The Jefferson Highway in Oklahoma – The Historic Osage Trace
Its central location makes Oklahoma a natural crossroads. Over time the tread of thousands of feet and the turn of thousands of wheels created the first roads passing through a beautiful region of the American West. The trails of yesterday have become the superhighways of today, carrying travelers along the same routes our ancestors followed. One such modern highway crossing Oklahoma is Route 69 also known as the Jefferson Highway. As a paved highway, it began in 1915, but as a much-traveled road it stretches back hundreds of years. Early written references to it called it the Osage Trace. The engineers of today could not calculate a better route than the instincts of travelers before us. From trail to road to railroad to highway, this old road is the best way to cross through Oklahoma. A journey down the Jefferson Highway recalls some of Oklahoma’s most important history and celebrates some of our most interesting people and places.
About Jonita Mullins (Tulsa, Oklahoma Author)
Jonita Mullins is an author, columnist and historian who works in community development, historic interpretation, preservation and heritage tourism in her home community of Muskogee, Oklahoma. She has authored both fiction and non-fiction books and writes a weekly history column. She is the winner of the Distinguished Editorial Service Award from the Oklahoma Heritage Association. Her book, The Jefferson Highway in Oklahoma was named Best Non-Fiction Book for 2017 by the Oklahoma Writers Federation.
