The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1915-06-07
cHTCkASAW LAKE ROAD.
The only Standard Gravel Highway
in the State of Oklahoma.

In the month OF March, 1915, the
windows of the heavens opened, the
floods came and the black roads of
the southern counties of Oklahoma
became quagmires and practically
impossible, creating a sentiment for
better roads.
This crystallizing into a movement
of the progressive element for the
construction of at least an object les
son road that would demonstrate that
the roads could be bettered, ii the
work was handled correctly and the
material placed properly.
Mr.. o. H. Wolverton, the principal
factor, initiated the movement and
secured the financial cooperation OF
the citizens of Ardmore and the Com
missioners of Carter county. Suffi
cient funds being secured to construct
the work which consisted of two and
one-half miles of the main travelled
road entering Ardmore from the
northeast carrying a large volume of
traffic from the northeast portion OF
the county.
The assistance of the department
of highways was invoked and its en-
gneer w. r. Colt, was detailed to
plan and direct the work, which was
carried on under the supervision of
Tom Ellis, county superintendent of
highways. The teams and labor were
supplied by the farmers of the com
missioner's district and work done on
force account.
A reconnoiter of the region along
the proposed route, disclosed the fact
that suitable material was obtainable
along the proposed roadway within
easy hauling distance to gravel the
work, which would be donated by the
property owners along the route. 1t
was therefore determined to build a
standard gravel road, the engineer
was instructed to make plans and
specifications for the work.
The specifications were submitted
and adopted and work was started on
the nineteenth day of March, 1915.
The survey developed the fact that
the right of-way north from Thir-
teenth avenue to the section line was
only 20 feet wide and traversed the
spillway for the run-off of all the
storm water from the entire northeast
portion of the city.
To eliminate a perpetual mud hole
and secure adequate right-of-way for
the proposed improvement it was
deemed expedient by the engineer to
relocate this section of the route.
An exit from the city was there
fore opened up across the ReXroat
addition commencing at a point on the
east boundary of the city, where same
is intersected by Twelfth avenue
thence east 325 feet, thence north
1920 feet to the section line, a total
distance of 1915 feet, which was
graded and drained, the relocation
not only eliminating a perpetual mud
hole, but secured the perfect drainage
of the entire distance without a cul.
vert.
AS the street on the south
boundary of the ReXtroat addition was
only % feet wide, Mayor Mullen do
mated Is feet of additional right-of.
way along the north boundary OF h.s
farm which enabled the engineer TO
open a 40-foot street to connect with
Twelfth avenue
The remainder of the route along
the south and east boundaries of sec
tion %, a distance of approximately
10,250 feet. was found to be only two
rods wide, which fact required a mod
ification OF the original plans.
The specifications for the work
were carried into effect so far as local
conditions and weather would permit,
local traffic was turned onto the
gravel as soon as the first yard was
put in place on the work, which com
pacted the gravel so that no rolling
was required, which effected a mate
rial saving in the cost Of construction.
This, coupled with the borrowing of
the dirt for the BERN from the
bitches. instead of excavating for the
gravel surface as specified, assisted
in making the funds reach further
than otherwise.
Adverse weather conditions pre-
vailed during the entire time the
work was in progress, which added TO
the cost of construction and delayed
the completion Of the work. How
ever, this condition was favorable 10