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| Retracing the steps of our ancestors |
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| News | |||
| Written by Jesse Trimble | |||
| Wednesday, 18 November 2009 08:00 | |||
Mike Conlin’s business cards describe him as a map maker, Web site designer and a highway enthusiast.  Map makers may be few and far between, but highway enthusiasts are fewer. Conlin, originally from Canada, stopped in Paola last week while on his journey along old Jefferson Highway. Most community members know this long-lost highway as Old Kansas City road, North Pearl Street and parts of Silver Street. The once-major-highway was founded on Nov. 15, 1915 as part of the National Auto Trail system and was known as the Palm to Pine highway, stretching from Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada to New Orleans. Spanning roughly 2,300 miles, the highway, according to Conlin’s Web site, www.jeffersonhighway.com, was the first transcontinental road to traverse the North American continent. “I’m a Canadian,” Conlin said with an accent. But when he met and married a woman from Louisiana, he packed his bags and left his country in 2000 to settle in New Orleans. “I was going nuts,” he said, adding that he hated the place and didn’t feel connected to his home country. Finally, after figuring out how to receive Canadian satellite television channels, Conlin discovered Jefferson Highway while watching TV. “It started in my country,” he said. “I instantly felt connected.” As a map maker, Conlin started making a map of the highway, gathering whatever information he could from the Internet to contacting historical societies and museums. He even went so far as to Google Map a few portions of the road and examine the shape of the highway to figure out where it was on the map. “I’ve used a lot of satellite imagery,” he said. Maps haven’t always been Conlin’s main focus, however, and before the recession hit, he worked as a sign maker in New Orleans, making elaborate signs for casinos and big businesses. He’s done working for the time being, though, since he’s discovered his passion for history and the Jefferson Highway. It took almost two years of researching the old highway, used primarily by the wealthy, before Conlin was ready to set out on his trip to travel it himself. Armed with maps, tons of contacts in towns along the highway and a childhood friend as his “cabby” or driver, Conlin set out on Nov. 4 from Canada and arrived in Paola on Nov. 11. He expects to reach the end of the highway today. Throughout the duration of the trip, the two friends drove an old recreational vehicle and parked it in Walmart parking lots each night to rest. Conlin said as soon as he’s finished with the trip he’s going golfing. Gary Augustine, Conlin’s childhood friend, said he’s a brother from another mother to Conlin, and although he has his own golfing business in Canada, he decided to make the trip with his friend. “There’s so many towns along the way and so much history,” Augustine said. “We’ve stayed on the highway as much as possible, and the country is excellent. Just gorgeous.” Conlin agreed and added the people the two have met along the way have been friendly and hospitable. Ultimately, Conlin’s goal is to make people more aware that Jefferson Highway still exists as other roads today. He wants to form a Jefferson Highway Association and begin to mark the highway with the original blue and white signs used in the early 1900s and place the markers on telephone polls, as it used to be done. The roads Conlin has taken so far have been in fairly good shape, however, due to appointments made with people along the way, he hasn’t been able to follow Jefferson Highway exactly. In fact, a portion of the old highway currently sits underwater in Oklahoma. But water isn’t stopping this 63-year-old on a mission. He plans on taking the trip again on his motorcycle and possibly writing a book about the highway. “That’s what I’m doing now,” he said. “I’m taking notes everywhere we go.” You can visit Conlin’s site at www.jeffersonhighway.com or find him on Facebook when searching for the group, “Jefferson Highway.”
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