Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1876-08-31
ALEXANDRIA, VA.
THURSDAY, AUGUST 81, 1876

THE OLD ROADS 10 show how utterly at
variance with the fact is the asser on that
there is, or has at any time been, lack OF CO.
terprise III Alexandria, 1t may be mentioned
that 40 city improvement has ever been devised
and found, upon test, TO DC really worth adop-
tion, irom the turnpike to the street railway,
that Alexandria or some OF Its citizens have not
embarked ia 1t 10 the iulI extent that enter
prise would dictate, aud sOmetlmes even beyond
what prudence suggested.
The hrst internal improvements were, as Is
well kuown the turnpike roads, which roads were
constructed by the company OWING the road
bed the community uslUg their own Vehl-
Giles and paylog toll for the use OF the ROAD.
Previous 10 the opening VI the Present century
all the roadways leading nere were County roads,
but about the Scarl 500 turUplkcs became the lm
proved method OF travel aDu transportation, aud
at once the enterprise or the Lutte hlVcr luro.
pike was embarked IL here. TITS road Is still
in existence Irvm the lntersectlou OF Duke
street with tue old line Of the District OF Coum-
bia, at the StoUe Bridge, 10 tue ford OF Little
river, where another turnpike crossed. Inns
couu,csed with FauquleT, LJudouu aud the
Valley vi Virginia. TO this road cuzeuS OF
Alexandria subscribed largely, book, being open
ed here iu 1908 by WIN. Harlshoroe ana j. l.
Ricketts,. y public subscription would nave
been made had there ueeu Deed OF 1t.
When Washington became growing city
cnmnany for the CONSTRUCTOR Ut Il turnpike 10
that place was at once organized aud Jonah
Thompson, Thomas Swami, Charles AIeXau
der, Edmund | Ice, JAG b Hoffman, Cuth
bert Powell anu Johu Vaudeville opened books
here to- that purpose 10 lSUS, aud sOon con
structci one of the best turuplkes ever made
10 the Uultcd States. Since the war this turn
bike has passed iato the haods OF the Aiexan
dria aud Washington Railroad Company.
In 1909 company was chartered Tor maklug
turnpike road from Arxandrla to Icurge-
town, of which Henry street extended was
part.
La 1918 WIN. Robinson, Charles Lee, Chas.
Alexander, Thomas ow.uu, Robert Conway
aod Philip 4. Frudall organized company to
Leesburg. The war with Great Britain stop
ped awhile the opening OF the work, and the
hard times subsequent hlniered It's operations.
Nearly all the m:u OF means Of Alexandria SUD
scribed literally to the road, and when 1t Was
yet touud tv lag the city came forward and
made corporate subscription to the work OF
thirty thousand dollars, and the road Was com
pleted under the pane Of the Middle Turn
pike" because between the Washington Turn
pike and the Little River Turnpike. This
subscription is sIilI represented 10 the annual
corporation accounts as stock asset, Middle
Turnpike Co., $50 0OO" 1t has no market
value, but it goes 10 show that wherever any
enterprise promis ID to bring trade to the town
there has not been Lacking support TO the full
extent that private aud public means would
allow. This $4,000 Was the beginning OF
series OF subscriptions to works OF internal lm
provement, which soou began 10 be counted BY
millions of dollars.