Crossroads of America

From the beginning of the twentieth century until Interstate 70 was opened, Terre Haute had two main highways, U.S. Highway 40 and U.S. Highway 41. U.S. Highway 40 was built in 1834. In its beginning years, the highway stretched from Atlantic City to San Francisco. U.S. Highway 41, formally called Paul Dresser Memorial Highway, runs from Copper Harbor, Wisconsin to Miami, Florida. Prior to the instillation of Interstate 70, these two highways were the most traveled route, and the intersection is right here in Terre Haute. However, after Interstate 70 was build, U.S. Highways 40 and 41 became less traveled. Mistakenly, Indianapolis is sometimes revered to as the Crossroads of America. Joy Sacopulos, a live long Terre Haute resident, fought to prove the true home of the Crossroads of America. Thanks to this hometown hero, in 1988, a marker was placed at 7th and Wabash streets to formally mark the Crossroads of America.