The Bankhead Highway was a United States cross-country automobile highway connecting Washington, D.C., and San Diego. The Bankhead Highway's beginnings can be traced back to 1916 when the Bankhead Highway Association was organized to promote the highway's development. It was part of the National Auto Trail system. The road was named for Alabama politician John H. Bankhead, a leader in the early national road-building movement. In later years, several stretches of U.S. Route 78 in northwest Alabama were renamed for Bankhead's son, former U.S. Representative and Speaker of the House William B. Bankhead. Route description As was common with early auto trails, the Bankhead Highway had several different routes. The main and branch routes below are considered to be the primary configurations of the highway. California The route followed the former US 80 from San Diego and through La Mesa, El Cajon, and El Centro before crossing into Arizona. This section of the Bankhead Highway is now a California state historic highway. Arizona In Arizona, the route followed what is Interstate 8 today from the California state line. Continuing as former US 80, it followed through Gila Bend and smaller towns on the west side of Phoenix. It then went through Phoenix on Van Buren Street then Tempe and Mesa. It then followed US 60 and then Arizona State Route 79 to Arizona State Route 77 to Tucson. New Mexico (For details on the branch routes in New Mexico, see branch route and third route entries for Texas/New Mexico). In New Mexico, the Bankhead route followed the former US 80 (now I-10 from Arizona and then through Las Cruces. Texas In June 2009 the Bankhead Highway was designated a Texas Historic Highway as part of the state's Historic Roads and Highways Program. The purpose of this designation is to supplement the Texas Historical Commission's existing "heritage tourism" programs and to increase interest in the Bankhead Highway. Main Route The primary route through Texas was originally Texas Highway No.1, which became part of U.S. Route 67 and former U.S. Route 80. The main route was followed by Interstate 10 and then Interstate 20 from El Paso to Fort Worth. It then passed through smaller cities as US 80 such as Odessa and Midland. From Fort Worth, the route left former US 80 and went through Garland and Texarkana before crossing into Arkansas. Branch Route (also includes New Mexico) The branch route