Crossroads Of America Roadsign, Mount Vernon Illinois Editorial Photo

Crossroads of America Roadsign, Mount Vernon IllinoisIn the early days of cross-country travel by horse and wagon, Terre Haute, Indiana, benefited by its location on the old National Road between Indianapolis and Vandalia, Illinois. The National Road was later named U.S. Highway 40 US 40 when it was made a U.S. Highway in 1926. At the same time, US 41 was commissioned between Chicago, Illinois, and Miami, Florida. This north–south highway through downtown Terre Haute followed Seventh Street at the time, and met US 40, which followed Wabash Avenue, the main east–west street in town. The Seventh and Wabash intersection thus became known as the `Crossroads of America`, an appellation now memorialized with a historical marker at that corner