Following a path first worn by buffalo and later used by Native Americans and French fur trapper-traders along the eastern border of Illinois, the route that became known on early maps as Hubbard’s Trail grew into an important corridor between Chicago and Vincennes, Indiana through the work of fur trader Gurdon Saltonstall Hubbard, known as “Swiftwalker.” In July 1827, suspecting a Winnebago attack on Fort Dearborn, Hubbard rode 140 miles to Danville, Illinois in 20 hours to recruit Vermillion County Rangers. In 1835, the Illinois General Assembly chose Hubbard’s Trail as the most favorable route for a state road, designated Route 1, and placed mile markers along it. Settlements later developed along this route, including Hartford, platted by James Hart in 1853, the same year the first Illinois Central Railroad train came through and the stop was named Thornton Station; businesses followed, and the U.S. Post Office renamed the growing settlement Homewood in 1869, which was incorporated in 1893. By 1915, as automobile travel expanded for business, agriculture, and recreation, public demand for better roads helped lead governors from several states to consider an improved road from Indianapolis to Florida. After lobbying by competing states, two major divisions were designated, and Carl Fisher persuaded the governors to make Chicago the northern terminus, creating the Dixie Highway. In Homewood, the highway became the main thoroughfare, drew visitors to destinations such as Amalfi Gardens in the 1920s, and stood beside schools, a mileage sign post, and the village hall dedicated in September 1939 with PWA aid. In 1998, the Village of Homewood Heritage Committee worked with the Illinois Dixie Communities to promote the highway’s heritage, leading to Dixie Highway signs, street pole banners, and, beginning in 2002, the “Drivin’ the Dixie” vintage and collector car tour.