(July 1, 1920-October 16, 1926)
- In 1920, they knew it as: The "East Cutoff of the Blue Grass Road" (Huebinger), except that that trail joined the Jefferson Highway north of Indianola at Summerset instead of south of it (2 counties)
- We know it as: US 65 between Indianola and Lucas, after a time as IA 137 (I)
- Let's get granular: Front Street in Lucas; US 65 from US 34 to H20; stairsteps of 550th Street, 140th Avenue at the extinct map dot of Norwood, US 65, 140th Avenue, 570th Street, 135th Avenue, 575th Street, and 130th Avenue to the Lucas-Warren line; US 65; vacated extension of 130th Avenue along section line from present 65 to near McGregor Street; US 65/69
- By the end of 1922, the shared segment with IA 1 had been shifted to the current US 65/69 route south of Indianola. This also included the piece of 130th Street double-dead-ending from Nevada Street, a now-driveway with a continuation abandoned in the 1990s, and a part of McGregor Street with continuation across the South River on the other side of the sewage pond.
NORTH End (1): IA 24, now US 65/69 at Salem Ave., Indianola, Warren County
The route of then-IA 24 in Indianola was not present IA 92, but most likely G Street, Salem Avenue, and 9th Street. The Jefferson Highway was straightened out from the route now signed as a Historic Byway in 1917 onto the street now known as Jefferson Way. That would place the intersection of IA 1/65 and IA 24 two blocks east of the courthouse square. The 1939 courthouse was torn down in 2019.
NORTH End (2): IA 1, now US 65 at US 69, Warren County
Facing west, but heading north, on 65 (4/14/03)
Photo by Jason Hancock
A project on the Jefferson Highway (US 69) in the early 1920s made the route less straight in Warren County. By the time the redundancy to Indianola was removed in late 1924, this is where IA 65 ended, at the US 65/69 split, which was the end of short IA 349. The redundancy to Indianola was removed in 1924. IA 65 was renumbered IA 137 when US 65 came along, but later US 65 was placed on this route. So that means it was "Highway 65" in 1920-26 and again after 1935.
SOUTH End (2): IA 8, now US 65 at US 34, Lucas, Lucas County
Facing south on 65 (4/16/07)
Although the original and present "Highway 65" run just on the west side of Lucas, the route's continuation into Lucas was enough to get a truncation note in January 1925. This intersection is newer than that but virtually in the same spot.
Facing west on 34 (4/16/07)
Look closely and you can see the "button copy" on these signs and especially the 34 sign in the above picture; those three were original to the 1960s and all have been replaced.
SOUTH End (1): Lucas, Lucas County
IA 65 probably ended first at Division Street in downtown Lucas. Just north of the (two slightly offset) intersections of Front and Division is the John L. Lewis Museum. Lewis is both Iowa's biggest contribution to the labor movement in the 20th century and the lasting legacy of Iowa coal mining. Lewis, born in Lucas, was a longtime president of the United Mine Workers of America. He is, in fact, the reason the AFL-CIO is called the AFL-CIO; that union's biography of Lewis is here. The museum is worth a visit. (photo 7/14/10)
Page created 3/31/20