The Father of U.S. Roads
Long before Dwight David “Ike” Eisenhower put the U.S. Interstate System on the map, so to speak, there was another man devoted to the effort. He stood for safer roads long before the major push for motor vehicle transportation. His name was Horatio Earle. Now regarded as the father of U.S. roads, his goal was to make cycling safer. According to a Department of Transportation blog, as a renowned bicycle enthusiast who put tremendous effort toward safety, he decided to dispel a common misconception later in life by stating: “I often hear now-a-days, the automobile instigated good roads; that the automobile is the parent of good roads. Well, the truth is, the bicycle is the father of the good roads movement in this country.” Born in Mt. Holly, Vermont in 1855, his early professional career consisted of selling farm equipment. In 1889, he relocated his family to Detroit, where he began developing agricultural tools and selling them. He became a tremendous proponent of cycling and as suc