Overview

In 1915, the road system in south Florida had changed little since before the Civil War. Travelling from Miami to Ft. Myers meant going through Orlando, 250 miles north of Miami. Within 15 years, three highways were dredged and blasted through the Everglades: Ingraham Highway from Homestead, 25 miles south of Miami, to Flamingo on the tip of the peninsula; Tamiami Trail from Miami to Tampa; and Conners Highway from West Palm Beach to Okeechobee City. In 1916, Florida's road commission spent $967. In 1928 it spent $6.8 million. Tamiami Trail, originally projected to cost $500,000, eventually required $11 million. These roads were made possible by the 1920s Florida land boom, the advent of gasoline and diesel-powered equipment to replace animal and steam-powered implements, and the creation of a highway funding system based on fuel taxes. This book tells the story of the finance and technology of the first modern highways in the South.

Full Product Details

Author:   Bruce D. Epperson
Publisher:   McFarland & Co Inc
Imprint:   McFarland & Co Inc
Dimensions:   Width: 17.80cm , Height: 1.40cm , Length: 25.40cm
Weight:   0.490kg
ISBN:  

9781476664798

ISBN 10:   147666479
Pages:   284
Publication Date:   04 July 2016
Recommended Age:   From 18 years
Audience:   General/trade ,  General
Format:   Paperback
Publisher's Status:   Active
Availability:   Manufactured on demand  
We will order this item for you from a manufactured on demand supplier.

Table of Contents

Table of Contents Introduction: Other People’s Money Part I: The Ingraham Highway 1. “Weariness is no name for the suffering I underwent” 2. “Roads should be built so the land can be shown” 3. A Habit of Asking Favors, Leniency, etc. 4. “This you failed to do” 5. “A rather superficial excuse” Part II: The Tamiami Trail 6. Not Such a Terrific Job 7. The Only Dry Ground for Twenty Miles 8. Careful, There’s a Little Shine on That Bottle 9. “Innumerable complications” 10. “All was sweet and everything was sitting pretty” 11. When Do We Cross? 12. As for Business, There Hasn’t Been Any 13. A Pullman Car Named “Convict Labor” Part III: Conners Highway 14. Don’t Call Me Fingy 15. “Plenty of grease, gumption and gasoline” Chapter Notes Resources and Bibliography Index

Reviews

Epperson provides a extraordinary detailed account of the funding and actual construction of these three roadways. His research is voluminous and thorough...a great resource for anyone interested in the remarkable engineering achievements of these three roads which profoundly reshaped Florida's River of Grass --H-Net Reviews.

Author Information

Bruce D. Epperson is a retired attorney who has written technical works on urban transportation planning (including bicycles) for the Federal Highway Administration, the Transportation Research Board and the Institute of Transportation Engineers. He lives in Highland, New York.

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