Former Governor James E. "Big Jim" Folsom, father
of Lt. Governor Jim Folsom, Jr. was inducted into the Alabama Road Builders
Hall of Fame April 14th at a ceremony in Montgomery.
The Alabama Road Builders Hall of Fame was formed in 2002 to properly recognize
the many individuals and companies who have contributed so greatly to the
transportation construction industry in the state of Alabama.
The mission of the Alabama Road Builders is to honor, preserve and
perpetuate the outstanding contributions of individuals and companies that have
brought and continue to bring significant recognition to Alabama.
Folsom was honored for the
implementation of Alabama’s
“Farm to Market” Road program. Folsom rightly understood that the entire
economy of the state would be stimulated if we
facilitated getting products to market in a cost effective manner. Beginning with the vision of paving 100 miles of road
in each of the 67 counties in Alabama, Folsom eventually spearheaded the construction of over 18,000 miles of
paved roads in the state. Folsom’s infrastructure
program also constructed 217 miles of bridges statewide.
Approximately $650 million of federal, state and county
funds were invested in the program. Historians have judged Folsom’s “Farm to
Market” program as one of the most efficient and effective uses of combined
state and federal funding in our nation’s history.
The legacy of Folsom’s vision is that Alabama entered the
mid-century poised to attract new industry that would restructure the Alabama
economy and lead us down a pathway that continues to bear economic fruit today.