George Elmer Blakeslee, Sr.

Birth: Mar. 23, 1873 Bridgeport Fairfield County Connecticut, USA Death: Jan. 10, 1920 Jersey City Hudson County New Jersey, USA

“Pioneer of the Modern Highway”, “Father of Good Roads" and New Jersey Highway Commissioner.

He came to Jersey City in the 1890s, selling bicycles during the heyday of cycling, then turned to automobiles, opening a Cadillac showroom on Kennedy Boulevard in the 1910s. In 1916, Blakeslee hired a lawyer to draft legislation calling for a network of paved roads, resulting in the creation of the State Highway Commission and a seven-million-dollar bond issue for roadway construction.

Blakeslee Route No. One was named in honor of his advocacy in 1930.

Source: “Blakeslee Monument” via "New Jersey: Monuments to Collective Identity", Rutgers University Press, page 109.

Family links:

Parents:

 John W Blakeslee (1840 - 1910)

Spouse:

 Louise Jeanette Downs Blakeslee (1873 - ____)

Siblings:

 Emma A Blakeslee (1865 - 1947)*

 Mary A Blakeslee (1871 - 1931)*

 George Elmer Blakeslee (1873 - 1920)

*Calculated relationship

Burial: Bayview-New York Bay Cemetery Jersey City Hudson County New Jersey, USA

Created by: Ms. Mandy Record added: Mar 19, 2016 Find A Grave Memorial# 159718511