Victory Highway
Encyclopedia
The Victory Highway was an auto trail
across the United States
between New York City
and San Francisco, roughly equivalent to the present U.S. Route 40
.
. The road was to be dedicated to American forces who died in World War I
. By 1922 the organization had decided to run from New York City
southwest to Camden, New Jersey
, Philadelphia, Wilmington, Baltimore, and Washington before turning west to San Francisco. Washington was later removed from the route, which ran west from Baltimore to Cumberland, Maryland
. At Cumberland, it picked up the old National Road
to Vandalia, Illinois
, which was already marked as part of the National Old Trails Road. It continued to follow that auto trail near Fulton, Missouri
, and then followed a different route across the rest of that state, passing through Jefferson City on its way to Kansas City. The highway continued west from Kansas City to Denver over the Golden Belt Highway, and then ran via Salt Lake City, across the Great Salt Lake Desert
and Nevada
, and via Sacramento to San Francisco. It crossed the Antioch Bridge
and passed through the Broadway Tunnel west of Sacramento.
Since it mostly overlapped the National Old Trails Road east of St. Louis, the Victory Highway was little-known there. However, it took a different route through New Jersey
. While the National Old Trails Road crossed the Delaware River
at Trenton, the Victory Highway crossed on the Benjamin Franklin Bridge
to Camden, heading northeast via Burlington and Hightstown to Perth Amboy roughly on the present U.S. Route 130
and County Route 615
. After crossing the Victory Bridge
into Perth Amboy, it turned east over the Outerbridge Crossing
and through Staten Island
to the Staten Island Ferry
to Manhattan
. After the Outerbridge Crossing was completed in 1928, the only two ferries remaining on the highway were the Staten Island Ferry and the San Francisco-Oakland Ferry at the other end.
Auto trail
The system of auto trails was an informal network of marked routes that existed in the United States and Canada in the early part of the 20th century. Marked with colored bands on telephone poles, the trails were intended to help travellers in the early days of the automobile.Auto trails were...
across the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
between New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
and San Francisco, roughly equivalent to the present U.S. Route 40
U.S. Route 40
U.S. Route 40 is an east–west United States highway. As with most routes whose numbers end in a zero, U.S. 40 once traversed the entire United States. It is one of the original 1920s U.S. Highways, and its first termini were San Francisco, California, and Atlantic City, New Jersey...
.
History
The Victory Highway Association was organized in 1921 to locate and mark a transcontinental highway via St. Louis, generally south of the Lincoln HighwayLincoln Highway
The Lincoln Highway was the first road across the United States of America.Conceived and promoted by entrepreneur Carl G. Fisher, the Lincoln Highway spanned coast-to-coast from Times Square in New York City to Lincoln Park in San Francisco, originally through 13 states: New York, New Jersey,...
. The road was to be dedicated to American forces who died in World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. By 1922 the organization had decided to run from New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
southwest to Camden, New Jersey
Camden, New Jersey
The city of Camden is the county seat of Camden County, New Jersey. It is located across the Delaware River from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city had a total population of 77,344...
, Philadelphia, Wilmington, Baltimore, and Washington before turning west to San Francisco. Washington was later removed from the route, which ran west from Baltimore to Cumberland, Maryland
Cumberland, Maryland
Cumberland is a city in the far western, Appalachian portion of Maryland, United States. It is the county seat of Allegany County, and the primary city of the Cumberland, MD-WV Metropolitan Statistical Area. At the 2010 census, the city had a population of 20,859, and the metropolitan area had a...
. At Cumberland, it picked up the old National Road
National Road
The National Road or Cumberland Road was the first major improved highway in the United States to be built by the federal government. Construction began heading west in 1811 at Cumberland, Maryland, on the Potomac River. It crossed the Allegheny Mountains and southwestern Pennsylvania, reaching...
to Vandalia, Illinois
Vandalia, Illinois
Vandalia is a city in Fayette County, Illinois, United States, northeast of St. Louis, on the Kaskaskia River. From 1819 to 1839 it served as the state capital of Illinois. Vandalia was the western terminus of the National Road. Today it is the county seat of Fayette County and the home of the...
, which was already marked as part of the National Old Trails Road. It continued to follow that auto trail near Fulton, Missouri
Fulton, Missouri
Fulton is a city in Callaway County, Missouri, the United States of America. It is part of the Jefferson City, Missouri Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 12,790 in the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Callaway County...
, and then followed a different route across the rest of that state, passing through Jefferson City on its way to Kansas City. The highway continued west from Kansas City to Denver over the Golden Belt Highway, and then ran via Salt Lake City, across the Great Salt Lake Desert
Great Salt Lake Desert
The Great Salt Lake Desert is a large dry lake in northern Utah between the Great Salt Lake and the Nevada border which is noted for white sand from evaporite Lake Bonneville salt deposits...
and Nevada
Nevada
Nevada is a state in the western, mountain west, and southwestern regions of the United States. With an area of and a population of about 2.7 million, it is the 7th-largest and 35th-most populous state. Over two-thirds of Nevada's people live in the Las Vegas metropolitan area, which contains its...
, and via Sacramento to San Francisco. It crossed the Antioch Bridge
Antioch Bridge
The Antioch Bridge crosses the San Joaquin River linking Antioch, California with Sacramento County, California. The bridge is signed as part of State Route 160. Unlike the other toll bridges in California, the Antioch bridge has only one lane going in each direction...
and passed through the Broadway Tunnel west of Sacramento.
Since it mostly overlapped the National Old Trails Road east of St. Louis, the Victory Highway was little-known there. However, it took a different route through New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
. While the National Old Trails Road crossed the Delaware River
Delaware River
The Delaware River is a major river on the Atlantic coast of the United States.A Dutch expedition led by Henry Hudson in 1609 first mapped the river. The river was christened the South River in the New Netherland colony that followed, in contrast to the North River, as the Hudson River was then...
at Trenton, the Victory Highway crossed on the Benjamin Franklin Bridge
Benjamin Franklin Bridge
The Benjamin Franklin Bridge , originally named the Delaware River Bridge, is a suspension bridge across the Delaware River connecting Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and Camden, New Jersey...
to Camden, heading northeast via Burlington and Hightstown to Perth Amboy roughly on the present U.S. Route 130
U.S. Route 130
U.S. Route 130 is a north–south U.S. Highway completely within the state of New Jersey. It runs from Interstate 295 and US 40 at Deepwater in Pennsville Township, Salem County, where the road continues east as Route 49, north to US 1 in North Brunswick Township, Middlesex County, where...
and County Route 615
County Route 615 (Middlesex County, New Jersey)
County Route 615 is a county route in Middlesex County, New Jersey that measures in length. The road extends from Mercer CR 615 at the Plainsboro/West Windsor line all the way to So. Pine Ave in South Amboy, New Jersey. While most of 615 is not used a commuter road, the section in the...
. After crossing the Victory Bridge
Victory Bridge (New Jersey)
The Victory Bridge is a highway bridge in the U.S. state of New Jersey that carries Route 35 over the Raritan River, connecting the Middlesex County communities of Perth Amboy on the north and Sayreville to the south. The bridge is operated and maintained by the New Jersey Department of...
into Perth Amboy, it turned east over the Outerbridge Crossing
Outerbridge Crossing
The Outerbridge Crossing is a cantilever bridge which spans the Arthur Kill. The "Outerbridge", as it is commonly known, connects Perth Amboy, New Jersey, with the New York City borough of Staten Island and carries NY-440 and NJ-440, each road ending at the respective state border.The bridge was...
and through Staten Island
Staten Island
Staten Island is a borough of New York City, New York, United States, located in the southwest part of the city. Staten Island is separated from New Jersey by the Arthur Kill and the Kill Van Kull, and from the rest of New York by New York Bay...
to the Staten Island Ferry
Staten Island Ferry
The Staten Island Ferry is a passenger ferry service operated by the New York City Department of Transportation that runs between the boroughs of Manhattan and Staten Island.-Overview:...
to Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
. After the Outerbridge Crossing was completed in 1928, the only two ferries remaining on the highway were the Staten Island Ferry and the San Francisco-Oakland Ferry at the other end.