The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1920-01-15
A COUNTY ROAD SYSTEM

out OF commissioner districts one, |
three and five, and thru them build
the Dixie highway, and state road
from the Putnam to the Sumter coun-
ty line. The Dixie highway is that
read that passes thru our county on
it's way from Chicago via Central
Georgia, thru Live Oak. Gainesville
and Ocala into South Florida. 1t will
be one of the highways of the nation,
and if our county does not build it's
section of it. and it is diverted, we
will be off the map, so far as auto
traffic is concerned. The other road
is even more important to state traf-
fic. 1t is to enter Marion county at
Orange Springs, running southwest, !
thru Citra, Sparr and Anthony to
Ocala. 1t will follow the Dixie high
way from Ocala to Belleview, and
from Belleview be built on thru Sum-
merfield to the county line near OK
ford. 1t will be the shortest route in
the state from Jacksonville to Tampa
cost a million dollars. in addition to
the quarter million given by the state
and federal governments.
If these roads are built by the said
road districts. they will be of the
| greatest benefit to the entire county,
and we do not think the other two dis
| tricts can consider themselves slight
| cd, as their people will have the same
right to use them as anyone, and as
they will be of great benefit to them.
1t is true that it may call on them to
build their own good roads unassist-
ed. but they can build such roads at
a much less cost.
However, the Star would rather see
an all-county system built by all the
county, and it should be very glad in
deed to see gathering of representa-
tive citizens from all over the county,
| pledging their precincts to help in the
work and share the benefits.
| 1t is not possible for our people to
build a spider-web of roads all over
the county, running one by almost
every citizens home. Such system
would either cost ten million dollars
| to build the most scientific and en-
during highways, or it would put down
ordinary lime and clay roads, which
i would cost at least "a hundred thou
sand dollars a year to keep in repair.
But we could and should build a sys-
tenn of the best roads between the
most important points and thru the
most thickly settled parts of the
county. This could be done by the
following plan:
II is not necessary to change the
Dixie highway. 1t already follows the
best route. 1t would save some ex.
j pense by going to Summerfeld, in
/ stead of along the eastern shore of
Lake Weir, but that would deprive not
only the people on it's present route of
it's use, but the considerable number
that live in the Oklawaha valley from
Electra south.
i We think the road proposed from
the Putnam line should go from Or
ange Springs south thru Bay Lake to
Fort Mccoy and from there west by
north to Citra. This would add three
OF four miles to it. but Fort Mccoy
. and adjoining country have good
many people, while the straight
southwest line from Orange Springs
to Citra has few homes along it. The
balance of the road is all right.
Now if these roads were built and
two others were added to the north
west and southwest of the county, we
would have a symmetrical road map
composed of trunk lines that could be
added to as fast as we have the pop
ulation and the money.
The two roads north and southwest
should run as one out the present
Cotton Plant road thru Martel, anc
as much further as is practicable
When they fork. one should run thru
Fellowship and Blitchton to the Levy
county line, along whatever route the
people in that section desire. The
other branch should go to Dunnellor
by the best route.
This would leave out the southeast
ern part of the county, that beyond
the Oklawaha. This. however. is yer!
: ti1inly settled at present. That par
4 which has the most population would
be as close to the main roads as some
of the more thickly settled portion!
Oil this side of the river would be tt
their roads. And the road system
proposed would bring people nearer
to them and help them to build up, ana
in ten years at most would enable thu
county to build road thru their sec
ton to the St. Johns-a road tina
would take most of the travel from
this part of the state to the coast.
The roads the Star proposes shoulC
, be built of the same width and ma
terial as the Dixie highway, and coulC
be built. we believe. for million ant
,, a half dollars The Star believes tina
if a bond issue for such a system i
submitted to the people that they vii
vote for it.
, MARION-DUNNM MASONIC LODGI