Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1917-08-23
CARNEGIE MAY BUILD ME-
MORTAL BRIDGE ACROSS RIVER


The recent trip of Field Score
tary Ostermann of the Lincoln
Highway association over the 'B"
;line from Fremont to Missouri
Valley, mention of which was
made in the Democrat two weeks
ago, is very apt 10 result in some
thing being done toward the
building of a new wagon bridge
across the Missouri river at this
point, if information contained IN
the Omaha papers last wrck is
authentic.
This would not only result in
swinging the main line of the
Lincoln Highway through Blair
and across Washington county,
but would in addition give us in
the neighborhood of 100000 Wis
itors to our beautiful little city
annually.
Ever since the 3D. line became
reality, Omaha and Council
Bluffs have been worried for fear
the Lincoln Highway would be
taken away from them and imme-
diately after we organized last
year Council Bluffs began cutting
down long hill leading into that
city and doing everything possible
slble to hold the tourist travel in
ri
awakening to the danger of losing
the highway and at a recent meet
ing of the county commissioners
down there members of the auto
mobile association appeared be-
fore that body to urge them to get
busy on the bum roads in Douglas
county. A bomb-shcll was thrown
into the meeting when w. B.
Cheek, chairman of the good
roads committee of the Omaha
Automobile association, read a
letter from high official of the
Lincoln Highway, the great trans
continental road from New York
to San Francisco, saying that be-
cause of the neglect of the high
way across Douglas county there
were good prospects that the
route of the great road will be
changed and sent direct from
Missouri Valley to Fremont. via
Blair, cutting off Omaha and
Douglas county entirely. The
Importance of the Lincoln High
way to Omaha can be seen when
IT is stated that more than 100, 600
tourists passed through Omaha
last year on this road. Mr.
cheeks letter is said to have been
from a Lincoln Highway official
and among other things contains
the following bit of information
that will prove interesting read
ing to the people of Washington
county:
There is a movement on foot
to run the Lincoln Highway from
Missouri Valley to Blair, anC
1t is not all talk.
Carnegie has been approached
not recently, but couple OF
years ago to build memorial
bridge across the Missouri river
between Missouri Valley and
Blair as a part of the highway
and Mr.. Ostermann states the as
ISOLATION is going to eliminate the
neglected counties as fast and as
lar as consistent with good tour
ing and hotel accommodation
Fremont has a new hotel now
which will fill the gap left by
eliminating Omaha and her ho-
tells.
Omaha and parts of Nebraska
have not done ali possible for
this route and we owe it to then
TO take an interest as club anC
push the general Improvement OF
this great highway through Doug
las county as we'll as neglected
points through the state, and il
w ssCA olll ali dlu WE SIdIlu q
good chance of Omaha being TAX
en- off the map
While the 3D. line is going to
divert great deal of travel of
the main highway from Council
Bluffs and Omaha, Blair should
not sit idly by and think there is
nothing more to be done This
cutoff saves better than 25 miles
TO the cross country traveller and
saves him trip through the
congested parts of two big cities
Blair and Washington county is
bound to have a lot of strangers
pass through here as soon as this
short cut becomes we'll known and
1t behooves US to not only keep
our roads in good shape, but TO
Offer every encouragement pos
slble.-Blair Democrat
-O-