Alexander W. (Boss) Graham - Montgomery County, MO
Posted by: YoSam.
N 38° 53.829 W 091° 35.859
15S E 621610 N 4306297
The man who had a major hand in turning the old trails into US-40.
Waymark Code: WM41WQ
Location: Missouri, United States
Date Posted: 06/25/2008
Views: 11
Marker Erected by: Park Sponsored by Montgomery Co. Garden Clubs and Martha Graham Radford and Arthur A. Radford, Emily Graham, William A. and Jean C. Graham.
Date Marker Erected: Dedicated July 11, 1954.
County of Marker: Montgomery County.
Location of Marker: I-70 (US-40), eastbound rest area, mile marker 167, 3 miles W. of Danville.
Marker Text:
ALEXANDER W. (BOSS) GRAHAM
August 6, 1884 -------- January 30, 1949
Graduated B.S. in C.E., University of Missouri, class of 1908
Chief Engineer Missouri State Highway Department 1917-1922
Active sponsor of Missouri Centennial Road Law - 1921
Life-long booster of good roads in Missouri
A leader in the development of U. S. Highway 40
The "Old Trails" Route across Missouri
Postmaster at Kansas City 1933 - 1949
A friend to all who knew him.
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This site, a part of the original Graham Homestead deeded to Robert Graham March 4, 1831, was donated by heirs.
[This rest area was once a county park when the road out front was US-40 and at the time this marker was installed. When it became I-70, the area was taken over by the state and made a rest area.]
Additional History: This area was a county park, donated on Graham lands by the Graham family. See Graham Cave, not far from here was also on these lands. This area is where this man grew up, and since he had a big hand in turning the old trail into US-40, here next to the road on his family lands was a good place for the marker. When the road became I-70, this area was taken over by the state and turned into a rest area, and the marker remained.