"America's Super Highway," A Tunnel on the Pennsylvania Turnpike, 1940
THF621494 / "America's Super Highway," A Tunnel on the Pennsylvania Turnpike, 1940
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Artifact Overview
When it opened in 1940, the Pennsylvania Turnpike ran 160 miles between Harrisburg and Pittsburgh. It was extended another 100 miles east to Philadelphia in 1950. The turnpike included seven tunnels through the Allegheny Mountains. Six of those tunnels originally were started in the 1880s for the never-finished South Pennsylvania Railroad.
Artifact Details
Artifact
Postcard
Date Made
1940
Subject Date
1939-1940
Creators
Place of Creation
Collection Title
Location
By Request in the Benson Ford Research Center
Object ID
92.260.24
Credit
From the Collections of The Henry Ford. Gift of Gordon C. Tindall.
Material
Paper (Fiber product)
Technique
Printing (Process)
Color
Multicolored
Dimensions
Height: 3.5 in
Width: 5.5 in
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Related Content
SetThe Pennsylvania Turnpike
- 21 Artifacts
Opened in 1940, the Pennsylvania Turnpike was the prototype for modern limited-access American highways. Financed by user tolls, the turnpike initially ran 160 miles across the Keystone State, connecting Harrisburg with Pittsburgh. It was soon extended 100 miles east to Philadelphia. Drivers appreciated the smooth pavement, gentle curves, and lack of stoplights. The turnpike became a tourist attraction in its own right.