1950 Orange Blossom Trail Association Highway Map of Florida

This is a c. 1950 Orange Blossom Trail Association highway map of Florida. It highlights the roads (mostly US routes and state highways, including US Route 441 and US Route 17/92) comprising the trail, as well as the towns and cities traversed, including Gainesville, Ocala, Orlando, Ft. Lauderdale, and Miami.

The Orange Blossom Trail

The Orange Blossom Trail, highlighted in orange, traveled through central Florida and carried tourists from all over the country to visit places like the Bok Tower, Cypress Gardens, and Silver Springs. Many of these sites are detailed on the verso, with short paragraphs providing glimpses of what tourists could expect in each one. The verso also includes a table of distances between the Georgia state line and Miami.

Apparently, the Orange Blossom Trail got its name from the famous train, the 'Orange Blossom Special', which inspired a song by the same name written by Ervin Rouse and Chubby Wise. It became one of the most popular bluegrass songs of the 20th century, and, in 1965, Johnny Cash recorded one of the finest versions.

Highway Associations

The movement promoting the construction of 'good quality' roads did not begin with the invention of the automobile, but rather with the bicycle. At the time, most interurban roads were unpaved and impractical for cycling. The 'Good Roads Movement' was inaugurated in May 1880 to advocate for bicycle enthusiasts, riding clubs, and manufacturers. By 1910, the American Automobile Association (AAA) jumped onboard, along with over one hundred other local and national organizations. 'Road booster' organizations emerged to promote specific, often branded, highways. By the 1920s, about 250 'named' highways, each with their own boosters, crossed the United States. 'Road boosters' still exist, but most disbanded in the 1950s and 60s with the emergence federally funded Interstate Highway System.

Publication History and Census

This map was created for the Orange Blossom Trail Association and was printed by the Pepper Printing Company of Gainesville, Florida. Maps of the Orange Blossom Trail are popular with collectors and are scarce on the private market.