The New York Times bestselling author of golf autobiographies tells us about his latest book, The Road That Made America.

As told to Ayn-Monique Klahre

James “Jim” Dodson has had a long career in newspapers, magazines and as an author. He cut his teeth at the Greensboro News & Record, then went to work at the Sunday magazine for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. After burning out on hard news, he headed north to work for Yankee magazine, where he learned the power of honest, charming storytelling, lessons he later carried into his work as a book author. Back in North Carolina, he’s been the founding editor of O.Henry and Salt magazines, is a columnist for WALTER, and has authored many books, including several golf biographies — Arnold Palmer, Ben Hogan — as well as Final Rounds, an an international bestseller about retracing his dad’s wartime golf courses in England and Scotland. 

Dodsons’s most recent book, The Road That Made America: A Modern Pilgrim’s Journey on the Great Wagon Road, shares untold stories in our nation’s history of the 800-mile route that American settlers forged from Philadelphia to Georgia. We caught up with the author to learn how this book came about.

You’re best known for golf books, but this book is totally unrelated. How did that transition come about?

I’d long been fascinated by early American migration, especially the Great Wagon Road that funneled Scots-Irish, Germans, Moravians and Quakers into North Carolina. I first learned about it when I was 13. It was near Hillsboro, off Buckhorn Road—my great-grandfather’s old homeplace, now a subdivision but once a beautiful farm. My dad grew up there with his grandmother. That farm was a source of many surprises. Among other things, I discovered that my father’s grandmother was probably Native American, descended from George Washington Tate, a notable figure who helped found a Methodist church in the mountains after the Civil War. Tate brought an infant Native American child home, and through photos and family stories, I finally saw what my great-grandmother looked like — she truly resembled an Indigenous woman. My father’s cousins, who kept these stories alive, all confirmed this. These revelations fueled the motivation for my book.

That sounds like a deeply personal journey as well as a historical one. Can you tell us more about that?

Absolutely. I initially thought I’d take about three weeks to travel the 800 miles from Philadelphia to Savannah, interview a few people, and write a breezy history book. But two weeks in, I was still just outside Philadelphia. The history was fascinating, but the real treasure was the people — the “flame keepers” of history who live and breathe the Great Wagon Road. I ended up conducting about 150 interviews over five years, repeatedly visiting people who had an intense love for their history. It redeemed my cynical view of America because no matter their politics, these people cherish their past. The road was forgotten for about 150 years, and this book is really a tribute to those who kept its story alive.

Did you feel a kinship with these people? It sounds like you connected deeply with them.

Definitely. I met so many interesting characters along the way. For example, an 82-year-old man dressed as a Carolina militiaman, teaching his grandchildren about the Revolutionary War by embodying history himself. I became friends with many, though a few preferred anonymity, so I changed their names to respect their privacy. But 95% of the people and stories in the book are authentic. I even fact-checked chapters with them before publishing. Their love for the Great Wagon Road made this more than a history book — it became about real people.

Why do you think sharing stories like this is important?

The Great Wagon Road was America’s first immigrant highway. A historian once said that nearly half of Americans today could trace ancestry to that road. But very few people have heard of it. Maybe one in 50,000, if that. It vanished from history books and public awareness until about 15 years ago, when local historians and activists began researching and promoting it again. Immigration is a hot topic now, but back then, it was simply about people building new lives. Talking to those proud descendants was deeply rewarding. This book is timely and all-American, capturing a foundational chapter of our country’s story.

Any final thoughts on the book or your journey?

This project was like an eighth-grade dream come true, but it also wore me out. And making the audiobook nearly killed me — reading six days of narration out loud taught me the importance of short, punchy sentences! It was a true labor of love. But uncovering where the Great Wagon Road really ran — and sharing the stories of the settlers who traveled it — made every comma and late night worthwhile. The book is a tribute to those who love their history and keep it alive. It’s about people more than just the road itself.

This article was originally published on waltermagazine.com on June 11, 2025.