- Old US 71
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Old US 71 – Wilton Segement
Nearest city: Wilton, Arkansas Coordinates: 33°46′4″N 94°8′49″W / 33.76778°N 94.14694°WCoordinates: 33°46′4″N 94°8′49″W / 33.76778°N 94.14694°W Area: 4.8 acres (1.9 ha) Built: 1934 Architect: Kochtitzky & Johnson Inc. & A.C Kennedy Architectural style: Bates-type pavement Governing body: Local MPS: Arkansas Highway History and Architecture MPS NRHP Reference#: 04000492
[1]Added to NRHP: May 26, 2004 Old US 71 – Wilton Segment is a former alignment of U.S. Route 71 (US 71) near Wilton in Little River County, Arkansas. The roadway of about 2 miles (3.2 km) is a 1934 construction and was the main travel route in the county upon construction until US 71/US 59 bypassed this alignment in 1965.
Contents
History
Little River County began to grow with the coming of the railroad in the late nineteenth century. Towns were being established quickly, and railroads were springing up in the county. Millkin was established in 1890 and was renamed Wilton in 1892. The need for a bridge over the Little River became apparent to the county. A project to build a bridge was let in 1912, and the federal designation of US 71 came when Arkansas designated a state highway system in 1926.
Pavement
The pavement for this section of US 71 was "Bates-type pavement". The winner of a high traffic contest in Bates, Illinois, Bates-type pavement is concrete with welded wire reinforcement. This type of pavement became very popular for high-volume highways in the 1930s.[2]
After construction
The route served as a main artery in Little River County and as the main route between Texarkana and Fort Smith. The high traffic caused a settlement named Taylors Store to spring up north of Wilton, though it subsequently died out when this segment was bypassed in 1965. The route remains today as a driveable county road.[3]
See also
- Old US 71 – Greenland segment
- Old US 71 – Jenny Lind segment
- Old US 71 – Little River approach across the Little River in Sevier County
References
- ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. 2009-03-13. http://nrhp.focus.nps.gov/natreg/docs/All_Data.html.
- ^ "Bates Standard Pavement." OK Highways. Website. Retrieved July 2, 2011.
- ^ Arkansas State Highway and Transportation Department. General Highway Map (Map) (Little River County ed.). http://www.arkansashighways.com/maps/Counties/County%20PDFs/LittleRiverCounty.pdf. Retrieved July 1, 2011.
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- 1934 architecture
- Transportation in Little River County, Arkansas
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