Img 2496 Scaled E1754665206161 — Signage on Interstate 65 just before Jesse Owens Parkway. (The Bama Buzz)

When Jesse Owens left Alabama at just nine years old, it probably wasn’t clear what his future had in store.

But it didn’t take that much longer for his athleticism to start turning some heads. And by the age of 22, he was considered one of the best athletes in the world.

Owens, who was born in Oakville, was inducted into the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame in 1970 and the Jesse Owens Museum opened in 1996 along with a statue of Owens + the Olympic rings.

Then, in 2016, a stretch of highway just off Interstate 65 in north Alabama was dedicated to Owens. Read more about the highway + Owens’ historic career.

Jesse Owens Parkway

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Just under a decade ago, a portion of AL Highway 36 was renamed the Jesse Owens Parkway. It stretches from exit 328 on Interstate 65 to the Lawrence County line just west of Danville.

The Alabama Department of Transportation installed six signs—two on I-65 + two total signs in each direction along Highway 36.

It’s used as a way to remember Owens’ origins and connection to Alabama, despite his athletic career taking place elsewhere.

Owens made a name for himself at Ohio State, setting five world records at a single collegiate meet in 1935. The following year, he made his international debut at the Berlin Olympics where he won four gold medals including:

100 meter
200 meter
4×100 relay
Long jump

Owens’ performance came during the early stages of Nazi Germany where many athletes and countries protested the Olympics. However, Owens believed the platform was the best way to use his voice.