Coastal Georgia Historical Society
Program cover for dinner planned but ultimately not given for the Dixie Highway commissioners by the Brunswick Automobile Association.
In the early 1900s, road travel in the United States was notoriously dangerous, difficult, and time consuming, but solutions were on the horizon. A group of organizers in Chattanooga, Tennessee, presented an idea in December 1914 for a cross-country road called the “Dixie Highway,” which would run from Chicago to Miami. Soon, many locales began advocating for the highway to run through their town. A section of the Dixie Highway promised not only the improvement of local roads and construction of new ones, but economic development from tourism as well. Excitement for the new road ran up and down its route—and the coastal city of Brunswick was certainly not immune.
When Brunswick learned that an official group of Dixie Highway commissioners would pass through town in early 1916, plans to receive them in grand fashion began immediately. On March 22, 1916, the Brunswick Automobile Association planned a dinner for the commissioners at the city’s famous Oglethorpe Hotel. The complete program surrounding the group’s arrival included an impressive banquet, set for eight o’clock that evening. The menu featured dishes named after stops on the Dixie Highway, including “Savannah Cheese” and “Asparagus a la Nashville.” It was sprinkled with hints that Brunswick was the perfect place for a section of the road. One interlude listed nearby destinations, described as “names of historical significance, connected by roads built by Oglethorpe, but today … traveled by thousands of automobiles and Fords, BUT WE WANT MORE.”
Coastal Georgia Historical Society
Menu for planned but ultimately not given dinner for the Dixie Highway commissioners by the Brunswick Automobile Association.
The Dixie Highway commissioners would certainly have been impressed by their reception in Brunswick if their arrival had not been significantly later than planned. High winds delayed the convoy’s ferry trip across the Satilla River—at the time, there was no bridge for car crossings. The distinguished visitors didn’t trickle into Brunswick until midnight. The commissioners stayed through Wednesday, recovering from their river crossing, and then continued north towards Savannah. If Brunswick missed its chance for an impressive culinary welcome, it was at least able to finish on a strong note. The Dixie Highway representatives commented that the road between Brunswick and the ferry to Darien was well kept, and the city received word that the group made it to Savannah in record time. The campaign was ultimately successful: the Dixie Highway brought many visitors to Brunswick, and its nearby route later became the path of U.S. Route 17.
This month’s featured images from the Coastal Georgia Historical Society show the program cover and dinner menu planned but ultimately not given for the Dixie Highway commissioners by the Brunswick Automobile Association. The rest of the program included images of Brunswick and the islands, as well as information about the area’s churches, schools, and industries.
The Coastal Georgia Historical Society presents this article and images from our archives as part of our mission “to connect people to Coastal Georgia’s dynamic history.” The Society operates the iconic St. Simons Lighthouse Museum and the World War II Home Front Museum, housed in the Historic Coast Guard Station at East Beach. To learn more about the Society, its museums, diverse programs, and membership, please visit coastalgeorgiahistory.org.
