The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1920-01-02
A U N

~ NNN~ 49, AoS AhSA " DluNS
among those progressive portions of the
state that propose to discard the old
conditions n come abreast of modern
times. The county has entered into a
contract for the building of four con
crete roads that will bisect its territory
at various angles and form connecting
links in projected highways of great
length. In all 100 miles of road will be
built. One Of the roads to be SO i'm
proved is the old State Line road that
parallels he Mississippi and Tennessee
state line in the southern portion of
the county and is of more h usual
historic interest. The county will make
this famous old road concrete from near
Collierville, just over the Shelby line, to
Grand Junction, on the border of Fay
cite and Hardeman counties, about %
miles, 1t will constitute a part Of the
Memphis and Muscle Shoals highway,
making part of a route from Memphis
to Nashville.
The forces of Gems Sterling Price and
Van Dorm from the trans Mississippi
department marched over this road on
their way to join the Confederate forces
assembled at Corinth. Later this road
and the Memphis & Charleston railroad,
now part of the southern system, that
it often crosses and recrosses, were &C.
cupied by Federals all the way from
Corinth to Memphis the greater part Of
the war, Grants army marched over
AAlt lOuo 81 iON1S " LN'
Grant for a long time had his headquar-
! tiers at LAGRANGE, in Fayette county,
on this road, while preparing for the
Nicksburg campaign. A. considerable
fight between the Confederate cavalry
under Gen, stephen d. Lee and some
! Federal cavalry under Gen. Hatch at
Moscow, Fayette county, occurred on
this road in November, 1868. The Fed
erals j suffered severely in recrossing
Wolf river, the bridge over the stream
being blocked with their wagon trains.
Gem Forrest later fought his way
across the river, the railroad and the
State Line road at Rossyille, eight miles
/ west of Moscow. He was returning to
Mississippi from "a raid he had made
into the northern part of West Tennes-
/ gee.
Gen. Van Dorm came Directly to Mos
cow from Holly Springs, Miss, 25ymiles
south, Immediately after he had blown
/ up the arsenal at the latter place, and
thus frustrated one of the Federal ad-
vances toward Vicksburg,.
Some interesting markers could be
placed along this particular concrete
road that Fayette county Will bnlld.
The writer of this article wouId under,
take to show where Gen. Grant had
his Headquarters in LAGRANGE and
where the general and his staff lodged
on one occasion On a hurried trip to
Memphis, and narrowly escaped being
attacked by guerrillas the next day
Another of tie concrete roads ray
cite county proposes to build will make
a portion of the Bristol-to- Memphls
highway. Another, passing through the
county seat, Sonerville, from norta-
east to southwest. will be in direct line
from jackson to Memphis, and will
rake a good road all the way between
those two cities by connecting with
reads in Shelby and Madison counties.
Another CT the roads is to Eaverse the
courty directly north and south con-
Meeting Staurton on the LouisVile 4
Nashville railroad in Haywood county
with Moscow on the southern railroad
near the Mississippi line.
Fayette county has an abundance OF
ratlve gravel that can be used in read
bu. lding, and good %graveled ~turnpikes
connecting with these concrete roads
should make a splendid highway sys-
TEN.
The county is one of the largest.
tcrritorially, in the state and ranks
second in the production of cotton. Its
western border is only rs miles from
Memphis, 1t is crossed by the South
ern, the n, G. & St, L., the J.. & N,
and, for a short distance in one cor
rer. by the Illinois Central railroad.
The Illinois Central and the Southern
cross at Grand Junction. A branch
road Of the Southern connects Louis
Vile with the main ling. With a good
road system added to it's railroads the
county will have superior transporta-
ticp faciit es.
Eecause CT the large cotton planta-
lions in Fayette county in the oll days
tn courty has a large negro popula-
tiCn and like other similarly affected
Southern regions had untoward po-
Iitcal conditions jn reconstruction
tines. There appears to be a strong
progressive tendency there now. 1t is
crossed by Wolf river that empties into
the Ms sissipri at Memphis in its SOUTH
ern part and by Loosahatchie through
the certer, Much of the bottom
land" is very fertile.
zone and one-half million dollars are
to be expended in road improvement
in Faye-te county, This will include
approximations by the county court
with state and federal aid. A number
Of other Tennessee counties are i'm
proving their road systems and there is
fine prospects of good roads over the
greater p~Nti0n Of the state in the near
future. Th"re is no doubt that the
wealth of the state VIII be thereby
greatly increased aud its progress in
other RESPECTS much enhanced.-(An
editorial In the Nashville Banner, by
r. II. Yancey, editor, and a native of
FaVCtte courty.)