By Jason Chavis
Highway 61 History
Highway 61 is one of the most famous stretches of road in the
United States. It bisects the country, north to south, through what is considered middle America. Throughout its history, a number of modifications have been made. In addition, the highway achieved additional fame by being the subject of a popular Bob Dylan record.
Geography
Highway 61 was built in the 1930s. It extended across the full spectrum of the country, from New Orleans, Louisiana, to the Canadian border near Grand Portage, Minnesota.
Iowa
In the early 1980s, Highway 61 in Iowa was rebuilt into a four-lane highway. The project was so massive, it was not completed until 1999.
Mississippi
In 1990, a number of casinos began to be built along the stretch of the highway in Mississippi. This resulted in a number of upgrades along the stretch from the state line to Clarksdale.
Minnesota
With the construction of Interstate 35, the portion of Highway 61 in northern Minnesota was decommissioned. All parts of the highway north of Wyoming, Minnesota became part of the Minnesota State Highway system in 1991.
Famous Ties
Bob Dylan based his sixth studio album around travels down the highway. "Highway 61 Revisited" was released in August 1965 by Columbia Records. It was Dylan's first record to feature a full rock band.
Resources
About the Author:
Jason lives and works out of Minneapolis. After 11 years of professional writing, he is the author of four books, two movies and a play as well as numerous articles for Scientific American, The History Channel, City Pages and The Onion. Jason is a graduate of the film school at USC.
Photo Credits:
Jesster79; GNU Free Documentation License
