Blaine, WA (in Storage) Vancouver, WA marker has moved to Clark County, WA
For the placing of the Jefferson Davis Highway 99 Markers, Mrs. Charles E. Bolling, United Daughters of the Confederacy (UDC) President General, read a telegram on May 23, 1941, at a Washington Division Convention, "Congratulations upon completion Jefferson Davis Highway Marker and Greetings." Signed Eleanor Roosevelt.
The concept of a Jefferson Davis Memorial Highway was presented and adopted at the UDC general convention in 1913. The plan then was to have a highway that would begin in Virginia on the banks of the Potomac and pass through the states of Mississippi, Tennessee and into Kentucky to Davis’ birthplace. The highway continued to move west through Louisiana, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and into California where it stopped at San Diego.
The members of the UDC Washington Division wished to have the highway extended into this state. From research done in the archives of the University of Washington in Seattle, Mrs. May Avery Wilkins found many ties between Jefferson Davis and Washington Territory. While serving in the Federal Government, Jefferson Davis pushed for westward expansion, adding forts, arsenals and other public provisions.
He was one of seven appointed as a special committee to decide the expenditure of the inheritance from James Smithson. He pushed for using the money for an institution to benefit science and diffuse knowledge and new information throughout the country. Today we know this as the Smithsonian Institution.
President Franklin Pierce appointed Mr. Davis Secretary of War in 1853. During that time, he increased the United States Army, coastal defenses, increased the military wages, and gained a new pension system for military widows. He upgraded the military weapons to percussion rifles. He directed three surveys for Trans-Continental railroad to the Pacific. He appointed Isaac Stevens, the first Governor of Washington, to head the northern route survey who requested George B. McClellan to be Principal officer on the survey team. Davis made it mandatory for all surveys be done by the new geodetic method which provided a higher degree of accuracy by taking the curvature of the earth into account.
Secretary Davis directed McClellan to construction a military road from Walla-Walla to Steilacomb, Puget Sound. Then a road was constructed from Fort Steilacoom to Bellingham Bay to the new army post. Making roads to move the military was top priority for Secretary of War Davis. Many of the roads and highways today throughout America are descendants of roads championed by Jefferson Davis. To increase our country, Davis had James Gadsden buy a region from Mexico that became a part of Arizona and New Mexico States.
Davis spoke widely for harmony between the Union. He proclaimed himself a dedicated Unionist opposing secession while dedicated to the principles of democracy and state rights. He worked to block the northern drive to control the country. He left the US Senate to join the Confederate Army when Mississippi seceded from the Union but was elected president of the newly formed Southern Confederacy. He sent a peace commission to President Lincoln who refused to meet with them.
The Jefferson Davis Memorial Highway 99 and markers are to honor all of Mr. Davis’ services in the development of this country.
This information was gained from reading several sources: Washington State UDC Division Minutes; UDC Annual General Convention Minutes; William J. Cooper, Jr, Jefferson Davis, American,2000; Gale Research, Historic World Leaders; Karen Meador, "An Unlikely Champion", Columbia, Winter 2004-05.