ADVERTISING PRODUCTION METHODS SPRING 2016
ABOUT Erick Potts
Erick Potts is a seeking a Communication degree with an emphasis in PR/Advertising and a minor in Marketing. He is also a student-athlete participating in baseball at Hardin-Simmons University. He was born and raised in Brea, California. In his spare time he enjoys hunting, fishing, and golfing.
This Semester in Advertising Production Methods, Erick contributed to the formation of the Facebook page entitled "Bankhead at 100: Bricks that connected a nation". With the hopes of spreading the message and gaining recognition, he updated the Facebook continuously with posts about the subject matter.
Post 2: Cars and Highway Development along the Bankhead
With the development of the Bankhead, the problem of reliable transportation became evident. The roads were not as reliable as they should be. Barriers such as pot holes, dirt, and limited signage, made driving a risky proposition to say the least. A journey of 100 miles could take up to several days to reach the desired destination. Stretching from coast to coast, the farmers, suppliers, distributors, and travelers quickly saw the value of efficient transportation. The paving of the Bankhead included the use of three materials; concrete, asphalt and bricks. Interestingly, a good amount of the pavement was done with bricks made in Thurber, Texas, including the entire length of the road through Eastland County. With the desire and ability to reach a destination faster and with more comfort and efficiency, the automobiles industry began to expand. One of the first mass produced, efficient cars was the Ford Model T. Originally intended to serve as a “farmer’s car”, In the years between 1913-1927, more than 15 million Model T’s were produced in factories with assembly lines. The Model T made the journey smoother and the development of the Bankhead helped make transportation more attainable.
Post 3 : The Texas Forts Trail and the Bankhead
The Texas Forts Trail, which is a 29 county and 650 mile driving trail, crosses paths with the Bankhead highway. The Bankhead allows for a vast amount of tourism and business to flow towards and throughout the Texas Forts Trail region. Since the Bankhead is designed to travel through the Forts Trail region, small cities have gained much wanted tourism. This has allowed for profitability and awareness throughout this particular region. Due to essential needs such as gas, food, and lodging, business has exploded because of the historic road. Fatigued drivers traveling long distanced sought comfortability during their journey. Therefore, demand was high. The Texas Forts Trail region has its own sights and attractions due to the development of the Bankhead Highway.
Post 1: Military and the Bankhead
The military and the Bankhead Highway coincide in several fashions. The Bankhead Highway, being the first transcontinental all-weather highway connecting east and west coast, was originally conceived to aid military travel. Army forts were first built throughout the Texas Forts trail region prior to the Civil War as protection for pioneers and settlers and as a way to map the western territories. Some of these historic forts within the Bankhead Highway area include: Fort Griffin in Albany, Fort Phantom Hill in Abilene and Fort Richardson in Jacksboro. The 12th Armored Division traces its development along the Bankhead to Abilene where it traveled to complete its training at Camp Barkley prior to serving in the European Theater of combat during World War II. The official museum for this armored unit chronicles the history of the 12th and displays several facets vital to the success of the U.S military. Materials such as weaponry, clothing, artifacts, and vehicles are preserved at the museum. The newest exhibit at the museum features rooms with dioramas representing war scenarios encompassing key battle scenes from the unit’s service in France and Germany.
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Military Post- The 12th Armored Division Memorial Museum in Abilene, Tx.
Cars/Development Post- Two cars along the Bankhead in North Carolina.
Texas Forts Trail Post- Map of the area and its surrounding cities.