Oldest truckstop?

it took Eisenhour something like a month to go coast to coast in the 40s. That is where the interstate program was evolved out of .. 72 hours coast to coast in 1930s? Trains couldn't even do it at fast.. And trucking was still in its infamy. Even the Goodyear tire tour took longer than a month.

 

All they had back then was the Lincoln Highway (mostly US30 today) and it was 3100 miles long back then and went through every city. 40 mph is 102 hours of nonstop driving.

Johnson's Corner north of Denver is around 60 years old. I was watching a Bill Murray movie the other day with an elephant and there was a scene at that truck stop.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1919_Motor_Transport_Corps_convoy 1919. Not the 1940's. I believe that Dwight was busy in Europe teaching Adolf a lesson around then.

 

It was after he came back from Germany where he had seen the autobahn and came up with the interstate highway system . They didnt start building it until the late 50s.and most of was finished in the late 70s. The highway system was built primarily for troop movement and durable goods. If you notice in most states the overpasses are 15 ft or higher. That was one requirement to get military equipment under.

 

Dixie may be the oldest but I remember an old mom and pop truck stop just north of Cairo, Il at the intersection of IL 3 and US 51. It was pretty old when I was a kid in the early 60s. I don't remember the name.

 

a few old timers talk of Ida Mae's truckstop that was on US 17 in Midway Ga. The building still stands and was just closed within the last couple years. They claim it is the oldest dating back to the 30's.. You can run a google search and find a photo. A retired trucker from NC told me it had the best food around and he always looked forward to stopping there. It was bypassed by I95 and eventually became a resturant for locals.

 

Ida Mae and Joes that is, Midway Ga.

 

All of these old truck stops served good food that had taste and didnt slide down your throat like this crap that the chains serve.. And no fast food.. Funny thing you were healthier.

 

I've found quite a few that are from the 70s and I'm staying in one tonite that is from the 60s. The one I'm staying in tonite is called 34 truckstop(because it's on US34 near Burlington IA. It's a ConocoPhillips stop and the lady there says it's been around 50 some odd years. On I75 in mt Vernon ky either 59 or 62 yard line is one that's been around since the 70s. Also on I26 near the SC Nc line is one that's been around since the 60s they have great local bbq. Exit 59 saluda NC. I 75 north GA near TN border exit 343 or 345(I think it's 345) is a pretty old one I think from the late 60s or early 70s. I 20 in SC heading to Columbia the capital is exit 44 has "44 truck stop" which I think is from the 60s. I know a few others. In NC on I85 exit 86 Linwood be sure to stop at Bills(with the big lumberjack waving to you from the road) there are two bills truckstop a both affiliated with each other since the early 70s(can't remember where they said the other one was). Also on I29 northern MO headed to IA exit 35 Faucett is Farris truckstop which has been there since the 60s I believe(look for the 1974 k-whopper in the sky). The Sunoco just outside of Wytheville VA exit 86(max meadows) has been there since the early 70s as well, about the time the interstate came thru. It(like Bills on I85 in NC) has an excellent restaurant, and max meadows I81 travel plaza(the Sunoco) has a motel which costs $29. This is one of the last remaining truckstops on the road to have a motel in the terminal. Though I'm sure there are dozens of others I don't yet know about. Keep on trucking.

 

The 7-11 in columbiana oh and old union 76