Another barn destroyed by fire. This barn, south of Hubbard, was built in 1917 with “Jefferson Highway Farm” painted on the side. The Jefferson Highway went past the barn, although the route varied when the U.S. highway naming system began in 1926. In Hardin and Story counties it followed what is now Highway 65. It was promoted as the “Pine to Palm” route and was the first north-south transcontinental highway in America, extending from Winnipeg, Canada to New Orleans.
The town of Hubbard was tentatively making plans to move the barn into the town and restore it, but early in the morning of March 13, 2019, it is believed to have been struck by lightning.
Many remembrances of the original Jefferson Highway can be found on paintings and markers in towns all along the route. There are murals on two buildings in Decatur county, one in Leon and one in Lamoni, as both towns were on this highway. Below is the Lamoni mural.
