Old 96 Ain't What It Used To Be

It was sometime around 1997 that I first traveled a state route 96 that joins Columbus and Macon, GA. I had yet to traverse on my own the rural southern back roads that I have come to love so dear and without realizing it at the time, this was my inaugural journey. Oh the wondrous sights this pleasant two-lane highway provided. There was the Butler town square that fit the iconic image of the old southern town square with the courthouse as the centerpiece, surrounded by thriving mom and pop stores that sustain the city’s commerce. Just beyond Butler was the town of Howard, which appeared to be a town in name only. There was the sign identifying Howard as a town, but not many buildings to support the claim. Not to be deterred the folks of that city has erected a sign that read, “Please stop and enjoy our little town.” Before and after Butler and Howard were acres and acres of rural farmland, interrupted occasionally by farmhouses (abandoned and inhabited), barns, trailers and gas stations. One oddity I recall was a factory that loomed large in the vast expanses of rural America. As I crossed a small bridge, I glanced down at the creek below, only to see a sign for the factory along this creek. How strange this was as the creek was far too small for any meaningful boat traffic and not a means by which visitors would enter the complex. It was bizarre, but just one of those neat oddities found along the two lane bi-way. Further along were some forgotten motels, another factory and a collection of sharecropper cabins. There was also Junction City along this route, a place whose name gives one images of bustling economic activity. It seems both Junction and City are poor choices for the names of this place as all that remained were some long warehouse style derelict buildings still clinging to their white paint and a city hall smaller than most modest homes. One set of railroad tracks rolled through “Junction” City. It was a hive of activity at one time no doubt, but to more recent travelers of GA 96 it was a fine relic of times past.

It was not far from this highway that I traveled to meet Halo the Great back in 2002. It was on this trip, that evidence of things changing was first seen. My late friend Tom and I had first ventured to meet Halo the Great in 1998 and taken 96 to get there. In 2002, the changes to the road had commenced all ready and I encountered some trouble as I sought to locate the road to his home. This weekend, I traveled 96 again found the trip even less enjoyable than travels past. Today, GA 96 is almost a cookie cutter match to its other state highway counterparts. The road is now a divided highway with two lanes of traffic dedicated to each direction. Tall hills of stringy green grass line each side of the road providing no visual stimuli. To make these “improvements” the towns of Butler and Howard have been bypassed completely with only plain boring green signs directing drivers to them. The relics of Junction City are now hidden from the eyes of those traversing the highway. While that seems fitting, I find it sad at the same time. These slices of Americana have been devoured by the jaws of progress and are available only those who intentionally seek them out. The road may get one there more quickly, but the short trip is much less fun this way. Rest in peace GA 96, thanks for the memories.