highway. Not many of these people, however, knows the story of
this undertaking.

William Stuart Mill, day news editor of the Miami Herald,
became obsessed with the idea of a highway from Miami to Tampa,
cut straight through the forbidding territory of the Everglades. He
enlisted the interest of Capt. James F. Jaudon then Dade County tax
assessor, recognized authority on road building and construction, and
on Everglades enthusiast.

While Jaudon busied himself lining up support from the
Chamber of Commerce and the citizens generally, Mill did all the
publicity and wrote the stories.

The $125,000 voted by Dade County, and the $325,000
voted by Lee County proved to be only an entering wedge. A rough
little road of 60 miles, cut due west, was the disappointing result.

When Barron G. Collier, president of a nationally known
advertising firm, became interested and bought thousands of acres of
swamp land, created Collier County and its key city, Everglades, the
entire section was built up. Dade County added 22 miles to the road
and Lee County resumed the work it had begun in 1916.

Two years later the Florida legislature made the trail a State
highway and continued the work where the counties left off. The
finished highway took three years to complete.