The independent. [volume] (Elizabeth City, N.C.) 1908-1936, 1920-02-13
A MATTER OF DRAINAGE
SIMPLY, SAYS Mr.. PAGE
State and Federal Aid to Put Pasquotank on State
Highway Hinges Upon Enterprise of Own
ers of Swamp Lands in Newland Township

Upon the enterprise and acti
witty of the farmers of Newland
Township in upper Pasquotank
County depends the only 1mme-
date hope of State and Federal
aid for the construction of
hard surfaced highway that will
connect Elizabeth City with the
State Highway system, make !
possible shorter route from
Elizabeth City to Norfolk and
make Newland Township one of
the most accessible and prosper
| Gus rural communities of north
eastern North Carolina.
The State Highway Commission will
4 help build a road from Elizabeth City
to Gates County, if Pasquotank and
Gates can show the Highway Gommis-
sion a link between Pasquotank and
IGates That link can be easily provid-
led by building three miles of road thru
la swamp between Tadmore in Pasquo-
tank and Acorn Hill in Gates. That
swamp is the only barrier. That swamp
lis above sea level and is easily drained.
: The formation of drainage district and
: the drainage of that swamp will not
: of road, but will drain a large area OF
of road, bu twill drain large area of
Newland township and send land values
{ in that vicinity soaring. The very bank
: tof drainage canal three miles long from
7 Tadmore to Acorn Hill would provide
z the foundation and material for the de-
4 sired road. And sit is all a matter of
| drainage" declares Chairman Frank
n Page of the State Highway Commis-
q Sion. Mr.. Page knows this Every en-
fgineer in the state knows it. 1t is clear
0 fly up to Newland.
From Acorn Hill in Gates county it
lis only a distance of four miles to Sun
: bury in Gates County The building
!, of that swamp road will have the i'm
u mediate effect of putting Newland town
:. : ship eight miles nearer railroad sta
= tion than it is now. That fact alone is
worth fortune to Newland. ;. Another
: effect of the building of that swamp
: road viii be to add the richest and most
ls productive township in Gates county to
the Elizabeth Grade territory The
fopenfng Of that swamp road would cut
in two the distance between Elizabeth
G City and Sunbury. With hard sur
face road from Elizabeth City. steady
stream of traffic would flow between
10 these two counties. -
There is no mistaking athe attitude of
Chairman Frank Page He puts himself
, squarely. on record. In letter to w.
L. Cohoon, under date of Feb. 5, Mr..
=, Page stresses the Importance of New
~ land property owners organizing drain
n age district to make that swamp road
:. lpossible In his letter Mr.. Page says
II cannot too strongly urge prompt
a. a. activity in getting this district establish
ed. because it really means, not only
- the establishment of the drainage dis
= trict, but the establishment OF a State
. highway when it is completed.
ST am pleased that the suggestion o1
assisting your county in building a roaG
Ito Gatesville meets with your approval
~ and the approval of the Highway Com
~. mission of Pasquotank County. In my
- opinion this road will not only be O1
- vast benefit to your county, but it alse
49, conforms entirely with the law, as nov
~ existing, in the establishment of State
H. roads from county seat to county seat
" sure you that it will be my pleasure tt
lido whatever I can in assisting in th'
~ establishment and construction of thi
~ road. -
ed II note with interest your reference
1ly to the apparent unpleasantness betweel
ity your community and the State Highwa.
Commission. I assure you that tn
.ru State Highway Commission, every mem
.rs Der of it, has frequently expressed thei
"a leagerness to be of service to your par
,gs ticular community, and all that I hav
asked in the past has been that the con
to ditions under which we could help yo
mt should conform to the law. under whic
in we are working. This writer is YER
me much pleased that this misunderstood
ing has now been obviated and cleare
up, and it now appears that we are i
position to give you the assistance de
sired -