The Jefferson Davis Highway

[BigDaddy44]

On this, the 143rd anniversary of the end of the Civil War, it occurs to me that when one drives from Washington DC into Virginia, one of the major arteries heading south, in fact, one of the first exits off of the interstate, is Route 1: The Jefferson Davis Highway. Right there in big bold letters.

Yep. 2008. The Jefferson Davis Highway. Why is this allowed to stand? Anyone want to explain it to me?

[Ian David]

1. Why don't we have a Ulysses S. Grant Highway?

http://www.cafepress.com/southdiversity

[slackmaster]

3. Because his name was already used for Grant Parish, Louisiana

:nuke:

Gawd, I LOVE politically correct discussions.

[HereSince1628]

6. Isn't that the name of US Hwy20 n Illinois?

I think maybe it is.

But I also think there is a DIXIE Hwy sign in East Chicago...

[slackmaster]

2. I agree - And Prince George County should be renamed too!

And New Berlin, Wisconsin cannot be allowed to stand.

Moscow, Kansas should have been renamed Farmville back in the 1950s.

[Ian David]

4. I think everything named after Ronald Reagan should be re-named to "Ronald Reagan, Jr."

[slackmaster]

24. I think he prefers Ron Reagan

And I like him too.

[Ian David]

26. Ron Reagan Sr. can burn in Hell. n/t

[underpants]

5. In Richmond Route 1 has four names

The Jeff Davis
Cowardin
Belvidere Street
Chamberlayne/Brook Road

NOw check out the monuments on Monument Avenue

Robert E. Lee – equestrian sculpture by Antonin Mercié; unveiled May 29, 1890
J.E.B. Stuart – equestrian sculpture by Frederick Moynihan; unveiled May 30, 1907
Jefferson Davis, President of the Confederate States of America – sculpted by Edward Valentine; unveiled June 3, 1907
Stonewall Jackson – equestrian sculpture by Frederick William Sievers; unveiled October 11, 1919
Matthew Fontaine Maury, oceanographer – sculpted by Frederick William Sievers; unveiled November 11, 1929
Arthur Ashe, tennis player – sculpted by Paul Di Pasquale; unveiled July 10, 1996
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monument_Avenue#Monuments_on_Monument_Avenue

and there was a world of controversy over getting Arthur Ashe on Monument Ave. A WORLD OF CONTROVERSY-as usual the city of Richmond totally screwed the whole thing up, the monument that is there was never actually approved it was supposed to be one of several chosen from but no one paid attention to the details and it was put up. If you are heading East on Monument and stop at the light just there at Roseneath (can you tell that I used to live in the neighborhood?) it looks like Arthur is about to small the kids with his tennis racket and or the book.



BTW Ashe got the hell out of Richmond as soon as was humanly possible. Al Roker and him were best friends.

[ThomWV]

7. I believe the highway between Agusta, GA and Aiken, SC has the same name

As I recall from a long time ago the 4-lane between Agusta and Aiken is also call the Jefferson Davis Highway

[DemoTex]

17. There are "Jefferson Davis" highways all over the deep south.

Ubiquitous and un-original.

[datasuspect]

8. any state name that references a british monarch should be henceforth changed

[hugo_from_TN]

14. Not just states

To think that Georgetown, right next to the US Capital, commemorating the fascist monarch King George is allowed to keep that name is an afront to all free people! And don't even get me started on Louisiana!

[yardwork]

9. According to Wiki, it was supposed to be a nationwide highway.

Several stretches of highway in various parts of the southeast are still known as the Jefferson Davis Highway.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jefferson_Davis_Highway

[XOKCowboy]

22. I'm more upset about what they renamed National Airport to...

Give me Jeff Davis anytime over Ronnie Rayguns.

[atreides1]

10. Because it's not Important

There are more important things to be concerned with then the name of a highway.

[LynneSin]

11. Why do certain states still have the confederate flag in their state flag

Nuff said!

[Stinky The Clown]

12. When considering fish, there are far bigger ones in need of frying

[bikebloke]

13. Route 1

Growing up around there, it was always called Route 1. Though the traffic helicopter reports on the radio sometimes referred to it as Jeff Davis Highway.

And National Airport is still National, rather than ReagaNazi. Just like Gravelly Point is the official name, while most call it The-Place-Where-You-Watch-the-Planes-Take-Off-and-Land.

There's your local DC lore of the day. :)

[newmajority]

15. Unfortunately, even some of the most "northern states" used to have such a highway

And by "northern", I mean literally right next to the Canadian border.....

OLYMPIA -- A Washington state Senate committee on Monday quietly killed a proposal to rename Jefferson Davis Highway after William P. Stewart, a black Civil War veteran and early Washington settler.

"It's pretty disgusting," groused Rep. Hans Dunshee, D-Snohomish, who sponsored the bill to rename the highway, better known as Highway 99. "This is a statement about what Washington state thinks is important."

A small stone marker near the Canadian border dedicates the highway in honor of Davis, president of the Confederacy. A group called the United Daughters of the Confederacy placed it there in 1939, part of an effort to create a national Jefferson Davis highway.

Dunshee noticed the marker as he was returning from a kayaking trip earlier this year. When news of his proposal to rename the road reached the South, he was bombarded with nasty e-mails, some of them threatening.

http://news.theolympian.com/specialsections/Legislature2002/20020305/29241.shtml

Admittedly, I have crossed that border many times myself and never noticed the marker, and was shocked to hear that the Confederacy's tentacles reached this far north. But as far as I know, it's still there. Fortunately, nobody actually calls the highway by that name. That particular stretch of road would usually be referred to as "that place where you sit for an hour or so wasting gas, so you can prove you deserve to be allowed back into your own country."

[loyalsister]

16. Because the confederate flag flies

over the battle of Lexington in Missouri. Right in the middle of the country.

Travel East and at one end of this small city you have a school named for Lee and at the other end Grant elementary.

A couple miles south- Little Dixie Wildlife preserve.

This in a city that was recently recognized as a city that honors diversity by the National League of Cities.

Columbia held the Columbia Values Diversity Celebration, where awards are presented to citizens whose work exemplifies the life and teachings of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. by fostering individual dignity, racial equality, understanding, peacemaking and solving problems through non-violence.

http://www.nlc.org/articles/articleItems/NCW31708/CCCdiversityawards.aspx

This is all within a small urban cirlce.

If mid Missouri is this confused, why not the rest of the country?

BTW: We also went 60 40 for Obama! There is a large University influence.

[BlooInBloo]

18. That's "The War Of Northern Aggression" to you boy.

[DefenseLawyer]

19. I would rather worry about bridges collapsing

than the name of the road, but feel free to start a campaign to change it.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

20. Does it run parallel to the Timothy McVeigh highway?

[cemaphonic]

21. no, it runs parallel to the Pentagon.

[kwassa]

23. How about public schools named after famous Confederates?

They are everywhere.

Stonewall Jackson has schools all over Virginia at all levels.

So does Robert E. Lee.

I took a class at Jeb Stuart High School. He also has many schools named after him.

so does Jefferson Davis.

If it makes you feel better, Jefferson Davis's summer home on the shore in Biloxi, Missippippi was wiped out by Hurricane Katrina. I saw it in the old days.

edit to add:

Unfortunately, it has been mostly restored, unlike much of the area.

[slackmaster]

25. I've always liked Communist Martyrs High School

:hi:

[kwassa]

27. Don't crush that dwarf, hand me the pliers.

Get your t-shirt right here!

http://www.cafepress.com/firesign.191199662

[KamaAina]

28. New Orleans has a Jefferson Davis Parkway right in Mid-City

Many progressives live in Mid-City. One wag gets around it by calling it "Angela Davis Parkway". :rofl: