Bankhead Highway in Garland

The early 20th century development of the automobile led to major changes in road systems throughout the U.S. The 1916 Federal Aid Road Act, which supplied matching funds to states for the upgrade of roads, was sponsored by Alabama Senator John H. Bankhead and required that states establish a highway department in order to receive federal disbursements; the act led to the creation of the Texas Highway Department in 1917. The Bankhead Highway, America's Second east-to-west transcontinental highway, was soon routed from Washington D.C. to San Diego. The Bankhead Highway's route through Texas included the major cities of Texarkana, Dallas, Fort Worth and El Paso, and passed through the Dallas County town of Garland. In 1919 Texas Bankhead Highway Association Secretary Arthur P. Dyer noted that Garland was the only town on the Texas route which had voluntarily organized and gone to work without asking for outside help. The people of Garland took advantage of the highway's potential for economic impact. Auto repair shops, restaurants and service stations were built along Main Street – the Highway's route through Garland – which was soon paved and curbed. Although the Bankhead Highway was officially designated as Texas Highway 1 in 1917, it also retained the official Bankhead name until 1926, when it became part of U.S. Highway 67. However, the old name remained attached to the Garland segment until the early 1950s. The road's importance diminished beginning in the 1950s, as most drivers opted to use the wider, safer and faster new Interstate system, but the Bankhead Highway is remembered for its significant place in the history of scores of Texas towns such as Garland. (2009)

Bankhead Highway in Garland is a historical marker in Garland, Dallas County, dedicated in 2009. It is one of 352 historical markers documented in Dallas County in the Texas Historical Commission Atlas, among 574 historic sites cataloged across the county.

The site sits at 32.9128, -96.6374 near Garland. The nearest cataloged historic site is Garland (historical marker), about under a tenth of a mile away. Others within a short drive include Roach Feed & Seed Company, A. J. Head Service Station, and First Christian Church of Garland.

This record corresponds to Texas Historical Commission Atlas #5507015958. Use the map below for its exact position and turn-by-turn directions.