Early 20th century “highways” were often given proper names, such as the Lincoln Highway or Jefferson Highway, prior to adoption of the federal numbering program in the latter 1920s.
In 1913, William Coin Harvey, who created the Monte Ne resort southeast of Rogers, Ark., started the Ozark Trails Association with the goal of establishing a driving route from St. Louis, Missouri, to the West Coast.
The Ozark Trails Scenic Route, as it was officially titled, had a primary route that went as far as Santa Fe, N.M., and later became part of U.S. Route 66 when it was established as a numbered highway.
In addition to the primary route of the Ozark Trail, spurs of the route led off to nearby scenic locations, and one of those spurs followed a route south from Joplin, Mo., through Fayetteville that eventually became U.S. Highway 71.
Refer also to the Jefferson Highway entry and U.S. Highway 71 entry.