Skip to main content

Robeson County towns support honoring American Indians on I-74

While construction of a new Interstate freeway progresses in Robeson County, local officials and towns are voicing their support of a petition that would name I-74 within the county as the "American Indian Freeway." Currently, US 74 - which will share the new highway with I-74 - is named the Andrew Jackson Highway.

The petition would lead to a resolution that would keep the "Andrew Jackson Highway" name while the highway within the county would also have the "American Indian Freeway" distinction.

The Lumbee Indian Tribe traces their origins to the Robeson County area.

Story:
Highway is a reminder of Indian history ---Fayetteville Observer

Commentary:
Personally, what I found interesting in this article is how American history comes into play with the current name of US 74 and the proposal for I-74. While President, Jackson's "Indian Removal" policy was and remains one of the most controversial and far-impacting issues of his administration.

The Indian Removal Act signed into law in 1830 allowed the President to negotiate 'treaties' with Eastern Indian tribes. The act allowed the Federal government to enter into treaties where it purchased Indian tribal land in the eastern US in exchange for lands in the west outside of the U.S. borders. One of the results of this act was the infamous Cherokee 'Trail of Tears'. Although the removal of Cherokee Indians was under his successor's (Martin Van Buren) administration, the Indian Removal Act was a Jackson policy.

Over 4,000 Cherokee would die in their journey west.

In it's entirety in North Carolina, US 74 is known as the Andrew Jackson Highway. For years, Cherokee, Lumbee, and Tuscarora descendants have tried to change the name of the highway.

Naming I-74 in Robeson County the "American Indian Freeway" would be an acceptable compromise.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Tulare Lake returns

During the winter of 2023 California experienced one of the wettest seasons in recent decades.  Enough snow and water were deposited into the Sierra Nevada Mountains that the runoff was enough to partially reform Tulare Lake within San Joaquin Valley.  Tulare Lake was once the largest lake west of the Mississippi River by surface area.  Tulare Lake has been largely dried for the past century due to irrigation divisions and upstream impoundments.  This blog will examine the history of Tulare Lake and its recent return.  Pictured as the blog cover is Tulare Lake from 19th Avenue in Kings County during early May 2023.  Tulare Lake can be seen near its maximum extent below on the 1876 P.Y. Baker Map of Tulare County .   Part 1; the history of Tulare Lake Tulare Lake is the largest remnant of Lake Corcoran.  Lake Corcoran once covered much of the entire Central Valley due to being it being located at a in natural low point from where mountain run-off would accumulate.  Lake Corcoran is thou

Former US Route 101 through Sargent

  Sargent is a ghost town and siding of the Southern Pacific Railroad located in southern Santa Clara County.  The original alignment of US Route 101 was aligned through Sargent via what is now known as Old Monterey Road.  Sargent was bypassed gradually due to shifts of the alignment of US Route 101 which occurred during 1941 and 1950.  Pictured as the blog cover is a view on Old Monterey Road which is now no longer accessible to the general public.  Below is a scan of the 1935 Division of Highways Map of Santa Clara County which depicts the original alignment US Route 101 through Sargent.   Part 1; the history of US Route 101 in Sargent Sargent lies on land which was once part of Rancho Juristac.  During 1856 James P. Sargent purchased Rancho Juristac and plotted what was known as Sargent Ranch.  By 1869 the Southern Pacific Railroad coast line reached the relocated town site of Gilroy.  The Southern Pacific Railroad coast line would be constructed through Chittenden Pass by 1871 whic

California State Route 60/Former US Route 60/70 through the Moreno Valley Badlands west to Riverside

This past month I drove California State Route 60 through the Moreno Valley Badlands westward towards the City of Riverside.  CA 60 through the Moreno Valley Badlands was once part of the corridors of US Route 60 and US Route 70. The present route of CA 60 is a 70 mile (76 counting multiplex) slice of former US 60 between downtown Los Angeles east to I-10 near Beaumont.  The vast majority of CA 60 aside from a small section in the Moreno Valley Badlands is presently a freeway grade. For me CA 60 holds some personal history as it was the route I used most frequently accessing work sites in the Inland Empire circa 2011-2013.  Despite what many others probably would say I always really enjoyed the Moreno Valley Badlands portion of CA 60.  Considering I frequently worked on US 60 through Arizona and New Mexico the route holds even more appeal.  I even have a CA 60 shield hanging up in my garage. Part 1; History of Roadways in the Moreno Valley Badlands CA 60 between B