Gary Post-Tribune, Saturday, 17 November, 1923
DUNES HIGHWAY BUILDERS AND BOOSTERS TOASTED AT OFFICIAL OPENING
There's a swell new road a-winding
    Through the dunes along the lake.
It's nice and smooth and solid,
    Without a single break,
There are no detours or chuck holes,
    'Cause it's all right brand new--
Let's take a load out on the road;
    The Dunes highway is through.
    Two hundred voices pitched to the proper dogma of enthusiasm sang the words last night to the tune of "There's a Long, Long Trail A-winding."  It was at the Dunes highway dedication banquet held last night at Hotel Spaulding, Michigan City.
    Then, when the menu had been discussed, the speeches made and the usual grist of compliments and congratulations disposed of, the men and women in the big dining room rose and to the tune of "Old Lang Syne," sang the following, written by Nina Baker:
Should all the railroads be forgot
    And lost for many moons;
We care not if they ne'er come back,
    While riding on the Dunes.
The Dunes highway __ ____ __ ____;
    We've waited many moons,
But now it's done, let's have some fun
    While riding on the Dunes.
    Dunes highway, child of a dream, was born in a swamp and christened in a hailstorm.  It follows the trails made by the red man centuries ago and its dedication as a highway was featured by gun-play and the blaring notes of a band playing, "The Gang's All Here."
    For despite hailstorms, highwaymen, brass bands and the general perverseness of things, Dunes highway was declared open to the public forever as the "Shortest Route Between the Atlantic and the Pacific."
A Centennial
    A bronze tablet bearing the above inscription was installed by the side of the big road near Baileytown.  Capt. H. S. Norton delivered the brief address of dedication and pointed out the fact that the great highway was built exactly 100 years after the white man came into possession of northern Indiana through act of congress in 1823.
    Then the long parade of autos proceeded to Michigan City where a fine banquet awaited the guests.
    The parade left Gary at 2 p. m., arriving in Michigan City just two hours later including a 45-minute stop near Baileytown where the memorial tablet was placed in position and where a cheerfull stunt not included in the program was enacted by Ingwald Moe and others--but that's another story.
    The parade proceeded through Michigan City and proceeded along the state road to the Michigan state line, a distance of three miles, returning by way of Long Beach highway along the shore of Lake Michigan.
    More than 200 men and women sat down to the banquet given at Hotel Spaulding.  The food was splendid.  The service was good.  The talks were elaborately optimistic.
    Earl Crawford of the Indiana state highway commission declared Dunes highway to be the greatest transcontinental thoroughfare in America.  Chief Engineer "Dolly" Gray said it was the greatest engineering problem the state had ever encountered.  Capt. H. S. Norton
[portions of my old newspaper transcription files have been corrupted]
 Dunes Highway,' the thought occurred to me that to this could also be added, `Opening Officially the Celebrated Road.'  I mention this because you and I know, that the Indiana Dunes highway has long since been regarded as one of the most important highways while under construction, not only for northern Indiana, or for the purpose of providing a shorter and safer road between Michigan City and Gary, but because it is destined to be of service to our nation by reason of providing the shortest route from the Atlantic to the Pacific ocean.
    "Then too, no doubt some of you know that history tells us that practically all of the right-of-way over which the Dunes highway is built, was designated by an act of congress in 1833, and is known as the old Detroit-Chicago trail.
    "When I was elected president of the Indiana Dunes Highway association about five years ago, naturally I considered myself highly honored; but little did I think of the many problems that would confront us during the interim.  However, I feet that from the very inception of our association, we had a mutual understanding, the sincere cooperation of the officers and members of the Indiana Dunes Highway association, the financial assistance of the state of Indiana; the federal government, the moral support of the Indiana state highway commission, under the leadership of John Williams, director, and Charles Gray, chief engineer, and naturally I feel grateful for this opportunity."
    The principal address was made by Earl Crawford of the Indiana state highway commission who had come to Gary and accompanied the auto parade to Michigan City.
    Mr. Crawford complimented the officials and members of the Dunes Highway association, the citizens of Gary and Michigan City and the contractors who built Dunes highway and declared it was one of the greatest thoroughfares in the world.  "I doubt if there is another thoroughfare in the world that will benefit so many people," Mr. Crawford declared.
 The Overheads
    While he did not say so in his public talk, Mr. Crawford informed a representative of the Gary Post-Tribune that the overhead crossing at Baileytown would be built next year, while the overhead crossing at Miller would not be built until 1925.
    Mr. Crawford explained at length the policy of the state highway commission in building of roads where they would be the greatest good to the greatest number of people.  He declared that 7 per cent of the Indiana state highways touch 70 per cent of the population of the state.  The state roads of Indiana, he declared served 537 towns of 2,500 population and less, and 226 cities of the state.
    The highway construction program for 1924 and 1925 include 1,500 miles of new roads which benefit 44 per cent of the population of Indiana.
    Frank D. Rogers, state highway commissioner for Michigan, made an interesting talk in which he said that the state of Michigan was ready to meet the state of Indiana at the state line with good roads.  Michigan wanted all possible roads from Indiana and the south to the Michigan summer resorts and declared Dunes highway would be a "golden trail to Michigan" during the summer resort season.
    C. Gray, chief engineer of the Indiana state highway department, described the engineering problems connected with the construction of Dunes highway and said it was one of the most wonderful highways in the world.
Michigan's Appreciation
    H. J. Gray, manager of the Michigan Tourist and Resort association, said the new Dunes highway was worth more to Michigan than anything Michigan had ever done for herself.
    Colonel Orr of Chicago Heights, who built the east end of the new highway, and Ingwald Moe, of Gary, who built the west end, were called upon and each made a few remarks which were loudly applauded.
    Capt. H. S. Norton, president of the Lake County Good Roads association, said Dunes highway was perhaps the only highway in history that "had to be opened with a corkscrew," reference being made to a little episode on the highway near Baileytown when Ingwald Moe, contractor, staged a hold-up of the parade and, would not allow it to proceed until he was placated by a bottle of what appeared to be hair tonic or cod liver oil.
    Captain Norton called attention to the historic point along the new transcontinental highway and declared that every mile of the route between Gary and Michigan City was rich in songs and stories of the past.
    Mr. Fowler of the Illinois Automobile club wanted to know when the Indiana highway commission was going to act on the widening of Indianapolis boulevard.
    State Highway Commission Crawford responded that the thoroughfare already had been inspected by the state commission and that the Indiana end of the boulevard would be widened and improved next year.  Mr. Crawford's statement was received with cheers.
    Following the adjournment, it was announced that pictures of the dedication exercises taken at Baileytown by Photographer Bortz, may be had at the Gary office of the Hoosier State Automobile association at the Gary hotel in Gary.