The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1916-08-17
HOME STATE KEEPS
STEP WITH ROADS
REPORT OF E. C.. ISSENHUTH
SHOWS THAT 10000 MILES
HAVE HAD ATTENTION
NO HARD SURFACE ROADS IN STATE
Nearly Three Millions of Dollars Spent
This Year on Roads by Counties
and Townships

AHleIlcd is enjoying a STEADY ana
emphatic progress in the building of
good highways, in which our own state
is a very material factor, according to
the information brought forth by Ma
tional Touring Week. In connection
with this campaign in the interest of
a national automobile outing those in
chorge found it in line with their work
to make as first hand an investigation
as possible of the mileage and condi-
ton of that mileage in the several
states.
The report on roadway in our own
state contributed to the promoters of
National Touring Week by E. G. Issen-
huth, of our state highway department
is as follows:
We have in South Dakota about 200,-
900 miles of legal highway. This
means that very congressional Sec
ton line sixty-five feet wide is reserv-
ed for a public road and was so de-
lCC Ny SldluIc Ill 1000 dL a IlIuC
when only a small portion of the state
in the southeastern part was settled
and was done in the territorial days
by the territorial legislature. We were
not admitted as a state until 1889.
OF the 200, 600 miles of road about
10000 will not be considered as ever
likely to be built, being located in
three parts of the state, viz,-part of
the mountainous part of the Black
Hills, part of the Bad Lands, and that
part in the wide m~eandering channel
of the Missouri river. Roads are built
passing through the Black Hills and
Bad Lands. Both can be reached from
Pierre or Chamberlain going west to
Rapid City. On the way to Rapid City
the tourist touches the Bad Lands 60
ing west of Pierre, and passes through
them on road going west of Chamber
lain to Rapid City. The Black Hills
are well worth seeing and Eastern peo-
pie can come this way going or coming
to or from the Yellow Stone Park.
The principal points for tourists to
enter this state from the east going
westward, are as follows:
At Milbank, S. D., on the Yellow
Stone Trail.
At Watertown. S. D., on the Red and
Yellow Trail.
At Bookings, S. D., on the Black
and Yellow Trail.
At Sioux Falls, S. D., on the Scenic
Highway.
At Sioux City (Iowa,) on the Wash
ington Memorial Highway.
OF the 1000 miles of legal high
ways only about 10000 have received
considerable attention in way of grad
ing, draining and dragging of long
road beds, which include the various
cross state highways mentioned above
at points entering u state. This
leaves 150, 900 miles which has receiv-
ed little or no attention and is located
in interior remote from cross state
highways and in sparsely settled coun-
ties and communities of ranchmen and
stockmen. Here we have much work
to do in the future years.
We started our fight for better laws
to build good roads under the contract
system in the legislature of 1907 but
failed. Failed also in 1909. Failed be-
cause the towns people owned the
autos and country people owned but
few. In 1911 we won with a good law
when the country people getting arous-
ed helped to pass it. Thanks to the
local auto owners Of our state and the
touring visitor who by his cheer and
presence always boosts and inspires
those he meets.
There are no hard surfaced roads in
u state excepting the streets of a
dozen of u larger towns and cities.
Aberdeen, WATERFOWL, Sioux Falls,
huron, YanktOn, Pierre, Lead and
Deadwood have either blocks, concrete
asphalt or brick on principal streets
about two dozen other smaller towns
have a well packed gravel finish.
Owing to the absorbing nature of
our soil the dirt roads of this state are
remarkable for their dry and hard con
dit;on, for a longer portion of the year
than are the dirt roads east and south
of our state.
Let thetourist investigate to find
that we have more sunshine here
which dries the surface much more
quickly than in most sections under
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