The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1917-11-18
INSPECTION TOUR
SPANISH, TRAIL

1al J.--ArflSlHS III 1aldAdSSSc IdSS
night IN Captain w. j. Hillman's big
seven passen er touring car on an
ins pection tour of the Old Spanish
Trail across the northern tier OF Flor.
ida counties, were the member of the
State Road Department Of Florida,
and State Road Commissioner WIN
+. Cooke, who has his headquarters IL.
Tallahassee.
The party of road officials met in
Pensacola last Monday night, some
proceeding to that point by rail- anu
others by automobile. After =
conference with members of the Board
of County Comniss .oners of Escam.
bia County Tuesday morning, durine
which an agreement was reached rela-
tive to the use of that countys APP
portionment of the automobile license
tax for the year 1913, and also rela-
tive to Federal and State aid for roai
construction, EAe party started at S:3U
o'clock on he trip eastward over the
Old Spanish Trail enroute for Jack
sonv lie, the terminus of the present
inspection tour.
The next official stop was made at
Milton, where the Board of County
Commiss ;oners Of Santa Rosa Count
was found to be in session. A joint
meeting of the State and Count
boalds was held and. an agreemen,
reached relative d State and Federal
Aid for improving the Old Span sh
Trail across Santa Rosa County. Mr.
James Austin Mortlano, bridge engi
neer of the State Road Department
was in conference with the county au.
thorities relative to the bridges at
Milton and Bagdad which were car
ried away in the storm that passed
over that section in September. An
entirely satisfactory agreement was
parted on their eastward trip leaving
Mr.. Mortland to complete the de-
tails.
Reaching, the county of Okaloosa.
at Holts, the party made a thorough
inspection of the ten mile stretch of
road between the Santa Rosa County
line and Mlhgan, the former county
seat Of Okaloosa. This stretch of
road is now officially known as
Federal Aid Project No. L." it being
the first project in Florida to be
awarded Federal Aid. Through the
State Road Department the Secre-
tary of Agriculture of the United
States has granted Federal Aid to the
extent of $4,000 for this piece of
road. This award will be met by an
appropriation of $4,000 Of county
funds from a bonG issue for road i'm
provement, and $4,000 of State Aid
funds. All of the work is to be un-
der the direct supervision and control
of the State Road Department. An
engineer of the department, Mr.. ]. G.
Foster, is now on the job and as soon
as he completes the final survey. it is |
expected that bids for the actual |
work of construction will begin.
Upon arriving at Crestview. the
permanent county seat of Okaloosa.
the party met with the Board of
County Commissioners of that county i
and an agreement was reached rela |
tive to TIE Federal and State Aid to |
be extended.
Walton county was next reached |
and the party met with the Board of !
County Comm. ssioners Tuesday even !
ing at DeFuniak Springs, where the |
first night out from Pensacola was |
spent. Here the members of the |
party we're entertained informally by |
the citizens of DeFuniak Springs and
Mrs. GEORGE K. Armes, wife of the |
Assistant Enrineer of the State Road
Departm ent in charge of the South ,
e1n Division of the Department. Mr.. |
Armes has his headquarters in |
Gainesville, but his family have re- |
Gently returned from that place to |
their former home at DeFuniak |
Springs.
An early start was made Wednes-
Gay morning and official stops were |
made during tire day at Bombay. the |
county seat of Holmes County. at |
Chlpley. the largest town in Wac |
ington County on the Old Spanish |
Trail, at Mariana, tie county, sert Of |
grand old Jackson and at Quincy.
county seat of Gadsden County. At |
each of these places nneetinps were |
ell with the boards of county COM
missione-s and agreements reached |
relative to Federal and State Aid to |
be rendered under the supervision |
and control of the State Road De-
partment.
Late Wednesday afternoon the par
ty reached Tallahassee and made |
their headquarters at the Leon Ho-
tel. Those IN the party were Hon
Ed. Scott, of Arcadia, Chairman, Hon. |
]. D. Smith, of Mariana, secretary; /
Hon. M. NJ. Smith, of Orlando; Hon
w. ]. Hillman, of Live Oak; Hon.
John y! Gilbert, of Jacksonville and /
Hon. VIM. F. Cooke. of Tallahassee,
State Road Commissioner.
A meeting of tie members Of the
apartment nnebers Of the Board of
County Commissioners of Leon Coun-
ty was held Wednesday evening in
tire offices of the State Road Depart |
rent and an agreement reacre
hereby the department is to render
state aid to enable the county to COM /
taken over by the State Road De
tween Cap -tola and the Jefferson
county line. The State Road Depart
nent will then take over for future
maint nance t. Q entire east and west I
road from the Gadsden County roe T.
to the Jefferson County line. The