Federal Aid Highway Act of 1921 (Phipps Act)
Encyclopedia
The Federal Aid Highway Act of 1921, November 9, 1921, ,sponsored by Sen. Lawrence C. Phipps
(R) of Colorado, defined the Federal Aid Road program to develop an immense national highway system. The plan was crafted by the head of the National Highway Commission, Thomas MacDonald and was the first coherent plan for the nation's future roads.
Dr. L. I. Hewes opened the Western Headquarters Office of the Bureau of Public Roads to administer federal-aid highway and direct federal highway construction programs in 11 western states, including Alaska and Hawaii. It provided Federal 50-50 matching funds for state highway building up to 7% of roads statewide. By the end of 1921, more than $75 million in aid had been given to the states.
In 1922, the Bureau of Public Roads commissioned Gen. John J. Pershing
to draw up the “Pershing Map
” for construction purposes and to give the government a clear understanding of which roads in the U.S. were the most important in the event of war. The “Pershing Map” was the 1st official topographic road map of the United States. From it, the hiking “Appalachian Trail
“ from Maine to Georgia was begun in 1922. By 1923, the roads authorized by the act had been completed.
Lawrence C. Phipps
Lawrence Cowle Phipps was a United States Senator representing Colorado from 1919 until 1931.Phipps was born in Amityville, Pennsylvania but grew up in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania where he joined the Carnegie Steel Company as a clerk. His uncle, Henry Phipps, was the second largest shareholder in...
(R) of Colorado, defined the Federal Aid Road program to develop an immense national highway system. The plan was crafted by the head of the National Highway Commission, Thomas MacDonald and was the first coherent plan for the nation's future roads.
Dr. L. I. Hewes opened the Western Headquarters Office of the Bureau of Public Roads to administer federal-aid highway and direct federal highway construction programs in 11 western states, including Alaska and Hawaii. It provided Federal 50-50 matching funds for state highway building up to 7% of roads statewide. By the end of 1921, more than $75 million in aid had been given to the states.
In 1922, the Bureau of Public Roads commissioned Gen. John J. Pershing
John J. Pershing
John Joseph "Black Jack" Pershing, GCB , was a general officer in the United States Army who led the American Expeditionary Forces in World War I...
to draw up the “Pershing Map
Pershing Map
The Pershing Map was the first blueprint for a national highway system in the United States, with many of the proposed roads later forming a substantial portion of the Interstate Highway System....
” for construction purposes and to give the government a clear understanding of which roads in the U.S. were the most important in the event of war. The “Pershing Map” was the 1st official topographic road map of the United States. From it, the hiking “Appalachian Trail
Appalachian Trail
The Appalachian National Scenic Trail, generally known as the Appalachian Trail or simply the AT, is a marked hiking trail in the eastern United States extending between Springer Mountain in Georgia and Mount Katahdin in Maine. It is approximately long...
“ from Maine to Georgia was begun in 1922. By 1923, the roads authorized by the act had been completed.