Kelly Sills

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

The people who helped build Louisiana were brave. Over and over again, those responsible for bringing infrastructure and allowing for growth in the Pelican State faced the swamplands. One notable example is when engineers and workers faced a swath of wilderness that extends down the center of Louisiana, full of liquid mud, water and jungle growth.  Louisianans are tough and really always have been. From the guys with the chainsaws, to those navigating boats and the crews responsible for research and constructing – a feat of engineering was accomplished in Louisiana in 1973. The Atchafalaya Basin Bridge in Iberville Parish and  St. Martin Parish earned the distinction of being the third longest bridge in the United States, spanning a staggering 96.095 feet or 18.2 miles. So close to being 20 miles in length, it is referred to by some locals as the “20 Mile Bridge.” Today, the Atchafalaya Basin Bridge maintains the title as the 2nd longest bridge on the U.S. interstate system and the 14