Dwight David Eisenhower Memorial Gardens - Tifton, GA
N 31° 27.891 W 083° 32.070
17R E 259186 N 3483902
A plaque and gardens placed in memory of President Dwight David Eisenhower is located adjacent to the parking area for the National Peanut Museum in Tifton, Georgia.
Waymark Code: WMQ312
Location: Georgia, United States
Date Posted: 12/09/2015
Views: 2
The plaque reads:
The Dwight David Eisenhower
Memorial Gardens
A Tribute to the
Georgia Interstate Highway System
The Interstate Highway System, which began in Georgia
adjacent to this site, created a vital link that has united
this country and provided the backbone of support
necessary for sustained economic growth. It has provided
the United States the strongest economy in the world
while affording its citizens access to the international
marketplace as well as unprecedented freedom of mobility.
Today, in Georgia, we reap the benefits of this marvel of
modern man and the vision of our great leader,
Dwight David Eisenhower.
In addition to this memorial plaque in the gardens, there are a fountain with a bust of Eisenhower and a Blue Star Memorial Highway Marker.
The following information is from Wikipedia:
"One of Eisenhower's enduring achievements was championing and signing the bill that authorized the Interstate Highway System in 1956. He justified the project through the Federal Aid Highway Act of 1956 as essential to American security during the Cold War. It was believed that large cities would be targets in a possible war, hence the highways were designed to facilitate their evacuation and ease military maneuvers.
Eisenhower's goal to create improved highways was influenced by difficulties encountered during his involvement in the U.S. Army's 1919 Transcontinental Motor Convoy. He was assigned as an observer for the mission, which involved sending a convoy of U.S. Army vehicles coast to coast. His subsequent experience with encountering German autobahn limited-access road systems during the concluding stages of World War II convinced him of the benefits of an Interstate Highway System. Noticing the improved ability to move logistics throughout the country, he thought an Interstate Highway System in the U.S. would not only be beneficial for military operations, but provide a measure of continued economic growth. The legislation initially stalled in the Congress over the issuance of bonds to finance the project, but the legislative effort was renewed and the law was signed by Eisenhower in June 1956."