The Newsletter of the Jefferson Highway Association
VOLUME 6, NUMBER 1
WINTER 2017
Coming in April!
2017 JHA Conference in Denison, Texas
by Melanie Truxal, Director of Marketing & Tourism
Denison Area Chamber of Commerce
Photos provided by author and Glenn Smith
In this Issue...
The Denison
Details
1
The Iowa
Jefferson Gets
a Promotion
4
Jefferson
Highway
Documentary
5
Northwoods
Tour
7
Denison
Conference
Registration
14
P
lans are being finalized for the Jefferson Highway Association International
Conference in Denison, Texas, the last weekend of April, hosted by the Denison Area
Chamber of Commerce and Convention Visitor’s Bureau. The conference will be located
at the Best Western Hotel, 810 N. US Hwy 75 in Denison.
The conference will open with a welcome reception on the evening of Thursday, April 27,
at the Best Western Hotel. There will be heavy hors d’oeuvres and a cash bar to kick off
the weekend fun, beginning at 5:00 p.m.
On Friday, April 28, we will enjoy breakfast at the hotel. Several guest speakers
representing the City of Denison and the Denison Chamber of Commerce will welcome
the JHA to Denison and present the city’s motto of “Moving forward kicking back.”
One of the conference speakers will be Donna
Hunt. No one knows Denison and Grayson
County, Texas, better than Donna - or tells
what she knows with greater relish and wit.
Donna was the first female editor of The
Denison Herald and then served as manager
of the Eisenhower Birthplace State Historical
Park. For many years she has written twiceweekly newspaper columns documenting the
exciting history of this region.
www.JeffersonHighway.org
Eisenhower Birthplace
You can also look forward to a presentation by Robin Cole
Denison, TX
Jett. Who is Robin Cole Jett? Here’s her answer: “Glad you
asked! I'm a born and bred Texan from Paris, TX who has made my home in Lewisville. I
am also a member of the Jefferson Highway Association. I'm a trained historian, with a
Master of Education from the University of North Texas and a Master of Arts in history
from Texas Woman's University. I teach history at a junior college and am also the
(Denison, Continued on page 2)
Page 2
author of four books with another one forthcoming. I look forward to meeting those
who enjoy learning about the Red River, which forms the border between Texas and
Oklahoma.”
Biographies have not been received from the other speakers
at press time. The JHA business meeting will follow the
speakers’ presentations. After that, attendees will have time
to explore Denison’s vibrant Main Street filled with several
unique antique shops, a quilting shop, a second-hand
bookstore, and a locally owned coffee shop, just to name a
few.
Main Street, Denison, TX
Save room for a big dinner on your own at one of Denison’s
restaurants. You may decide to eat at our incredibly popular
“Huck’s Catfish,” the well-known restaurant “Rustico,” or one
of many other fine local establishments.
On Saturday, April 29, conference attendees will
board a bus and tour remnants of the old Jefferson
Highway. Part of the original highway is removed
and incorporated in State Highway 69/75 that
extends north of the Red River in Durant, OK, into
Denison and southeast through the city of
Whitewright. We will also tour Carpenter’s Bluff
Bridge. Built as a railroad bridge for the Missouri,
Oklahoma and Gulf (MO&G) Line, this landmark
structure across the Red River continues to provide
an auto route between Grayson County, TX, and
Bryan County, OK.
We will arrive back at the hotel during the noon
hour, at which time you can enjoy lunch on your
own at one of Denison’s local eating
establishments. On Saturday, the city is also
hosting its annual Doc Holliday Sinners and
Saints Festival in the heart of downtown. This
festival is named after the gun fighter Doc
Holliday, who for a short while had a dental
practice on Main Street. You’ll have plenty of
time to participate in such activities as an
antique fair, authentic old west reenactments,
western movies at the Rialto Theater, history
exhibits at the Red River Railroad Museum,
arts and crafts, food and drink, and an oldtimey photo booth. Author Victoria Wilcox will
speak at the city library at 1:00 p.m. The
President Eisenhower Birthplace will also be
open all day Saturday.
Blue River Bridge, Bryant Co., OK
Old alignment of US 69 north
Durant to Armstrong, OK
(Denison, Continued on page 3)
Page 3
The fun does not end there! You can look forward to enjoying a delicious dinner and
the presentation of awards at The North Rig Grill on Saturday evening. You will not
want to miss the entertainment we
also have planned. (We have a few
surprises for you through the
weekend, too.)
The City of Denison looks forward to
welcoming the members of the
Jefferson Highway Association. This
will be a truly enjoyable conference,
so plan to attend! Complete and mail
the registration form found
elsewhere in this issue of the
newsletter. Register TODAY!
Rialto Theater, Denison, TX
Welcome New JHA Members!
Allen County Public Library.. Fort Wayne, IN
Max Holloway..
Muskogee, OK
Jim Conley..
Ballwin, MO
Julie Moffett..
Leon, IA
Mark Smith..
Leon, IA
Robert & Ruby Smith..
Leon, IA
Jonita Mullins..
Muskogee, OK
Denison Convention & Visitors Bureau..
Denison, TX
If your membership renews during the months of October, November,
or December, you should have received a renewal application in the
mail. You can also renew with PayPal by going to the JHA website
www.jeffersonhighway.org. Thanks to everyone who has returned the
completed application and yearly dues.
If you are one of the few who have not renewed, please do so today.
We need your continued support if we are going to be successful in
promoting the .
Page 4
Photo provided by Phyllis Miller.
B
ecause the Jefferson Highway was conceived in Iowa by Edwin T. Meredith of Des
Moines, I and some other concerned Iowans thought it would be fitting to secure
preservation of the highway’s name in our state. Toward this end, in 2014 several Iowa
members of the Jefferson Highway Association teamed up with Iowa Rotary Clubs and
Decatur County, the governmental sponsor, to prepare an application to Iowa’s Scenic
Byways program seeking designation of the Jefferson Highway as a “heritage byway.” I’m
happy to report that approval of our application was announced by Iowa Governor Terry
Branstad at a press conference held in the Iowa State Capitol Building on October 31.
The review process in Iowa and other states
sometimes has taken as much as seven to ten
years, so we were delighted that the review of our
application was completed within only two years
and in time to bring recognition to the old highway
during its centennial year. The Jefferson Highway
now joins the Lincoln Highway as one of only two
historic highways recognized as heritage byways in
Iowa. Specially designed byway signs marking the
variant routes of the Jefferson Highway will go up
in 2017.
It was our good fortune that Governor Branstad
and Iowa DOT Director Paul Trombino were
supportive of our application from the start. At his
press conference the governor noted that “Iowa
byways meander through the countryside offering
Loring Miller at Branstad press conference
glimpses of the variety Iowa has to offer. These
Oct. 31, 2016
byways play an integral role in not only telling the
story of our state, but supporting the economies of the communities along their routes.”
Director Trombino and Lt. Governor Kim Reynolds also spoke and, like the governor, touted
the value of the byways program for tourism and economic development in Iowa. In
concluding the brief presentations at the press conference, I provided some historical
background for the Jefferson Highway, particularly noting that the highway was conceived
in Iowa by Meredith and is now one hundred years old.
Looking ahead, I recommend that we use the Heritage Byway application process followed
in Iowa in the remaining Jefferson Highway states and province. Our efforts would
recognize the historic importance of the Jefferson Highway for transportation and
community development along the entire Pine to Palm route. I’ll be happy to assist when
needed to arrange a meeting with key governmental leadership, and workers on the Iowa
project can serve in an advisory capacity. However, dedicated JHA members in each state
will need to initiate and execute all aspects of the application process. To discuss
development of a byway signage plan and application, please contact me at
[email protected].
Page 5
Less Traveled:
A Journey from Pine to Palm
A film by Darrell Johnston and Josiah Laubenstein
Reviewed by Ren Holland, Little Falls, MN
L
ast May, I met filmmakers and fellow JHA members Darrell Johnston, Leon, IA, and
Josiah Laubenstein, Minneapolis, MN, in Itasca State Park at the “Source of the Mississippi River” in Minnesota. Park naturalist Connie Cox and I were impressed by their
ambitions: they planned to travel the entire 2300 miles of the Jefferson Highway—
Winnipeg to New Orleans—in a classic 1954 Dodge Royal. They would be stopping at
selected communities to publicize the highway and to promote the issuing of proclamations by local officials in celebration of the centennial year of the first transnational
highway through the Mississippi Valley. They planned to film their adventures and produce a documentary through their company, Highway Walkers Media—certainly an
ambitious summer project.
I was pleased to hear this past fall that their adventure went smoothly and that the
result was the documentary Less Traveled: A Journey from Pine to Palm.
The 130-minute film was not made
to trace the exact route of the historic Jefferson Highway. Rather, it
was an effort to visit the small
towns that once were vibrant links
in the important highway. They
planned to interview and interact
with individuals who today live and
work along the route: farmers,
small town business people, construction workers, historians, naturalists, professors, local officials,
and, of course, members of the
Josiah, Darrell,
Jefferson Highway Association.
and '54 Dodge
Their broad goals were to help us all
better understand our nation’s past
and to contemplate some of the
changes occurring today along the route of the old highway.
Along that route, these likable young men found a trove of mini-adventures to accent
their story—from a visit to a historic Canadian fort, to crossing the slippery rocks at the
source of the Mississippi River; from a ride in a hot air balloon at Indianola, IA, to a rodeo barrel race in Leon, IA. In Louisiana, they learned to eat crawfish—Louisiana style.
As the Jefferson Highway coursed from Winnipeg to New Orleans, it met up with several famous east-west highways, the most famous of which was the Lincoln Highway.
The film takes note of Reed/Niland Corner at Colo, IA, where the Jefferson intersected
the Lincoln. Continuing south, the Jefferson eventually reached Muskogee, OK, where
(Less Traveled, Continued on page 6)
Page 6
Glenn Smith, the current JHA president, lives. Glenn makes a cameo appearance in the
film, not only to shed light on the Jefferson Highway but also to give the filmmakers
some bare-knuckle advice on how to start their Dodge after running out of gasoline.
Because the slogans “Pine to Palm” and “Palm to Pine” have both been used in connection with the old highway, the filmmakers made it a point to determine which was the
correct description. Viewers can find out what evidence caused the duo to agree on
which city—Winnipeg or New Orleans—was the beginning (or ending) of the highway.
While the underlying light humor in the film is a treasure, there are some serious tones
throughout as well, including comments from Dr. Anton Treuer, Professor of Ojibwa at
Bemidji State University at Bemidji, Minnesota. He politely advised the filmmakers not
just to look at the surface of the Jefferson Highway but to think also of the history preceding it reaching back 10,000 years to when the first North Americans traveled along
the same route.
I found this documentary to be a carefree yet informative and thought provoking film.
You will be not only entertained by it but
left with a deeper understanding of our
nation and a renewed interest in its customs and history.
A DVD of the film can be obtained for $15.
To place an order, go to
www.HighwayWalkers.com and hit the
“merchandise” tab. Or, to order by phone,
call 641-414-3286 and send check to 324
NW 13th Drive, Leon, IA 50144. Also available at $25 is a companion to the film, a
photo book entitled Less Traveled: A Journey down the Jefferson Highway, which the
filmmakers describe as a “coffee-table book that shows iconic landmarks, rarely seen
gems, and behind-the-scenes shots from the film.” To order a copy or to obtain more
information, follow the same procedures indicated above.
Page 7
A
ttention all of you roadies looking for a new adventure – we have one ready for
you for the Summer of ’17! We’re going to Canada by way of two great old roads,
the Lincoln and Jefferson Highways. Interested? Want to hear more? Here we go…
Those of you who have traveled with a Lincoln Highway tour group in the past know
that you’re in for a great trip. All arrangements are made for you in advance; from the
meal stops and attractions to the overnight accommodations, it’s all planned. All you
need to do is register, decide what you’ll be driving, and be there! The tour will be at a
leisurely pace averaging 175 miles per day. Any type of motor vehicle is welcome – old
or new, two wheels or four, large or small. We suggest having at least two people per
vehicle so that one can drive as the other navigates, but many folks have gone solo in
the past.
The tour will begin in Denison, Iowa on Saturday, June 24, immediately following the
annual Lincoln Highway Conference, which is being held there through that week.
The day will be spent on the Lincoln, ending in Ames with the
opening dinner. Rise & shine on Sunday morning, and east to
Colo, where we’ll join the Jefferson Highway, then head north
toward Canada.
Throughout the next five days, we’ll experience all that the
northern end of the Jefferson Highway has to offer. You will visit
the Surf Ballroom and pay tribute to “the day the music died.”
Minnesota then beckons with a visit to the great city of
Minneapolis. We will rekindle memories of Charles Lindberg and
Mary Tyler Moore; learn about meat packing, fishing, and the
paper industry; see some unique architecture and landmarks; visit
the headwaters of the Mississippi River at Lake Itasca; and travel
remote back roads which are the Jefferson – some paved and
some not. And don’t forget that wonderful Scandinavian hospitality that will welcome
us to the great North Woods. All of this, plus the Paul Bunyan and Babe the Blue Ox
statues, awaits you!
The tour will conclude in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada at the terminus of the Jefferson
Highway. This city has much British heritage to see, feel and share. From there, you
may travel to your next destination as you please. Those eastbound may choose the
Trans-Canadian highway to Ontario, Lake Superior, and the Soo Locks. Westbound on
the same highway takes you to Alberta and all the splendor of the Canadian Rockies.
It’s all there for you this summer.
(Northwoods
Tour, Continued on page 8)
Page 8
Our tour planners, drawn from both the JHA and the LHA, have been busy working up
a great experience for you and look forward to seeing old friends and meeting new
ones on this Northwoods Tour. Registration information is available on the LHA
website at www.lincolnhighwayassociation.org, or by calling me at 330-456-8319
during normal business hours (Eastern time). Because of availability of lodging and
size of venues, we are limited to 40 vehicles. Registration closes May 1, 2017. So
make your plans and don’t delay! We all look forward to seeing you in Iowa in June.
Page 9
President’s Report
Winter 2017
H
appy New Year to our members and friends of the Jefferson
Highway Association. Our organization received a lot of
publicity in 2016, and I believe the year 2017 will see the JHA
grow and receive as much publicity as it did this past year.
Momentum is on our side!
Lyell Henry’s new book about the Jefferson Highway is the first
documented source of the dream and formation of the historic
organization to build a highway from Winnipeg to New Orleans.
Glenn Smith
Lots of effort was made to have the Jefferson Highway recognized as a Heritage Byway in the
great state of Iowa. Loring Miller, Terry Geiger, Scott Berka, and many others worked hard on
behalf of the JHA for this great accomplishment. You can read about it in Loring’s article in this
issue.
Also, the first documentary film about the Jefferson Highway was made and produced in 2016
by two young men. Darrell Johnston and Josiah Laubenstein discovered many places of interest
and other roadside attractions during their travels from Winnipeg, Canada to New Orleans.
The video (also accompanied by a photo book) is available now that tells of their journey, and
this is another first for the historic Jefferson Highway. Look for Ren Holland’s review of the video
in this issue.
Jonita Mullins, author from Muskogee, OK, completed a book about the Jefferson Highway in
Oklahoma. She follows the original road back to when it was known as the Osage Trace and the
historic Texas Road. This road was traveled by various Native Americans for unknown centuries
and also accommodated the traffic south through the Indian Territory to settle in Texas. Jonita’s
book will get a full review in a later issue this year.
The lead article by Melanie Truxal in this issue discusses the upcoming events scheduled for the
2017 Annual Conference to be held April 28-29, 2017 in Denison, Texas. Did you know the
International Jefferson Highway Association met at the Denison Hotel in 1917? This is another
Centennial Event! We will be following in the founders’ footsteps a full century later!
Many educational and fun events are being planned for this conference, and while their
scheduling has not been completely confirmed, Melanie’s outline will show you the great
speakers and fun-time we can all have together. Also among the conference events will be the
annual member meeting, at which time we can discuss JHA business, financial, and other
organizational matters and elect several new JHA officers. This meeting is an important part of
keeping the JHA growing, so I hope many will be there to participate in it.
I look forward to seeing you in Denison, Texas!
Thank you,
Glenn
P.O. Box 1332
Muskogee, OK 74402
Office phone –(918) 682-3252
E-mail: [email protected]
Page 10
How I Found the Jefferson Highway
By Alexa McDowell, Minneapolis, MN
F
ans of the Jefferson Highway know this: on its path through the state of Iowa, the
highway passes through Mason City. Until undertaking the preparation of a National
Register of Historic Places nomination for Mason City’s
historic downtown commercial district in 2005, I did not.
I had spent months evaluating the dozens of buildings
located in the downtown; I had researched the city’s
industrial and commercial history and analyzed how they
had shaped the commercial district; and I had learned about
the history of the city as a railroad center with its intricate
system of five major rail lines that facilitated the growth and
development of community. I had covered it all …. or so I
thought. It wasn’t until I presented the nomination to the
State Nominations Review Committee (SNRC) that I learned
otherwise.
The Iowa SNRC is the board responsible for evaluating all of
the state’s National Register nominations. It is this group of
about 15 persons representing a variety of disciplines –
typically historians, professors, architects, and archaeologists
Alexa McDowell
- that determines whether the case presented supports the
registration of a building, a district, an object, a structure, or
an archaeological site. It is on their recommendation that a nomination is forwarded to the
National Park Service for possible listing on the National Register.
So there I was after months of work, confident in the case I had made that the Mason City
downtown commercial area was eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic
Places. Imagine my surprise and embarrassment to learn that I had completely ignored the
fact that the Jefferson Highway ran right down the middle of the city’s downtown. The
downtown’s main street – Federal Avenue - was the former route of the Jefferson Highway!
Wait … it gets worse. I had no idea what the Jefferson Highway was! There was a GIANT
hole in my case for significance, not to mention in my professional knowledge.
I’m certain that when my oversight was noted – very diplomatically accomplished by SNRC
member and our own Lyell Henry – I had a very blank look on my face. The Jefferson
Highway? The Palm-to-Pine? Thank goodness I had Lyell – clearly, I would need him.
In the weeks that followed, I returned to my research. I learned all I could about the
context in which the Jefferson Highway was established. I read about the Good Roads
Movement, the Lincoln Highway, and the early work to mark Iowa’s roadways. Mason City,
I found, had played a very important role in the establishment and subsequent
development of the Jefferson Highway. The city’s prosperity had for many years rested on
beef packing, sugar beet production, and the brick and tile industry, but now I saw that
more important for the future of roads in Iowa was Mason City’s position as “the cement
capital of the nation,” thanks to the presence there of the Northwestern Portland Cement
(McDowell, Continued on page 11)
Page 11
Company. Finally, I learned something of the central role played by Hugh Shepard, a
Mason City attorney, businessman, and civic booster, whose voice was critical to
drumming up support for the Jefferson Highway in Iowa. Shepard’s leadership was also
later felt along the highway’s full length when he served as JHA’s president.
The Mason City Downtown Historic District was indeed approved for listing on the National
Register of Historic Places in 2006, but not before I was introduced to the Jefferson
Highway and came to understand its significant impact on the commercial enterprises
located within the district boundaries. In the years since completing my work in Mason
City, I’ve also drawn on my newly acquired understanding of the Jefferson Highway on
projects in Northwood, Iowa, and recently in Osseo, Minnesota. But this understanding
has also had a more general effect, altering how I see town and countryside alike. Now,
whenever I’m traveling or working in Iowa or in my new home state of Minnesota, my
antennae are up for interesting features of old highways and their roadsides, and that’s
especially so when I’m driving on portions of the former Pine to Palm route; then my eyes
always search eagerly for evidences of the continuing presence of the old highway.
What Some Members Have Been Doing
C
arol Ahlgren, Crystal, MN, recently got the happy news that she had been awarded a
$5,000 Legacy Research Fellowship for 2017 by the Minnesota Historical Society. These
fellowships are provided to support research that draws on the resources of the Society’s
Gale Family Library in St. Paul and that contributes to knowledge and interpretation of
Minnesota history. Carol will use her fellowship to begin research on the
Jefferson Highway in Minnesota, towards the goal of writing a book on that
subject.
In early December, The History Press of Charleston, SC, released The Jefferson
Highway in Oklahoma, a handsome paperback book written by Jonita Mullins,
Muskogee, OK. As is indicated by the book’s subtitle, “The Historic Osage
Trace,” the book recounts the highway’s history not only in its twentiethcentury phase as an automobile road but also as a much older trail long
traveled by Native Americans and later employed as a military road. JHA
president Glenn Smith, Muskogee, OK, wrote the book’s foreword.
On a four-mile stretch of original US 69 (earlier, the Jefferson Highway) in Decatur
County, Iowa, is the only remaining pony truss bridge on the old Jefferson route in
Iowa. (For a description and photo of the bridge, see the “top-ten” nomination
made by Terry Geiger, Leon, IA, in the Spring, 2016 issue [Vol. 5, No. 2] issue of this
newsletter.) Because the bridge has long been in poor condition, Loring Miller,
also of Leon, IA, last summer opened a discussion with the county board of
supervisors about restoring the bridge, and in September contacted the Iowa DOT
for the same purpose. Now comes greater urgency: prompted by a report filed in
December by the state’s bridge-rating consultant that no further spot repairs are
feasible, the county has closed the bridge. Terry and Loring continue to consult
with the county board and Iowa DOT hoping that some means can be found to salvage and
reopen the bridge.
Page 12
JHA Bulletin Board
Help Wanted: Webmaster
JHA is still seeking an individual to take charge of the association’s website. Theresa Russell has
done a fine job of keeping the website up to date but will be stepping down in the near future. If
you would like to take over this important duty and help your association or know of someone
who might be interested, please contact one of the board members listed on the last page of this
newsletter.
Smile If You Use Amazon.com
If you are using Amazon.com for online purchases and have not yet switched to Amazon Smile,
please do so today. If you designate the JHA as your charity, Amazon will donate to the
association ½ of 1 percent of your online purchases. You pay no more to use Amazon Smile and
your association gets the benefit. Click on this link to get started http://smile.amazon.com/
ch/45-1599451.Bookmark it and be sure to designate the JHA as your private non-profit
organization. Through the quarter ending November 30, 1916, Amazon has contributed $45.25
to the JHA. The more members who use this program, the faster that amount will grow.
JHA Business Members
Business members of JHA receive a one-year membership, an 18”x12” JH sign to display at their
businesses, and acknowledgement of their support of JHA in the newsletter. JHA is grateful to
these businesses for their support. The JHA currently has fourteen business members:
--TRQ Equipment Services (Tim Quigley), Cedar Rapids, IA
--Warren Auto Repair (Leonard Warren), Muskogee, OK
--Nevada Chamber of Commerce, Nevada, IA
--Boots Court (Priscilla Bledsaw & Debye Harvey), Carthage, MO
--Jim Johnston Realty (Jim Johnson), Leon, IA
--Craighead’s (Belinda Davison), Caddo, OK
--Stifel, Nicolaus, & Co. (Joel Cousins), Muskogee, OK
--Legacy Barn Event Center (Larry Frickenschmidt), Carthage, MO
--Highway Walkers Media (Darrell Johnston & Josiah Laubenstein), Leon, IA
--Atoka County Museum, Atoka, OK
--Joplin Historical & Mineral Museum, Joplin, MO
--AKAY Consulting (Alexa McDowell), Minneapolis, MN
--Ottawa County Historical Society, Miami, OK
--Morrison County History Society, Little Falls, MN
The JHA Needs Your Help
The Association has obtained a limited number of copies of the photo book, Less Traveled. This
attractive book was produced by Highway Walkers Media in conjunction with the recently
completed Jefferson Highway documentary film bearing the same main title (see Ren Holland’s
review of the film elsewhere in this issue). To spread the word about the Jefferson Highway, we
would like to distribute complimentary copies to public libraries and local historical societies,
and this is where we need your help, as follows: Just nominate your local library, historical
society, or other non-profit group that would make the book available to others. The objective is
to promote awareness of the Jefferson Highway, and all you need to do is provide the name and
mailing address of your nominee(s) to JHA Treasurer Scott Berka at [email protected] or 67497
180th St., Nevada, IA 50201. We will send a complimentary copy of the book, a supply of JHA
brochures, and a cover letter acknowledging your nomination and encouraging membership in
the JHA. Directions for buying your own copy of the book as well as the full-length documentary
film can be found in Ren Holland’s review.
Page 13
6th Annual
JHA Conference
Denison, TX
April 28th & 29th 2017
Please complete the form and mail it with your check or money order to:
Jefferson Highway Association
Office of the Treasurer
67497 180th St
Nevada, IA 50201
Name(s)______________________________________________________
Please print your name(s) as you wish it/them to appear on your conference name badge(s)
Address________________________City________________State______Zip________
Phone (____)__________________Email_____________________________________
Conference Fees
(You must be a member of the Jefferson Highway Association to attend)
Full Conference Early Bird Discount: Includes all
scheduled conference activities. Thursday welcome
reception, Friday-Saturday lunches, business meeting,
seminars. Saturday bus trip on the JH, dinner and
awards banquet plus one official conference Polo Shirt
(Please circle size(s) S M L XL XXL XXXL,
XXXXL (men’s sizes)
Fee
per
person
Number
attending
Total
Amount
$165
Full Conference as above after April 10th 2017
$180
Annual JHA Membership Dues - Individual
Annual JHA Membership Dues – Family, or Business
(for new members)
$25
$35
Additional Official Conference Polo Shirt(s)
Circle size(s)
S M L XL XXL XXXL XXXXL
$28
Option – Bus Tour Only for spouse or guest
$50
Option – JHA Official Sweatshirt(s)
Circle size(s) S M L XL XXL XXXL
$30
Option – JHA Official Cap(s) (Circle Color)
Blue, Tan
$18
Total submitted for Conference
REGISTRATION DEADLINE APRIL 20, 2017
Cancellation Policy: Cancellations received by the Association prior to March 31, 2017, will be accepted without question. A fee of $25 will be deducted to cover processing. After March 31, 2017, there will be no refunds except those granted by the JHA Executive Committee for cases of extreme hardship.
Page 14
2017 JHA Conference
Hotel Information
Call now to reserve
your room at the
Best Western Plus
Texoma Hotel & Suites
810 North
U.S. Highway 75
Denison, Texas
Phone 903-327-8883
[email protected]
Best Western has provided a link if you prefer
to make arrangements on-line:
http://book.bestwestern.com/bestwestern/groupSearch.do?
groupId=G87GL4Q6
Be sure to tell them you are with the Jefferson Highway Association.
Single or double room rates for April 27-28-29
are $64.00 per night, plus tax.
Our meetings will be in the Meeting Room
of the Best Western host hotel.
The management of the Best Western Hotel is looking forward to hosting the 2017 Jefferson Highway Association during our conference on
April 28-29, 2017.
Plan to arrive on Thursday April 27 to be ready for the meeting
at the hotel on Friday morning.
Start your day at this hotel with the continental breakfast and enjoy all
the facilities they have to offer.

Wireless Internet Connections

Indoor Pool

Exercise Facility

Indoor Hot Tub

24 Hour front desk

Cable TV

Several restaurants nearby

All rooms have a small refrigerator and microwave.
Page 15
Jefferson Highway Association
Member Registration
Please fill out a separate sheet for each member of the household and return
to:
Jefferson Highway Association
c/o Scott V. Berka, Treasurer
67497 180th Street
Nevada, IA 50201
Please Print
Date____________________
Annual membership is from date of enrollment.
( ) New Member
( ) Renewal
Name ____________________________________________
Address ___________________________________________
City ______________________________
________
State _________ Zip/Postal Code
Home Phone (_____) _____________ Work Phone (_____) _______________
Fax (_____) _______________
E-mail address __________________________________
_____ I am enclosing annual membership dues of $25.00 (individual membership)
_____ I am enclosing annual membership dues of $35.00 (family/business/other
membership)
I am interested in:
_____Sociability Run _____Route marking & Governmental route recognition
_____Historical Research _____Helping produce the monthly newsletter
_____Marketing & Tourism _____Merchandising & Trademark protection
_____Maintaining JHA Facebook
_____Other ______________________________________________________
_____I have historic photographs, postcards, tourism booklets, news articles
or other information relating to the Jefferson Highway and would like to share
them.
Page 16
Stuff You Should Know
Questions, Comments, Ideas, Letters to the Ed? Contact Us.
Jefferson Highway Declaration
67497 180th Street
Nevada, IA 50201
Phone 641-377-2521
www.jeffersonhighway.org
Facebook www.facebook.com/pages/Jefferson-Highway/129069972974
Flickr www.flickr.com/photos/80163577@N07/
JHA Officers and Directors
President
Vice President
Secretary
Treasurer
Kansas Director
Iowa Director
At-Large Director
Glenn Smith, Muskogee, OK
Mike Curtis, Brevard, NC
Carol Ahlgren, Crystal, MN
Scott Berka, Nevada, IA
David Stearns, Olathe, KS
Lyell Henry, Iowa City, IA
Jerry Alger, Fruitport, MI
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
Newsletter Editorial Committee
Lyell Henry, Chair
Mike Kelly
Paul Walker
Iowa City, IA
Colo, IA
Wilton, IA
[email protected]
JHA Mission Statement

The Jefferson Highway Association is organized exclusively for charitable, educational, and
scientific purposes and shall work for and promote the preservation of the Jefferson Highway in the United States of America and Canada.

The Jefferson Highway Association (JHA) shall identify, preserve, interpret and improve access to the Jefferson Highway and its associated sites.

The JHA shall pursue the appropriate measures to prevent further deterioration, destruction
or alteration of the remaining sections of the Jefferson Highway.

The JHA shall publicize and seek public awareness of its goals and activities for preserving,
promoting and developing the Jefferson Highway.

The JHA shall facilitate research about the Jefferson Highway, and maintain a web site and
publish a newsletter for articles and news of activity relevant to the JHA.

The JHA shall work with local communities and businesses to promote the Jefferson Highway
as a tourism destination.

The JHA shall be exclusively charitable and educational within the meaning of Section 501(c)
(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. The JHA is a tax-exempt public charity as determined by
the Internal Revenue Service on June 11, 2014 (effective back to April 14, 2011). All contributions to the JHA are deductible under Section 170 of the tax law.