Crittenden record-press. [volume] (Marion, Ky.) 1909-191?, 1916-02-03
Began Building Macadamized
Roads as Far Back as the
, Eighteenth Century
STATE AID LAW IN 1914
In 1908 the General Assembly Of Ken
lucky Passed a Constitutional
Amendment Permitting the State to
Lend It's Credit TO the Counties for
Rosdbuidlns and Maintenance.

Frankfort-Kentucky was one OF
the first states In the union to estab-
lish state aid for road construction
As early as 1910 the General Assembly
OF Kentucky provided for the open.
ing OF roads to the Virginia line and
began the construction OF macadam-
tied roads In 1920.
Prior to 1870, Kentucky had spent
more than 100000 In the construc-
ton OF macadamized roads which
were built on rights Of way sixty feet
wide These roads were located on
light grades and easy curves. and
were graded tweuty.four to thirty feet
between bitches Teltord foundations
between sixteen and twenty.four feet
were used with a good macadam sur.
face. This work was under the super.
vision OF state engineering depart
ment, consisting Of a state highway
engineer, at salary OF $1,000 per
year with corps OF assistants at
salaries ranging from Sl,lOO to $500
per aunum Many ~ these roads are
yet In @ splendid state Of preservation,
and are rendering substantial service
o. the communities through which
they pass.
80
However the policy of internal i'm
proyemout was discontinued prior to
1850. owing to the financial condition
OF the treasury. aud cnange IN 20.
lit!cal parties. and II was not until
1905 that any attempt was made to re-
vive a state system OF highways.
In 1905 the General Assembly OF
Kentucky Hssed constitutional
amendment permitting the state to
lend It's credit TO the counties for road.
building. and TO provide for the con.
ttruction aud maintenance OF public
highways.
A highway department was estab-
lished TO consist Of the Commissioner
OF Public Roads and such assistants
as the Governor might deem adyisa.
Bile. with an Appropriation of not to
exceed $4,000 Per anuum from the
automobile license tax which had been
accriag from 1910 as a state road
fund.
The department was organized and
Robert c. Terrell was appointed the
first commissioner The duties Of the
department were purely advisory, and
while the counties we're required to
request plans. specifications and esti-
mates OF cost for the road and bridge
work. which exceeded $500 In cost.
they were not compelled to use the
plans and specifications thus prepared
II was not until after the state aid
law passed by the General Assembly
OF 1914 became operative that the
state was really In position to lend
material aid TO the counties. Although
a great deal was accomplished by the
commissioner and his assistants prior
to 1910, II was only, as stated above.
advisory, which In many instances II
was hard to get the county officials
10 take advantage OF the engineering
assistance offered. but In 1914 the gen.
eral assembly passed a law leyying a
hve.cent tax on each SlOO worth OF tax.
able properly In the state OF Kentucky.
The law further provided that the
money should be distributed to the
counties based upon the amount OF
money levied and collected In each
county for roadbuilting, and that no
couutyNshould receive In any one year
more than two per cent OF the total
road fund The department imme.
diately set TO work In the spring OF
1915 to secure the cooperation OF the
counties In building a sysem OF roads
as laid cot In the bill passed by the
General Assembly. which provided
that the roads should connect up the
county seat OF each county OF the Com.
monwealth with the county seats OF
the adjoining counties by the most
direct and practical route, and the
county seats OF border counties with
the state line on the most direct and
practical routes leading from said
county seats TO the county seats OF
the adjoining counties In the adjacent
statag