The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1912-04-05
AUTO HIGHWAY FROM
CHICAGO ON TO WEST
Enthusiastic Meeting Is Held at
Tracy; Promote Scheme.
From thursdays Daily.


both the Commercial club and the
Automobile club at the banquet and
meeting rendered by the Tracy Com.
mercial club to representatives of the
towns along the Chicago and North.
western road from Mankato to
Brookings, S. d., for the purpose of
arousing interest and bringing about
united action for the improvement
of the national automobile highway
from Chicago to the Yellowstone ma
tional park. Over 200 business men
attended the banquet, of whom near
ly half were from the cities, villages
and country districts. outside Of
Tracy. along the route as mapped
out by Professor Solberg of Brook
ings college and accepted by the
National Automobile association as
an official route. Every city and
village from Mankato to Brookings
was represented, and number of
county commissioners anG road over
seers were among the guests, and
the greatest interest. prevailed. The
Tracy Commercial club proved to
be royal entertainers. .. .-...N
Banquet Was Success.
The banquet was served in the
Tracy opera house by the ladies of
the Presbyterian church and was a
bountiful spread, delicious and well
served, and an orchestra furnished
music. The remainder of the even
ing, up to midnight, was spent in
addresses and short talks. The two
principal addresses were given by
Professor Solberg, who went into
the highway matter eXhaustively, and
Mr.. Soaring, who devoted most of
his time to discussing the need for
Southern Minnesota Development
association, and who invited all Of
the various organizations and munic..
palities represented to send delega
tions to the meeting to be held in
this city next Tuesday. After that,
representatives from all along the
line, county commissioners and 9th.
ers, were called upon and spoke
enthusiastically of the road project
Organization Was Formed. ;
An organization was finally form
ed, by electing on director from
each county to have general charge
of the road work. These delegates
are George M. Palmer of Blue
Earth county; J. B. Nielsen of Nicot
let county, who although not pres.
ent, were nominated by Mr.. Soaring;
DIR. w. ID. James of Lyon county,
Attorney Albert Hauser of Brown
county, DR., c. H. Kelsey of Lincoln
county, and Gus Koenig of Redwood
county. Mr.. Soaring acted for Mr..
Palmer at a meeting Of the directors
that was subsequently held, and at
which DR.. James was elected preSi.
dent and Mr. Hauser secretary and
treasurer. Counties to the east will
be asked to join. ....y
The matter of having a uniform
road sign along this highway was
taken up and Banker Setter of
Tracy presented the representatives
of each city and village with uni
form stensil design, to be painted in
white on the telephone poles, con-
sisting of large shield, the name
of the next town and an arrow
pointing toward it. If this design
is used on other roads it was re-
quested that it be painted in some
other color. 3,
Road as Laid Out.
The road, as laid out east of Man.
kate, will go through GAINESVILLE, Wa
SEGA and Owatonna, but it might be
possible for the newly formed or
ganization to change it to take the
lake route, that has already been
graveled, and which would be much
more scenic. Going west, the road
crosses the river on the Main street
bridge and takes the upper road to
New Ulm. 1t follows the Chicago
and Northwestern road through Min.
nesota and South Dakota and the
Spearfish canyon of the Black Hills,
to the national park. 1t is proposed
to at once have the various county
boards declare it q state road and
to commence the work of graveling
it and otherwise improving it as
soon as possible. 1t is felt that the
tourist travel that will take the
route will bring a lot OF business to