The Dixie Overland Highway - The Jim Hogg Highway

The Dixie Overland Highway - The Jim Hogg Highway. . During 1920 the highway from Dallas to Shreveport was routed through Mesquite, Forney, Wills Point, Mineola, Longview and on east to Shreveport. It has no marking and was called "The Dixie Overland Highway" or "42". Miss Clara Bogan (Bunn) is credited with changing the marking of the road from Dallas to Shreveport. The plan was to go through Tyler but she told them the route was nearer through Mineola. A group went to Mineola and talked with the Chamber of Commerce and then Dr. A.P. Buchanan, W.W. Perry and others went to Dallas and completed the plans. At the same time, the north-south highway, called the Jim Hogg Highway, was to be built. The city would receive money from the State and County for improvements to the streets over which both highways would pass. The funds were to be used to straighten, widen and grade the streets into suitable roadbeds so gravel could be spread on them. North Johnson Street had been straightened earlier, and South Johnson Street, then known as Sabine Street, had to be straightened since the Jim Hogg Highway would pass over it. A home a block south of the railroad tracks sat almost in the middle of the street and it was condemned and moved which added 15 feet to the width of the street. For the Dixie Overland Highway, a home on West Broad at Stone Street and the highway had to be rerouted north one block to West Kilpatrick Street then proceed west. Today we would not think of these being highways, barely wide enough for two-way travel, straightened somewhat and covered with red gravel were a great improvement over the earlier roads which were of either sand, clay or whatever materials were available.