Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1912-08-21
Proposed TranscOntinental Highway

cial The plan for organizing the
Wisconsin part of the transcontinental !
route of which the North Iowa Pike,
the Mason City way" is also a
part, has awakened renewed interest
on the part of the good roads boosters
of this community, according to ".
r. Hathorn, secretary Of the North
Iowa Pike association. Much has
been done in the way of the improve
ment of the pike all the way across
the state, Mr.. Hathorn says, and
much more is being undertaken. A
part Of the road east Of this city is
being graveled. under the direction c.
State Representative Pickford, of
Portland and the pike between Clear
Lake and Ventura in the west part of
this county is being put in fine cOndi
tion. This stretch lies along the
shore of Clear Lake and was formerly
sandy. Secretary Hathorn says there
will be u meeting of the Pike
association next month and if the
Milwaukee and Madison automobiles
will make a run to Prairie dU CHEN
on any appointed day this fall, the
Iowans all along the line, with the
Mason City club in the lead, will
motor to McGregor to meet them.
William Heath, president of the
Commercial club and general agent in
this part of the country for the In
ternational Harvester Company, has
just completed making a demonstra
tion road in College addition with one
of his company's traction engines and
Adams graders, and the results have
been so goud that Bath township has
already bought one of the outfits an7
Cerru Gordo county, in which Mason
City lies. is considering the purchase
of one for the use of the other town
ships. This county has always been
progressive in road matters, and has
concrete bridges and culverts on all
highways.
On account of the presence here of
two of the largest cement mills in the
world, with joint capacity of more
than TO- 900 barrels day. and
capacity output daily. it is planned to
make a cement road from this city
to Clear Lake. 19 miles west. Clear
Lake is the summer resort suburb of
Mason City, and there is heavy motor
travel over this part of the pike,
which is as good dirt and gravel
road as might be imagined. Mason
City has more than 90 miles of &C.
ment paved streets and is SO we'll
satisfied with them that it is proposed
eventually to pave great part Of
the North Iowa Pike with concrete,
just as Wayne county, Michigan, and
other communities are doing with
their roads. The tile making in
dustry here, comprising nine mann
moth plants, has had the result of
draining off the leval lands Of North
ern Iowa to such an extent that the
North Iowa Pike is always we'll
drained and has no places on it where
car will mire down. This con.
clifton of being we'll drained is said
to make this road fine basis for a
concrete surface along its entire
length. Inasmuch as this cross state
road parallels the Milwaukee railroad
almost its entire length, materials
could be cheaply and conveniently de-
livered at any point. This fact may
make the Milwaukee Madison Mason
City highway to the Northwest, the
first of Iowa long distance roads to
be hard surfaced across the state.
Mason City, being the place Of
metropolitan size and atmosphere, has
greatest interest in this route, so far
as Iowa is concerned. The garage
facilities are of the best, both as to
repairing and housing cars. and this
fact, with the presence of three new
hotels, offering modern comforts to
tourists has made this city favorite
night and over Sunday stop. the
proximity to Clear Lake being an ad-
dironal inducement for the latter.
The city is lively and the life such as
to interest travellers. The through
tourist route fron ST. Louis to ST.
Paul crosses the North Iowa Pike at
this point.