Amy Gillis Lowry

North Georgia's Dixie Highway Amy Gillis Lowry

Travelers on North Georgia's Dixie Highway in the first half of the 20th century experienced a unique excursion. The first interstate highway to link the American South to the urban North was conceived as a tourism route. Local communities lobbied the Dixie Highway Association for a place on the route, a chance to show off local attractions, and for a piece of the economic action. The highway drew visitors to natural wonders, Native American historic sites, and Civil War battlefields. Local entrepreneurs built tourist courts, cabins, inns, and motels and opened hot dog stands, diners, and restaurants. Car dealerships, filling posts, and service stations accommodated the nascent automobile. Resourceful men and women sold farm produce and local handiworks at roadside markets. The handmade chenille coverlets were an especially popular purchase for visitors who soon learned to follow the displays south to Atlanta. Images of America: North Georgia's Dixie Highway traces the development of the tourism route, the growth of businesses serving the visitors, and the evolution of the tufted bedspread into the modern tufted carpet industry.