haters of the jog in I-40 should note this)
*A-2: Texarkana-Moark via US 67
*A-3: Arkla-Gateway via US 65 to Harrison (US 65 then used FAS B-14), then state highways 12, 72, and 47 to Missouri (became US 62 by 1931, except north of Gateway, which is now 37, part of the NHS)
*A-4: LA-Gateway via US 71 (except for a realignment between Ashdown and De Queen) to Rogers (US 71 then used FAS B-28?), then state highway 47 to Gateway (became US 62 by 1931)
*A-5: Junction City-Little Rock via US 167
*A-6: Y City-Benton via state highway 6 to Hot Springs (became US 270 by 1932), then US 70 (US 70 west of Hot Springs used FAS B-5, the rest of which would also become US 270)
*A-7: West Memphis-Walnut Ridge via US 61-63 (US 63 then used FAS B-12 and B-11)
*A-8: Turrell-MO via US 61
*A-9: De Valls Bluff-Helena via state highways 33-3-20 (mostly became US 49 by 1964, soon after the bridge over the Mississippi opened)

Has anybody ever seen pictures of signage for the A-B-C routes in Arkansas?  Were they simply painted onto telephone poles?

As for the other U.S. Highways, US 165 used B-1 south of McGehee and US 271 used B-41 (though it appears that Arkansas may have never recognized US 271 to Mena).

Why do you think that Arkansas never recognized US 271?  Where do you think 271 ended in Polk County?  I have located about 5 possible spots.

So most of the FAP routes in Arkansas became U.S. Highways in 1926, with the exception of several that used roughly parallel corridors, and eventual US 49. Secondary corridors were used for US 63 north of Hoxie and US 165.

US 49 "south" of I-40 was AR 6 for a brief time, it made it to one AHTD map, I believe it was 1963.

[NE2]

Has anybody ever seen pictures of signage for the A-B-C routes in Arkansas?  Were they simply painted onto telephone poles?

I would guess that they were not signed at all.

Why do you think that Arkansas never recognized US 271?

It doesn't appear on any official maps. And they wouldn't have kept the Highway 88 designation.

Interestingly the 1927 Oklahoma map shows it as US 71. Perhaps Oklahoma demanded US 271 as a consolation prize, but Arkansas didn't think the road was important enough to have any number.

[bugo]

Why do you think that Arkansas never recognized US 271?

It doesn't appear on any official maps. And they wouldn't have kept the Highway 88 designation.

Interestingly the 1927 Oklahoma map shows it as US 71. Perhaps Oklahoma demanded US 271 as a consolation prize, but Arkansas didn't think the road was important enough to have any number.

I've seen maps that show US 271 following AR 8 (current US 59/270.)

[US71]

I've seen illustrations of the early Arkansas signage: Supposedly a cut-out shield with A-1 or whatever route it was.

I'd also forgotten 71 north of Rogers was B-28 (now parts of 102, 72, and 59).

I'll have to pull my maps for US 49, but I think it was AR 39 in places.

[NE2]

Texas (1926 map assuming "first class roads" are FAP)
Listed by state highway numbers:
*1/11 NM-Texarkana via US 80-67
*2 Laredo-OK via US 81
*3/54 Van Horn-Orange via US 90
*5 Texline-Texarkana via US 385-370-SH 5 (SH 5 became US 82 by 1935)
*6/14/19/32 Galveston-OK via US 75
*7 Farwell-Roscoe via SH 7 (became US 84 by 1935)
*8 Tenaha-Marshall via SH 8 (became US 59 by 1935)
*9 San Antonio-San Angelo via US 385
*9/33 Lubbock-Amarillo via US 385
*10 Brady-Denton via SH 10 (Brownwood-Denton became US 67-377 by 1932; Brady-Brownwood became US 283 by 1939)
*12 Brownsville-Rosenberg via US 96
*15 Dallas-LA via US 80
*16 Corpus Christi-San Antonio via US 181
*30 Del Rio-OK via SH 30-US 70 (became US 277 by 1932)
*35 Houston-Tenaha via SH 35 (became US 59 by 1939)
*40 Denton-OK via US 77
*47 Texarkana-AR via US 71
*50 Henrietta-Bowie via US 370

Other U.S. Highways that were not FAP in 1926:
*9 San Angelo-Lubbock via US 385
*13/75 NM-OK via US 66
*27/3 nowhere-Comfort via US 290
*28 Muleshoe-Vernon via US 70
*33 El Paso-NM, NM-Canyon via US 366
*40 Dallas-Denton via US 77
*56 NM-OK via US 54