Thanks to the efforts of Paola Middle School 8th grader, Ruby Brewer, local residents and visitors can see that Paola is part of the long Jefferson Highway that stretches from Canada to Louisiana. The project started last year, when Social Studies teacher Dan Doolittle talked to his students about the old Jefferson Highway and encouraged them to look up what it would take to get signs posted along the route in Paola. Ruby took him up on the challenge. She and a couple of friends did a little research and then passed out informational flyers at the City Council Meeting. On the Big Blend Radio Podcast, highlighting the new signs in Paola, she says she feels it will attract people to town:
It was built in the 1910’s as part of the National Auto Trail System running from Winnipeg, Canada, to New Orleans and named for President Thomas Jefferson. It was replaced in the late 1920’s with the new numbered highway system.
