The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1913-05-07
DECIDES ON THE
OFFICIAL ROADS
p. c. Holden, of the State Road Com
mission, Meets With Board OF
Supervisors Here. :.
THE BOARD ACTS At ONCE
Trans-C Continental Road to be Greatly
Improved and Other Roads to be
Designated for Work.

p. c.. Holden, of Scranton, member
of the Iowa State Road commission,
was in Denison last Wednesday and
unof1icially met with the board OF SUI
pervisors and discussed the road sit
uation in Crawford county. Under the
new law the supervisors must select
a number of highways to be known
as Official County Roads," and these
must be constantly worked under the
direct supervision of an officer to be
known as county engineer.
After considerable discussion the
board very wisely selected as the main
county road the established trans-con-
tinental route through Crawford coun-
ty. This road running from east or
West Side through Vail, Denison, Arl-
on, Dow City and into Dunlap, Will
be nut in a thorough condition. All
wooden culverts will be replaced with
permanent cement culverts or CORFU
gated steel tubes. All bridges built
in the future on the county roads will
be built of cement.
The other roads designated by the
county supervisors will be one leading
south of Denison to Manila and on
to the county line. Another will lead
west from Denison to the six mile
house, where it will branch in three
different directions, going to Charter
Oak. Schleswig and Ricketts,. The
Kiron road from Denison through De
lott has also been selected as one OF
the official roads. Kenwood also gets
a road leading into Dow City, as does
West Side for six miles running
south. The much travelled road from
Denison to Buck Grove, through Coon
Grove, has also been selected. The
above mentioned roads were selected
at the Wednesday last meeting and De
fore actual work begins there may DC
a few changes made by the board. The
transcontinental route, however, Will
be made permanent.
The state provides revenue for the
building of these county roads, ano
the amount to be expended for this
years work is in the neighborhood OF
S15.OOO.OO. Owing to the scarcity OF
labor the supervisors have deemed II
advisable to let the building OF these
roads by contract, dividing the differ
ent sections of the county into dls
tricts. The work to be done in each
district will be advertised and blds
asked for. The county engineer has
been instructed to draw plans anC
specifications and when the proper
time arrives contractors who desire
to bid on the roads may call upon
him for any information desired.
The supervisors look upon the ne"
proposition with considerable favor
and as soon as the law is thorough!
understood all will deem the feature
a wise one. Inasmuch as the county
has gone at this matter in an earnes,
manner, there is little danger OF Den
ison and Crawford county losing the
transcontinental route.
The city of Harlan and Shelby coun
tv. together with the southern portion
of Carroll county, in which Manning
is located, are using every effort u
have the trans-continental route
changed to run into Council Blum:
through Harlan from Carroll, thus cut
ting off all the territory west OF Car
roll on the Chicago & Northwestern
line. On Wednesday OF last week
large meeting was held at Carroll
which was attended by big delesa
tions from the Commercial clubs ant
Automobile clubs of Harlan, Irwin
Manning and other points lnterVen
ing. to confer with the Citizens clu'
of Carroll with reference to the plan
ming of the new route for the trans
continental highway. A point whlcl
they brought out in favor of the pro
nosed new route was that there arr
2O5 turns on the trans-contlnenta
route from Carroll to Council Bluffs
while by adopting the new one ther'
would be only Is, a saving OF aoou
1eO Turns and this seemed to be NOR
important than the character OF roa'
to he traversed. As the route is nov
laid out between Carroll and Councl
Rluffs there are a great many NOR
turns than are necessary ana we ui
derstand that this is to be rectife'
in the near future. As an Illustration
here in Denison as the route is map
-. .horo oro something like y